Since popular satellite radio stations Sirius and XM combined in 2008 to form Sirius XM, satellite radio has been growing in popularity. The higher satellite radio grows in popularity, the closer we get to predicting the answer to the question: will satellite radio ever be as widespread as AM/FM? More importantly, could satellite rise to become a threat to AM and FM stations, posing the possibility of replacing them altogether?
Many people's first argument would probably be no. Nothing could replace our standard AM/FM radio formats, just like nothing could ever replace the novel, or a daily newspaper. AM/FM are free, easily accessed in any car or home (generally), and often, at least in the case of FM, offer music, weather, traffic, and news on each channel. Satellite radio, on the other hand, has a monthly subscription fee, costs more money to have it installed in an older car or your home, and has separate channels for music and news. But, the catch with Sirius XM is the removal of annoying commercials. For some people, that alone is enough to make switching to satellite worth the price, but for many others, it is not. So, having weighed some of the pros and cons of satellite radio, the question still stands: will it ever rule the airwaves? Here, Isabela Guimaraes, who has researched satellite radio, gives her opinion on the matter.
As Guimaraes states, most new cars being made and sold today are satellite radio capable, making a monthly subscription fee the only thing keeping the new car owner from enjoying commercial free radio as they drive. If more people choose to purchase Sirius XM when they buy a new care, satellite radio will continue to increase in popularity, since almost all new cars have a satellite radio feature already installed. Also, if enough people get fed up with commercials on their radio stations, they may wind up switching to Sirius XM and tucking aside the inconvenience of having to pay for radio.
Though satellite radio is rapidly expanding and reaching more listeners, it may be awhile before it takes over the radio industry completely, if it does, as Guimaraes predicts. She herself mentioned that while she would probably start using satellite radio eventually, it is not on the top of her priorities right now.
As Sirius XM grows in popularity and acquires more listeners, the rest of us AM/FM fans may begin to hop on board until eventually satellite becomes the preferred method of streaming radio for the majority of the country. Until this happens, the two parties will remain divided- by price, by tradition, or by whatever is keeping AM/FM listeners from indulging in the commercial free world of satellite radio.
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