The Battle for Our Ears

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.

What does satellite offer that regular radio doesn

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