Satellite radio
A
satellite radio or
subscription radio (SR) is a
digital radio that receives
signals broadcast by
communications satellite, which covers a much wider geographical range than terrestrial
radio signals.
SR functions any place there is line of sight between the
antenna and the satellite, given there are no major obstructions, such as tunnels or buildings. SR audiences can follow a single
channel regardless of location within a given range.
Because the technology requires access to a commercial satellite for signal propagation, SR services are commercial business entities (not private parties), which offer a package of channels as part of their serviceâ€"requiring a
subscription from end users to access its channels. Currently, the main SR providers are
WorldSpace in
Europe,
Asia and
Africa, and
XM Radio and
Sirius in
North America. All are proprietary and non-compatible signals, requiring proprietary hardware for
decoding and playback. These and other services have
news,
weather,
sports, and several
music channels.
Satellite radio uses the 2.3 GHz
S band in
North America, and generally shares the 1.4 GHz
L band with local
Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB) stations elsewhere. It is a type of
direct broadcast satellite, and is strong enough that it requires no
satellite dish to receive. Curvature of the
Earth limits the reach of the signal, but due to the high
orbit of the satellites, two or three are usually sufficient to provide coverage for an entire
continent.
Local
repeaters similar to
broadcast translator boosters enable signals to be available even if the view of the satellite is blocked, for example, by
skyscrapers in a large town. Major
tunnels can also have repeaters. This method also allows local programming to be transmitted such as traffic and weather in most major
metropolitan areas, as of March 2004.
Each receiver has an
electronic serial number (ESN)-Radio ID to identify it. When a unit is
activated with a
subscription, an
authorization code is sent in the
digital stream telling the receiver to allow access to the blocked channels. Most services have at least one "
free to air" or "in the clear" (ITC) channel as a
test, and some outside the U.S. have a few free programming channels, (Sirius uses channel 184 "Sirius Weather & Emergency" though this may end up being a
loss leader tactic to lure more listeners until satellite radio gains more widespread use.
Most (if not all) of the systems in use now are
proprietary, using different
codecs for
audio data compression, different
modulation techniques, and/or different methods for
encryption and
conditional access.
Like other
radio services, satellite radio also transmits
program-associated data (PAD or
metadata), with the
artist and
title of each
song or
program, and possibly the name of the channel.
Satellite radio differs from
AM or
FM radio, and
digital television radio (or DTR) in the following ways:
| Radio format | Satellite radio | AM/FM | Digital television radio (DTR) |
| Monthly fees | $12.95 U.S. and up | None | Very low â€" DTR represents a small portion of the total monthly television fee |
| Portability | Available | Prominent | None â€" a typical set consists of a stereo attached to a set-top box |
| - | Listening availability | Very high â€" a satellite signal's footprint covers millions of square kilometres | Low to moderate â€" implementation of AM/FM services requires moderate to high population densities and is thus not practical in rural and/or remote locales | Very high1 |
| Sound quality | Moderate2 | AM: Very low FM: Low to moderate | High |
| Variety and depth of programming | Highest | Variable â€" highly dependent upon economic/demographic factors | High |
| Frequency of programming interruptions (by DJs or commercial advertising)3 | Low to high â€" satellite radio features a mixture of commercial and non-commercial formats; most stations have DJs | Highest4 | None to low â€" some DTRs have DJs |
| Governmental regulation | Low to none5 | Yes â€" significant governmental regulations regarding content6 | Low to none |
1 Except in the case of DTR distributed through
digital cable services, for which availability is low.
2 The sound quality with both satellite radio providers may not always be comparable to FM radio. This is because XM and Sirius must add many channels in the tight bandwidth limits the FCC has placed on both companies.
3 Some satellite radio services and DTR services act as
in situ repeaters for local AM/FM stations and thus feature a high frequency of interruption.
4 Nonprofit stations and public radio networks such as
CBC/Radio-Canada,
NPR, and
PRI-affiliated stations and the
BBC are commercial-free. In the US, all stations are required to have periodic station identifications and public service announcements.
5 In the United States, the FCC regulates technical broadcast spectrum only. Program content is unregulated.
6 Degree of content regulation varies by country, however the majority of industrialized nations have regulations regarding obscene and/or objectionable content.
In the
United States, two companies dominate satellite radio:
XM Satellite Radio and
Sirius Satellite Radio. A monthly fee is charged for both services (
as of 2005 Sirius also offers a one time fee of nearly $500 valid for the lifetime of the equipment). Originally some XM music channels had
commercials, while Sirius was commercial-free. As of
September 2005 XM has 67 commercial-free music channels; 39 channels of news, sports, talk, and entertainment; 21 dedicated traffic and weather channels, and 23 play-by-play sports channels,. Sirius has 65 music-only channels as well as traffic and weather reports for major cities. XM uses fixed-location
geostationary satellites in two positions, and Sirius uses three
geosynchronous satellites passing over North and South America, to transmit the digital streams. The net difference is that the Sirius signal comes from a higher elevation angle in the northern part of the U.S., and even more so in Canada. (This higher angle makes Sirius' signal less likely to drop out on cities, but more likely to drop out in parking garages, gas stations, and other covered spaces.)
Both services are available mainly via portable receivers in automobiles, but both have many accessories so one can listen at home through a
home stereo, with a portable
boombox, or online through a
personal computer. Both services now have some form of receiver that is completely portable.
Some
critics of the service have expressed concerns that satellite radio will lead to a decline in the number and variety of local
radio stations and programming and greater concentration of
mass media in the hands of fewer companies. There are also concerns that the ability to transmit local channels on repeaters, which is currently prohibited by FCC regulation, is only a
rulemaking proceeding away from being legalized and further threatening existing local broadcasters.
