A satellite radio or subscription radio (SR) is a digital radio
signal that is broadcast by a communications satellite, which covers a much wider
geographical range than terrestrial radio signals.
Satellite radio is currently at the forefront of the evolution of radio services
in some countries, notably the United States. Mobile services, such as Sirius,
XM, and Worldspace, allow listeners to roam across an entire continent, listening to
the same audio programming anywhere they go. Other services, such as Music Choice or
Muzak's satellite-delivered content, require a fixed-location receiver and a dish
antenna. In all cases, the antenna must have a clear view to the satellites. In areas
where tall buildings, bridges, or even parking garages obscure the signal, repeaters
can be placed to make the signal available to listeners.
Radio services are usually provided by commercial ventures and are subscription-based.
The various services are proprietary signals, requiring specialized hardware for decoding
and playback. Providers usually carry a variety of news, weather, sports, and music channels,
with the music channels generally being commercial-free.
In areas with a relatively high population density, it is easier and less expensive to reach
the bulk of the population with terrestrial broadcasts. Thus in the UK and some other countries,
the contemporary evolution of radio services is focused on Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB)
services, such as HD Radio, rather than satellite radio.
In North America, there are two satellite radio companies, XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite
Radio. These two former rivals have announced their intention to merge, which would create a single
satellite radio entity in the United States with nearly 14 million subscribers.
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