Breaking Protocol
A look at BlitzSafe’s new DMX Protocol converter technology
Automedia
BlitzSafe recently announced the introduction of the release of the first product using their new DMX (Digital Multiplex) technology in a changer protocol converter. We spoke with Ira Marlowe, president of BlitzSafe, who explained that while most changer converters are designed so that after-market CD changers can be added to factory decks, DMX technology actually increases the features and benefits of the interface. For instance, using one of the units just released by BlitzSafe, the factory radio can control up to two CD changers.
Although the first units are designed to add Panasonic changers to Toyotas, BlitzSafe assures that units to interface changers by Kenwood, Sony, JVC, Nakamichi, Alpine, and Pioneer will soon be available. Likewise, OEM decks with changer controller options in vehicles from Izuzu, Honda Passport, Ford, GM, and Mercedes will soon be added as well. Right now, this means that when a customer with a new Toyota enters your shop and wants to add a Panasonic changer, your options are to sell him two 6-disc changers, two 8-disc changers, or a combination of the two. Down at the Toyota dealership, the customer’s options only include adding a single changer.
Breaking Protocol
To activate a single CD changer, the CD button on the factory deck is pushed once. The display on the factory deck then shows which disc is playing (i.e., 1 through 8). The DMX technology adds a new feature to the factory deck. The second time the CD button is pressed, the contents of the second CD changer are displayed. The best part is that the display will read higher numbers (i.e., 9 through 16). You definitely can’t get this feature down at the Toyota dealership.
If a disc magazine in one of the changers is empty, the display on the factory deck will read, OPEN. The factory deck does not do this byitself but with the DMX Protocol Converter connected into the system, the display will read OPEN.
Aftermarket GPS systems will also soon be able to integrate into factory systems using the DMX Protocol Converter. This will permit GPS to be added to factory systems that did not previously have GPS capability.As we approach the millennium, more and more GPS displays are being built into the vehicle. The DMX Protocol Converter will be able to integrate these factory systems with aftermarket GPS systems such as those presently marketed by Alpine and Clarion.
We are looking forward to testing one of these new BlitzSafe technology units at our test labs in the near future.
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Blitzsafe releases worlds first XM satellite radio, auxiliary and CD interfaces for Landrover Freelander 2003
BLITZSAFE OF AMERICA RELEASED TODAY THE FIRST AND ONLY “FREELANDER 2003″ INTERFACES AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE.
XM SATELLITE RADIO INTERFACE CONNECTS TO THE FACTORY HEAD UNIT AND RECEIVES FULL DIGITAL QUALITY SOUND TO THE XM PIONEER, ALPINE, SONY OR AUDIOVOX TUNERS.
THE CONSUMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION OF TWO DIFFERENT CD INTERFACES FOR KENWOOD, PANASONIC CD CHANGERS.
THE AUXILIARY INTERFACE CONNECTS MP3 OR DVD INTO THE FACTORY SYSTEM WITHOUT THE NEED FOR FM MODULATORS OR CASSETTE ADAPTERS.
THE “FREELANDER 2003″ INTERFACES WILL BE A WELCOME ADDITION TO THE BLITZSAFE INTEGRATION PRODUCT LINE.
Blitzsafe releases worlds first XM satellite radio, auxilliary and CD interfaces for Lexus
BLITZSAFE OF AMERICA RELEASED TODAY THE FIRST AND ONLY “LEXUS” INTERFACES AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE.
XM SATELLITE RADIO INTERFACE CONNECTS TO THE FACTORY HEAD UNIT AND RECEIVES FULL DIGITAL QUALITY SOUND TO THE XM PIONEER, ALPINE, SONY OR AUDIOVOX TUNERS.
THE CONSUMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION OF THREE DIFFERENT CD INTERFACES FOR KENWOOD, PANASONIC OR JVC CD CHANGERS.
THE AUXILIARY INTERFACE CONNECTS MP3 OR DVD INTO THE FACTORY SYSTEM WITHOUT THE NEED FOR FM MODULATORS OR CASSETTE ADAPTERS.
THE “LEXUS” INTERFACES WILL BE A WELCOME ADDITION TO THE BLITZSAFE INTEGRATION PRODUCT LINE.
