XM INAUGURATES SATELLITE RADIO SERVICE

Starting in Dallas and San Diego, XM Satellite Radio began rolling out its digital satellite radio service today. The service will eventually feature nationwide broadcasts of 100 digital channels of music and information.

XM will begin operations in the South in three weeks, expanding to the rest of the country in November.

Strategic investors in XM include General Motors, Honda, Clear Channel Communications and DirecTV. Sony, Alpine and Pioneer all make XM radios, which will be included in 20 GM models next year.

Said XM President/CEO Hugh Panero at the launch: "Remember 45s, remember vinyl record albums, remember the introduction of FM radio, the cassette, the Sony Walkman, the compact disc and cable TV with MTV? They all had dramatic impacts on music, bringing it to larger audiences in new and different ways. Remember when there were only three broadcast television networks? Soon people will say, 'Remember when there was only AM and FM?' And that leads us to XM Satelllite Radio."

Hey, remember hitsdailydouble.com? Neither do we.

Sirius, XM's competitor in the satellite service business, expects to roll out its service out by the end of the year.