Satellite radio is a popular service with an extensive selection of music and talk channels that requires a monthly subscription fee. It uses clear, static-free digital signals broadcast from satellites orbiting Earth that can be decoded by specialized radio receivers in automobiles and home stereo systems. The high quality of the sound, popularity and lack of commercials are the primary reasons why it is worth the extra cost for many.
The history of satellite radio began in 1990 when a group of employees from Geostar, a company that made GPS tracking devices for military use, created technology that could be used to send digital audio signals via satellite. They formed a company called CD Radio and purchased a license from the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast satellite-based digital radio for the first time. By late 1998 their financing reached $135 million in the form of new stock and an option to buy more within a year. Eventually the firm was renamed Sirius Satellite Radio, Inc and in 2000 it launched its three satellites to cover North America.
XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio are the two major satellite radio providers in the US and they have millions of subscribers. They both offer a variety of content that is not available on terrestrial (AM/FM) radio and a much broader geographic coverage area than terrestrial radio can provide. You can listen to Howard Stern from Tacoma, WA to Washington D.C and back again without losing his voice or having to change stations. Most modern vehicles come equipped with satellite radio and most of the used Hyundai cars for sale at Carter County Hyundai feature this technology.
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