XM and Sirius go head to head in a Rocky Mountain road trip
SOUND & VISION
by Ken C. Pohlmann & Leslie Shapiro
Sound & Vision
The temperature was chilly - at least to two southerners - but even the coldest day in Rocky Mountain National Park is sweltering compared to the frigid - 450° void of outer space. At 9,000 feet, we were well above sea level, but low compared to the orbiting satellites that transmit the signals for the XM and Sirius radio services from as high as 29,000 miles above terra firma. The top speeds of our Audi and BMW vehicles were fast by earthly standards, but positively sluggish compared to the 9,000-mile-per-hour velocity of the space vehicles in question. Our world and theirs could hardly be more different, yet we were comfortably linked by heavenly music floating down from above.
Sound & Vision and its respected logos, indicias and images are trademarks of Sound & Vision
Digital Audio Radio
Reprint Consumer Electronics Association.
Until 2001, the digital revolution that swept through the communications industry had bypassed the over-the-air radio business. However, in November 2001, one company – XM Satellite Radio – began beaming 100 digital channels of coast-to-coast music, news, information and talk show programming from high-powered satellites directly to vehicles and homes throughout the U.S. A second company offering similar service – Sirius Satellite Radio – quickly joined XM in February 2002.
Less than a year later, land-based radio stations followed the satellite broadcasters into the digital age. In fall 2002, the first terrestrial AM and FM stations began preparing their own commercial digital broadcasts in preparation for the launch of home and car receivers, just days after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gave its nod to the technology behind the digital broadcasts. Appropriately enough, Detroit’s own WDMK-FM, located on the home turf of the giant U.S. automakers, became the first American radio station to go digital in early 2003.
Satellite Radio Roots
The FCC awarded satellite digital audio radio (SDAR) licenses to XM and Sirius in 1997 after they successfully bid for spectrum in the 2.3 GHz band. Since receiving their licenses, the two companies have launched high-powered satellites, respectively built state-of-the-art studios in Washington, D.C. and New York, hired DJs, show hosts and other on-air talent, digitized millions of songs and other audio content, secured licensing deals with dozens of radio programmers and formed partnerships with automakers, consumer electronics companies and others.
Both companies provide subscription services offering a mix of ad-supported and commercial-free channels, the latter with near-CD quality. For $12.95 per month, Sirius offers 60 commercial-free music stations and 40 sports, news, talk and entertainment channels (most with commercials). For its part, XM charges only $9.99 per month but offers fewer commercial-free music stations, even though more than 35 of its 70 music channels run no ads. XM also offers 31 news, sports, talk and entertainment channels, most of them with commercials.
Key Benefits, Potential
The key to satellite radio sales is the auto market, given that vehicles outnumber homes by a wide margin. More than 213 million cars and light trucks crisscross highways and local roads today, according to the latest figures from market researcher The Polk Co. That is about twice the number of households (106.3 million) in the nation, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau statistics.
The rival satellite services aim to provide uninterrupted programming to motorists when they travel from one local-radio market to another (as often happens during a daily commute) or into areas with few or no listenable radio stations. Moreover, they promise to provide this benefit without the multipath distortion that afflicts traditional analog FM broadcasts, which is better known as static.
The most recent U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) statistics underscore the automotive potential for satellite radio. There are 115 million commuters in the U.S., of which 34 million travel more than 45 minutes each way. On top of that, there are more than 1.1 million long-distance haulers and 9.3 million recreational vehicle owners. In Houston alone, Sirius points out, more than 800,000 people spend at least an hour a day commuting, while 300,000 people commute for an hour or more in Denver.
The satellite services also offer benefits to drivers who rarely venture outside their local radio market, as well as to homebound radio listeners. All consumers can take advantage of the services’ targeted, cable-TV-like ability to deliver a range of music, sports, talk, children’s and news programming to a niche audience often ignored by mainstream terrestrial broadcasters.
The services cover a wide spectrum of musical tastes, from Latin to swing music to bluegrass. They often feature many variations within each musical genre too. There is not one country channel; there are multiple channels offering new country, old country, alternative country and the like. XM’s Latin choices, for example, include Latin jazz, Spanish rock and Tejano. Both companies also dedicate channels to the music of particular decades. There is plenty of news, sports and information, much of it provided by well-known content partners such as CNN, ESPN, BBC, CNBC, Discovery and USA Today.
In contrast, more than 70 percent of all AM and FM stations play only one of five formats – news, oldies, hits, country and urban – XM contends. The satellite services’ programming diversity demonstrates a broad demographic appeal that should help expand the customer base of the car audio aftermarket beyond its core group of male teens and young adults. In fact, XM found that its initial customers were equally distributed over various age groups and did not begin to trail off until age 55.
