Digital satellite systems have a number of advantages over traditional cable-television providers. On October 6, 2004 Sirius announced that it signed a five-year, $500-million agreement with shock jock Howard Stern to move his radio show to Sirius starting on January 9, 2006. The Sirius Satellite Radio receiver includes two parts -- the antenna module and the receiver module.

The Sirius Radio business model is to provide pay-for-service radio, music channels being free of commercials, analogous to the business model for premium cable television. Sirius Radio gives you the freedom to listen to what you want, when you want, where you want. DirecTV now gives listeners as part of its service the music channels of XM, but not the news or traffic channels.

Each satellite radio receiver uses a small, car-phone-sized antenna to receive the XM signal. Satellite TV solves many of the problems associated with earlier television broadcasting methods. XM Satellite Radio is revolutionizing radio by offering exciting and unprecedented coast-to-coast programming.

XM Canada said it will have shipped 100,000 receivers to Canadian retailers before Christmas. Satellite radio has many advantages over terrestrial radio, it is capably of delivering a crisp, clear digital signal in a variety of genres from blues to classic rock. Both Sirius Radio and XM Radio are counting on Canadians' propensity for adopting new digital technologies at ever-accelerating rates.


Satellite radio is not just a new consumer electronics product but also a whole new product category. A single cable connects the satellite radio to your stereo exactly the same way that it would a same-brand CD changer. Some automobile audio companies such as Delphi and Visteon have committed to offering HD Radio ready radios in their new vehicles. Satellite radio has ushered in the next generation of radio listening.