How big is satellite radio?
Though its audience still pales in comparison to traditional broadcast radio, satellite radio is gaining fast. The industry currently consists of two fiercely competitive companies, XM and Sirius, both of which are investing feverishly in technology and in big-name talent, from Howard Stern to Bob Dylan. XM launched its service in 2001 and now has 6 million paying customers. Sirius, which went live a year later, has 3.3 million subscribers. Both networks are projected to add another 3 million listeners this year, and Kagan Research forecasts that by 2014, they could have a combined 46.8 million subscribers. Satellite boosters say the new services will transform radio the way cable changed TV.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
The biggest climate records in the last yearIn Depth The number of records set in the past year is a stark reminder of the destructiveness of climate change
-
'The future of abortion access in many states may come down to who has the final say'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Supreme Court rejects challenge to CFPBSpeed Read The court rejected a conservative-backed challenge to the way the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is funded