Some industry analysts believe that 20 percent of all vehicles, or nearly 40 million overall, could end up with satellite radios by 2007, five years after XM and Sirius launched. Others believe that milestone could take up to seven years to reach. But no matter which forecast proves to be more accurate, the services clearly have a long way to go to get there. In April 2003, for instance, XM, by far the leader in the satellite radio market, said its customer count topped the 500,000 mark and predicted that it would reach 1.2 million by the close of 2003.
Challenges
The initial rush of orders indicates that consumers are embracing digital satellite radio with about as much enthusiasm as they welcomed digital satellite television. Despite early satellite operational problems, a launch date that had to be delayed two months because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, financing woes and a sluggish economy, XM reported 483,075 subscribers at the end of the first quarter, up an impressive 135,916 from the end of 2002 and six times the amount that it added a year earlier. Similarly, Sirius – after being beset by its own set of problems and barely avoiding bankruptcy in early 2003 – closed the first quarter with its best performance ever, more than doubling its subscriber total to 68,000.
The challenge facing XM and Sirius is to provide enough compelling programming to lure consumers into subscription plans when they are accustomed to receiving terrestrial radio broadcasts free. How much consumers are willing to pay for satellite radio service, if anything, has been a hotly debated topic in the industry. In CEA Market Research’s latest survey on the subject, 37 percent of consumers said they would be willing to shell out up to $10 a month and another 15 percent said they would pay up to $20 a month. The biggest chunk of consumers (48 percent), however, said they would not spend a dime.
In a separate study in late 2002, J.D. Powers and Associates found that satellite radio did not exactly rank near the top of the list of new and emerging automotive features desired by consumers. Satellite radio notched 22nd place on the list of 25 features, although it did improve to the 18th slot once respondents learned how much all the services would cost.
Even with these questions about price, the installed radio base is clearly quite promising for aftermarket suppliers. Some 95 percent of car owners now have an AM/FM radio in their vehicle, according to CEA Market Research. CEA’s research also shows that AM/FM radios have been the third most popular aftermarket mobile consumer electronics purchase over the last two years, with 32 percent of aftermarket buyer’s spending money on them. Plus, a growing number of online consumers, or 13 percent, who expect to buy some kind of car aftermarket product in the next two years anticipate that it will be a digital or satellite radio.
XM and Sirius certainly promise to make satellite radio a hotly contested market. XM is shooting for 1.2 million subscribers by the end of 2003 and up to 4 million customers, its projected breakeven point, by the close of 2004. In similar fashion, Sirius is gunning for 300,000 subscribers by the end of 2003 and up to 2 million customers, its projected breakeven mark, by sometime in 2005.
However, both XM and Sirius, which already have raised and spent more than $1 billion in capital between them, face continued steep costs in a challenging economy. In separate efforts to position themselves for these challenges, XM closed on a new $475 million funding package in late January 2003 while Sirius completed a $1.2 billion recapitalization in early March.
Aftermarket Deals
Seeing great potential for satellite radio, consumer electronics makers and retailers are seeking to help the two companies reach their ambitious goals. On the product side, one hot new device is Delphi’s XM SkyFi satellite radio system. Billed as the first portable satellite radio, the SkyFi “boom box” allows users to listen to XM’s channels in their cars, homes or anywhere else they may go. In January 2003, XM said it expected about 80,000 SkyFi units to ship to retailers in the first half of the year. Plans call for all 2,100 Wal-Mart stores in the U.S. to start selling the boom boxes and the rest of the Delphi SkyFi radio line by the end of May 2003.
Both Sirius and XM now have lined up a strong roster of CE makers for their aftermarket radio systems. Clarion, Kenwood, Panasonic and Audiovox churn out radios for Sirius while Alpine, Pioneer, Sony, Delphi and Audiovox all produce radios for XM.
Satellite radio also is providing opportunities for the integration aftermarket. For instance, Blitzsafe has developed an inexpensive line of adapter cables to connect an XM tuner to new and aftermarket radios. The Blitzsafe integration products promise to reduce the installation time on premium vehicles with pre-wiring harnesses.
Automaker Partnerships
On the factory side, General Motors, a major investor in XM, is leading the way in satellite radio. GM, which was the first automaker to offer XM as a factory-installed option on its 2002 Cadillac DeVille and Seville models, expanded XM to 25 car, truck and SUV models for the 2003 model year. Plans call for extending XM radio to another 19 vehicles, or 44 of GM’s total 57 lines, for the 2004 model year, including the Chevrolet Malibu mid-sized pick-up, the Chevy Trailblazer SUV and the new Buick Rainier.