The
footprint of both Sirius and XM is only the United States (including Alaska), Canada, and the upper third of Mexico; it does not cover
Hawaii as
satellite TV does.
Success so far
As of
March 20,
2006, XM has claimed "over 6 million" subscribers, while Sirius claimed "over 4 million".
One critical factor for the success of satellite radio is the deployment of in-
car receivers. Both Sirius and XM have attempted to convince
carmakers to equip vehicles with their receiver.
As of 2005, the following manufacturers offer satellite radio as original equipment:
Sirius has an exclusive contract for VW and Audi vehicles from 2007 through 2012. Those brands previously offered both services.
One of the challenges for satellite radio has been to move away from cars and into the homes of consumers. Several portable satellite radio receivers have been made for this purpose. XM satellite radio has developed the
XM2goâ„¢ line of "walkman-like" portable receivers, such as the
Delphi MyFiâ„¢, the
Pioneer AirWareâ„¢ and
Giant International's Taoâ„¢. Sirius has developed the
Kenwood Portable Satellite Radio Tuner, Here2Anywhere and the Sirius S50 (although neither is a true portable in comparison to XM's XM2go: Here2Anywhere is a plug-and-play receiver, and the S50 must download programming from a home or car docking kit and cannot receive live programming on its own). While key agreements with car manufacturers are still being made, both companies have made the leap away from satellite radio only in the car and into the homes of consumers.
On
November 1,
2004, the
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) began hearing applications for
Canada's first satellite radio operations. Three applications were filed: one by
Standard Broadcasting and the
CBC in partnership with Sirius, one by
Canadian Satellite Radio in partnership with XM, and one at the last minute by
CHUM Limited and
Astral Media.
The first two would use the same systems already set up for the U.S., while CHUM's application is for a subscription radio service delivered through existing terrestrial
DAB transmitters rather than directly by satellite (although satellites would be used to deliver programming to the transmitters). The CHUM service is all-Canadian; the other two applications propose to offer a mix of Canadian-produced channels and existing channels from their American partner services.
A small "
grey market" already exists for
Sirius and
XM receivers in Canada in which a Canadian would have an American order their receiver and setup.
On
June 16,
2005, the CRTC approved all three services.
In its decision, the CRTC required the following conditions from the satellite radio licensees:
* A minimum of 8 channels must be produced in Canada and for each Canadian channel 9 foreign channels can be broadcast.
* At least 85% of the content on the Canadian-produced channels (whether musical or spoken word) must be Canadian.
* At least 25% of the Canadian channels must be
French-language stations.
* At least 25% of the music aired on the Canadian channels must be new
Canadian music.
* At least 25% of the music played on the Canadian channels must be from up-and-coming Canadian artists.
These conditions were an extension of the existing
Canadian content rules applicable to all broadcasters in Canada. The applicants had until
13 November,
2005 to notify the CRTC of their decision. Both companies managed to negotiate the standards a little to their favor, and in return they would instead play 50% French content as opposed to 25%. Also, XM Canada succeeded in getting an extra 5 channels of
National Hockey League Play-by-Play onto their platform, without an additional channel creation, by agreeing to cover every Canadian team's game during the season.
CHUM appealed the decision, claiming they would not survive if Sirius and XM both were allowed in the Canadian market, and that the licence conditions regarding Canadian content imposed on Canadian Satellite Radio and Sirius Canada were too lax. Canadian Satellite Radio and Sirius Canada countered that CHUM was simply trying to create a
monopoly in the Canadian market.
In late August 2005,
Heritage Minister Liza Frulla asked the federal cabinet to review the CRTC decision, and possibly send it back to the CRTC for further review. Lobbyists complained that the CRTC decision did not require enough Canadian content from the broadcasters. The broadcasters responded by promising to add additional Canadian and French content.
After vigorous lobbying from both sides, the Federal Cabinet officially accepted the CRTC decision on September 10, 2005.
XM satellite radio was launched in Canada on November 29, 2005. Sirius followed later on December 1, 2005. Monthly subscription rates are $12.99 for XM (85 channels) with a one time activation fee of $19.99 and $14.99 for Sirius with no activation fee(100 channels). (All prices are in Canadian dollars)
Read the CRTC's public notice concerning Canadian satellite radio servicesWorldSpace has its own satellites covering most of
Europe,
Asia and
Africa. The signal can be received by specialised WorldSpace receivers. Many of the programs are available only to subscribers.
A large number of radio stations are available
free-to-air on geostationary satellites targeting Europe throughout the
Ku band, but these require fixed dish installations and as a result, are impractical for use in vehicles. Reception is often tied to a
satellite television decoder. Both analogue stations, as subcarriers in
SÉCAM and
PAL analogue satellite signals, and digital, as
DVB-S streams and
Astra Digital Radio subcarriers, are in use.
South Korea started S-
DMB service in
May 12005.
Digital Multimedia Broadcasting*
Orbitcast - All Things Satellite Radio
*
Siriusfannetwork.com - Sirius Info
*
Digital Insurrection Satellite Radio Info
*
Digital Home Canada Canadian Satellite Radio Information and Discussion forums.
*
Sirius Backstage Sirius Information and Discussion Forum
*
XM411 XM Information and Discussion Forum
*
XMFan XM Information and Discussion Forum
United States and Canada
*
XM Satellite Radio XM Satellite Radio Company
*
Sirius Satellite Radio Sirius Satellite Radio Company
*
XM Satellite Radio, Canada XM Canada
*
Sirius Satellite Radio, Canada Sirius Canada
Asia, Africa and Europe
*
WorldSpace Satellite Radio WorldSpace Satellite Radio Company
