XM Radio Launches New Summer Season of Programming Specials
XM's Superlative Summer Programming Delivers Exclusive Live Concerts, Specials, Countdowns
WASHINGTON, July 1 -- XM Satellite Radio , America's leading satellite radio service, today announced its star-filled program lineup for the month of July.
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XM is ushering in the summer with a host of exclusive specials, countdowns, and live concerts on its 101 digital channels of music, news, sports, comedy, children's programs, and other entertainment choices.
"XM is the ultimate destination for live, original radio programming," said Lee Abrams, XM's Chief Programming Officer. "By listening to the thousands of XM fans who call and e-mail our on-air staff every day, XM has created a compelling lineup of summer features that create a phenomenal radio experience."
This week's edition of BusinessWeek magazine likens XM's programming to "an oasis in the desert," and Fortune.com recently called XM "the HBO of Satellite Radio." XM recently took top honors at the New York Festivals, the international competition that recognizes the best in radio, receiving five medals for its outstanding achievements in programming.
During the month of July, XM's exciting and innovative programs include:
* XM Live [XM Channel 168] presents the first-ever live, nationwide
broadcast of Willie Nelson's legendary Fourth of July Picnic Concert in
Texas, featuring Nelson, the Dead, and many others, on July 4 and 5.
* The Decades Channels [XM Channels 4 through 9] present "IT" - The
History of Pop Music. "IT" is the most comprehensive music special in
radio history, a revolutionary and definitive replay of every hit song
from 1940 to 1999 spread across XM's six decade channels.
* XM Comedy [XM 50] hosts "The Funniest Fourth Ever," featuring the 150
funniest comedy bits of all time as chosen by XM listeners on July 4,
with an encore presentation on July 5.
* Fred [XM 44] features an Audio History of Alternative Music during the
first week of July. 2044 songs chosen as the most essential by Fred
Fanatics, including music from Echo & The Bunnymen, Iggy Pop, The
Smiths, Joy Division, P.I.L., Siouxsie & The Banshees, The Cure, XTC,
The Clash, Depeche Mode, Stone Roses, Elvis Costello and more.
* Soul Street [XM 60] host Bobby Bennett welcomes legendary Motown
superstar Smokey Robinson to the Soul Street live line on July 3.
Bennett talks to Smokey about his Hall of Fame career and plays some of
Smokey's greatest hits. Soul Street will also broadcast the last
concert by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, a classic performance from
July 1972.
* America [XM 10], XM's home for classic country music, debuts on July 2
its exclusive Merle Haggard concert series recorded live in Virginia.
America will also present the world premiere of Willie Nelson and Ray
Price's new album Run That By Me One More Time on July 4 and the world
premiere of Merle Haggard's latest album on July 6.
* The Boneyard [XM 41], XM's source for heavy metal, kicks off the "United
States of Metallica" in celebration of our nation's birthday and
Metallica's Summer Sanitarium 2003 Tour by playing 420 Metallica songs
in a row, including new songs, live tracks, rare tunes and interview
segments, beginning July 4.
* Special X [XM 30], XM's eclectic, award-winning channel devoted to
bizarre music and freeform programming, hosts "The 3rd Annual Star
Spangled, Red White & Blue, All American Fourth of July Musical Melting
Pot Extravaganza," beginning July 4, featuring 30 hours of every cool
song written about America, including "U.S. Blues" by the Grateful Dead,
"City of New Orleans" by Arlo Guthrie, "America" by Spinal Tap, and
hundreds more.
* The Torch [XM 31], XM's Christian rock channel, will air the Seventh Day
Slumber "American Dream Broadcast" on July 4, presenting the music and
passions of modern rockers Seventh Day Slumber, recorded live at the XM
Live Performance Studio in Washington, D.C., featuring songs from the
band's new release "Picking Up The Pieces".
* Deep Tracks [XM 40] presents the "Deep Tracks Essential 4000," the
essential rock and roll album tracks from the Deep Tracks library played
end to end, by song title in alphabetical order, from Little Feat's "A
Apolitical Blues" to Dr. John's "Zulu Man," beginning July 4.
* MTV Radio [XM 25] broadcasts MTV2 $2 Bill shows from Coldplay, Foo
Fighters, Linkin Park, and the Roots on July 4.
For more information about these and dozens of other specials across the XM dial, visit XM's web site at: http://www.xmradio.com/programming/programming_main.html
About XM Satellite Radio
XM is America's #1 satellite radio service. With more than 692,000 subscribers today, XM is on pace to have more than one million subscribers later this year. Whether in the car, home, office or on the go, XM's loyal listeners enjoy 101 digital channels of choice: 70 music channels, more than 35 of them commercial-free, from hip hop to opera, classical to country, bluegrass to blues; and 31 channels of premiere sports, talk, comedy, kid's and entertainment programming. XM's strategic partners are leaders in the automotive, retail, consumer electronics and media industries. Currently available on 25 of General Motors' 2003 models, XM will be featured on 44 of GM's most popular Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Pontiac, Buick and Saturn models beginning later this year. Honda is making XM available on the Honda Accord, Honda Pilot and Acura RL, Acura TL and Acura MDX models. Toyota, Isuzu, Infiniti, Nissan, Audi and Volkswagen will offer XM to their customers. Consumers can also purchase XM's leading-edge car, home and portable audio receivers, including the critically-acclaimed Delphi XM SKYFi Radio, at Wal- Mart, Best Buy, Circuit City and other major retailers nationwide. XM's strategic investors include General Motors, American Honda Motor Co. Inc., Clear Channel Communications and DIRECTV. For more information about XM, visit our web site at www.xmradio.com.
Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements in this press release include demand for the company's service, the company's dependence on third party vendors, its potential need for additional financing, as well as other risks described in XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc.'s Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on 3-31-2003. Copies of the filing are available upon request from XM Radio's Investor Relations Department.
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