In addition to its large GM base, XM, which also is backed by the American Honda Motor Co., has its radios installed in many Honda and Acura models. Plus, Toyota, Isuzu, Infiniti, Nissan, Audi and Volkswagen all are incorporating XM radios into at least some of their new 2004 vehicles.
Sirius is no slouch in this department either. Boasting exclusive partnerships with DaimlerChrysler, Ford Motor and BMW, its satellite radios now are in select BMW, Mini, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Nissan, Infiniti and Mazda 2003 models. Other brands planning to introduce Sirius in their 2004 models include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Volvo, Audi, Volkswagen, Land Rover and Aston Martin
Because satellite radios are addressable, Sirius and XM both intend to provide wireless data and other telematics services to motorists. Among other things, these services would remotely unlock vehicle doors if the keys are left inside, remotely start the engine on cold mornings and even deliver customized content to vehicle owners. In early April 2003, for example, XM and Weather Works introduced a service to deliver detailed, real-time, graphical weather data to mobile users in the marine, aviation and emergency management markets.
XM Exceeds Forecasts
By Amy Gilroy
TWICE
WASHINGTON— XM Satellite Radio announced it expects to gain 300,000 new subscribers in the fourth quarter, exceeding its original guidance of 1.2 million subscribers by the end of the year.
In addition, president and CEO Hugh Panero said at an analyst’s conference that XM expects to overshoot analysts’ predictions for its 2004 subscriber level of 2.5 million.
Panero says XM represents 85 percent of the satellite radio market, adding, “We now have the wind at our backs. We have all the characteristics of a mass-market phenomenon.”
XM added 237,395 subscribers in the third quarter, ending Sept. 30, for a total of 929,648 subscribers.
On the retail front, XM said Wal-Mart is ramping up its selection and should become a bigger factor in future sales. Target is also performing a test market on XM products, said XM.
Sales of the new universal tuner/FM modulator, the XM Commander, are limited at present, although the company said production is ramping up. XM said 18,000 XM Commanders have been produced to date, along with 100,000 new Delphi XM Roadies.
Panero said XM is working with Satellite Radio Direct, Syracuse, N.Y., to package its new XM Direct tuner/antenna kit with cables for various aftermarket and OEM applications. A cable for BMW radios is already available from Blitz Safe, with an Alpine cable expected in January. Cables for several other brands are expected to be announced at CES, Dan Murphy, retail marketing and distribution senior VP, said.
On the new car front, OEM XM sales accounted for more than half the new subscriber additions for the third quarter, with the same split forecast for the fourth quarter, said Panero. General Motors and Honda are expected to manufacture a combined one million XM factory-equipped vehicles in the 2004 model year, with 200,000 of those from Honda. GM expects to account for a total of 400,000 subscribers by the end of 2003, and should reach 1 million subscribers by the end of the first quarter next year, said XM.
BlitzSafe Offers XM Cables for Radios
Twice
Las Vegas - Blitz Safe of Engelwood, N.J., is launching a series of cables that allow an aftermarket XM tuner to work with most OEM radios, without an FM modulator.
The company will offer specific cables for leading car makes so that an XM tuner can plug into the CD section of OEM radios to maintain a digital signal. This results in 25 percent better sound quality than using an FM modulator and it also cuts down installation time, said Blitz Safe president Ira Marlowe.
At CES, cables will be available to support BMW, Honda, Acura, Toyota, Isuzu, Ford, Jaguar S, Volkswagen and Audi makes, with more companies to follow, he said.
In the future, Blitz Safe will also offer cables that will allow a factory radio, even if it is “Sirius-ready” to interface with an XM tuner through the CD and to use the factory controls of the radio for XM tuning, said Marlowe.
Also at CES the company will show cables that allow an aftermarket XM tuner pack to interface with any aftermarket radio that has auxiliary inputs. The cables will be available after January at prices ranging from $29.99 for the universal cables to $99 for car specific cables.
Twice and its respected logos, indicias and images are trademarks of TwiceBlitzSafe Bows New SkyLink
By Amy Gilroy
TWICE
ENGLEWOOD, N.J. — Blitz Safe plans to release at CES this January, SkyLink Direct, a docking station for the Delphi XM SkyFi radio that allows it to work anywhere in the car and to be controlled from an OEM or aftermarket radio.
According to Blitz Safe, the SkyLink retains all of the SkyFi’s scan and access functions, permitting them to be accessed from the user’s current radio controls. The SkyLink also allows the SkyFi to be removed and replaced for transportability.
“If you have a SkyFi, now you have this big thing sitting on your dash destroying the ergonomics of your car. People want the factory look and they don’t want to have clutter in the car. And it’s a much safer environment,” said Blitz Safe president/CEO Ira Marlowe.
The SkyFi is a leading XM Satellite Radio component.
Blitz Safe’s SkyLink can mount in the trunk, under the seat, glove compartment and other locations. It comes with a cradle, a micro antenna and specific interfaces for various cars and radios. Suggested retail price is expected to fall in the neighborhood of $129, including the interface and antenna.
Integration Products May Impact Satellite Radio
TWICE
By Amy Gilroy
Twice
ENGLEWOOD, N.J.— For the first time in car audio, aftermarket integration products could impact a new technology, even before the product is fully deployed.
New integration kits for digital satellite radio from Blitz Safe, based here, and other companies are threatening to blur the line between radio brands that will work with XM Satellite Radio or with Sirius service. One of the first of these kits, from Blitz Safe, is selling like wildfire, according to Blitz Safe president/CEO Ira Marlowe, who expects to move a total of 60,000 integration kits in the next six months. Marlowe said 10,000 integration kits have sold in only a few weeks of shipping.
The Blitz Safe integration kit, which retails for $95, specifically allows Kenwood Sirius-ready head units to operate with a Pioneer XM tuner, without degrading the sound as with an FM modulator. Integration kits will also soon be available for Alpine and Sony XM tuners, said Marlowe. Given that Sirius is expected by analysts to acquire 150,000 to 200,000 subscribers for its first year, a loss of 60,000-plus early adopters to XM might be significant. In addition, Kenwood is by far the dominant Sirius supply partner.
Larry Pesce, product management and strategic planning VP for Sirius, said, “Obviously I couldn’t even try to comment upon their unit numbers, because I don’t know what it’s based on. Do we see it as a threat? Not in the least. A true early adopter is reading the magazines and looking at the technology and when we lay our technology and programming against XM, we think the early adopter will select us.” Pesce referred specifically to Sirius’ statistical multiplexing technology and the fact that it has more commercial-free channels.
Another spokesman for Sirius claimed it is working on similar deals with aftermarket and OEM integration companies that will allow XM radios to operate on the Sirius service.
Several other companies, including Precision Interface Electronics (PIE), Chatsworth, Calif., SoundGate, Sheridan, Wyo., and Peripheral, Clearwater, Fla., said they have also begun offering auxiliary input products that allow any factory radio to interface with either of the satellite radio services, when used with a controller/display and an aftermarket tuner. These are the same products that will also work with DVD and MP3.
Reaction to the interface products from retailers appears positive. Dan Jeancola, mobile buyer for Sound Advice, Dania, Fla., said, “I’ve got customers chomping on the bit for it [Blitz Safe]. I have them on order, and as soon as we get it we’ll probably sell through. It’s the early adopters that have a Kenwood radio and they don’t want to wait for Sirius to come to their market. I can tell you I have close to 100 on order for 25 stores.” He said of the budding converter market, “There’s guerilla warfare going on.”
Al & Ed’s said it expected to carry Blitz Safe’s kit in the next 60 days and Crutchfield said it was evaluating the product.
One retailer noted privately that he was concerned about possible legal issues resulting from the integration product, however Blitz Safe vigorously denies any. Alpine VP marketing Stephen Witt agreed, claiming, “To the best of our knowledge it’s not illegal. You do get into some gray areas of copyright and patent infringement, and it’s gray due to the sum of the reverse engineering necessary to emulate the BUS systems that are proprietary to each manufacturer. But it’s gray, it’s not a black-and-white issue.”
Marlowe added, “There are no legal issues. We’re not modifying or affecting anyone’s product or service in any way, shape or form. We’re just giving people choices.”
The ability of OEM integration companies to offer interface products so soon after XM’s national launch is testimony to the growing agility and power of these companies, said industry members.
“This segment of the automotive industry has gotten to where they can, almost overnight, come out with new cables that connect CD changers to a new OEM head unit. Their ability to identify opportunities and react has improved greatly over the years, as they have had to react to the dramatic changes in OEM head-unit integration,” noted XM VP marketing and retail distribution Dan Murphy.
Most suppliers said the issue of integration may become less volatile when Sirius deploys its service nationally in August, and as suppliers begin supporting more than one satellite radio provider. Also, by 2004, radios will be available that can receive both services.
Jeff Abrams, manager of technical marketing and training for Clarion, which just began shipping Sirius tuners and will offer XM aftermarket products next year, said of the integration kit issue, “I think it will become less important as we launch in both platforms.”
Twice and its respected logos, indicias and images are trademarks of Twice
XM Satellite radio introduces XM Direct
Universal Tuner for Car Stereos Now Available for Third-Party Developers, Distributors
Washington D.C., November 17, 2003 – XM Satellite Radio (NASDAQ: XMSR), America’s #1 satellite radio service, today formally introduced XM Direct, an ultra-compact XM tuner module for car stereos.
XM Direct is a universal tuner that can be connected to any satellite-radio-ready car stereo with smart digital adaptors developed and distributed by third-party companies. XM Direct uses an open operating system to give third parties the opportunity to develop a wide range of adaptor cables to satisfy consumer demand in the automobile aftermarket and OEM segments. The third-party adaptors connect the XM Direct to the in-dash stereo system so drivers can tune into XM Radio using their existing stereo controls.
“With XM Direct and smart digital adaptors, automobile dealerships and retailers can now satisfy customers who want to listen to XM through their in-dash stereo, regardless of vehicle or car stereo brand,” said Dan Murphy, Senior Vice President, Product Marketing and Distribution, XM Satellite Radio.
The companies Blitzsafe and Terk Technologies are currently developing a variety of smart digital adaptors for XM Direct. Blitzsafe has developed and shipped the first adaptor for 2003 and 2004 BMW and Mini vehicles, which is sold through Satellite Radios Direct. Consumers will be able to purchase XM Direct from participating BMW and Mini dealers for $299 plus installation.
Ira Marlowe, President of Blitzsafe, said, “This reminds me of the early days when we were instrumental in getting CD changers to become more widely available as a new audio platform. We are very excited to be offering the very first digital adaptor for XM Direct for BMW and Mini. It accurately transfers the superior digital sound quality of XM with full functionality, and it enables key features that can’t be found on the existing BMW and Mini satellite systems. And this is just the beginning. We look forward to introducing more adaptors for more applications in the near future.”
Blitzsafe is working with Alpine to develop an adaptor for its aftermarket car stereos available early next year.
Terk is also aggressively developing adaptors for other exciting applications to be introduced in January at the 2004 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. All of these adaptors for XM Direct will connect the tuner to the manufacturers’ equipment and provide seamless operation and digital sound quality.
Satellite Radios Direct will sell both the XM Direct tuner and the Blitzsafe BMW/Mini adaptor to provide dealers with one distributor contact for both components through its web site www.SatelliteRadiosDirect.com or by calling 1-888-XM4-CARZ (1-888-964-2279). Consumers who are not near a participating dealer can purchase XM Direct through the website www.radiosandmore.com.
Companies interested in learning more about the XM Direct Development Community can contact Rocco Tricarico, Director of Product Marketing & Distribution for XM Satellite Radio, at xmdirect@xmradio.com.
About XM Satellite Radio
XM is America’s #1 satellite radio service. With over 1 million subscribers, XM is on pace to exceed 1.2 million subscribers later this year. Broadcasting live daily from studios in Washington, DC, New York City and Nashville, Tennessee at the Country Music Hall of Fame, XM provides its loyal listeners with 101 digital channels of choice: 70 music channels, more than 35 of them commercial-free, from hip hop to opera, classical to country, bluegrass to blues; and 31 channels of premiere sports, talk, comedy, kid’s and entertainment programming. Compact and stylish XM satellite radio receivers for the home, the car, the computer and even a boombox for on the go are available from retailers nationwide. In addition, XM is available in more than 80 different 2004 car models. XM is a popular factory-installed option on more than 40 new General Motors models, as well as a standard feature on several top-selling Honda and Acura models.
XM is proud to actively support the lifesaving efforts of The Marrow Foundation and the National Marrow Donor Program to increase the size and diversity of the national Registry of unrelated blood stem cell and marrow donors.
For more information about XM, visit http://www.xmradio.com. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements in this press release include demand for the Company’s service, the Company’s dependence on technology and third party vendors, its potential need for additional financing, as well as other risks described in XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc.’s Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on 6-03-03. Copies of the filing are available upon request from XM Radio’s Investor Relations Department.
