Ford Expands SIRIUS Satellite Radio Offering
* Ford will offer SIRIUS Satellite Radio as a factory-installed option targeted for up to 20 Ford and Lincoln Mercury vehicle lines for 2006 and 2007 model years.
* Additionally, Ford expands SIRIUS as a dealer-installed option this fall.
DETROIT and NEW YORK, Oct. 18 -- Ford Motor Company today announced that it is expanding its availability of SIRIUS Satellite Radio as a dealer-installed option, and is targeting up to 20 vehicle lines for factory installations over the next two years.
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SIRIUS is known for delivering premium content, including commercial-free music, as well as sports, news, information and entertainment to cars and homes across the country, and is rapidly expanding its programming lineup.
Ford, Mercury and Lincoln now offer SIRIUS Satellite Radio as a dealer-installed option on nine models. Beginning this fall, this offering will be expanded to four additional models -- Ford Escape, Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis and the all-new Mercury Mariner. The feature is currently available on the Ford Explorer, Sport Trac, Expedition and Thunderbird, the Mercury Mountaineer, the Lincoln LS, Aviator, Navigator and Town Car.
Over the next two model years -- 2006 and 2007 -- Ford and Lincoln Mercury plan to offer SIRIUS as a factory-installed option on up to 20 vehicle lines.
"With longer commutes and heavier traffic volume, people are spending more time than ever in their vehicles," said Phil Martens, Ford group vice president, Product Creation.
"Soon, more Ford, Lincoln and Mercury customers will have the opportunity to further enhance their time in the vehicle with SIRIUS Satellite Radio," he said.
SIRIUS provides listeners with over 120 channels of premium programming, including 65 commercial-free music channels and over 55 channels of news, traffic, weather, comedy, original entertainment and comprehensive sports coverage. In addition to broadcasting all NFL games live, plus a full schedule of college football games, beginning in January of 2006, SIRIUS will also be the only place to listen to famous radio personality Howard Stern.
"Ford is more than an innovative brand. Its name is a part of automotive and American history," said Joseph P. Clayton, CEO of SIRIUS. "Naturally, we are thrilled to see that Ford is adding more SIRIUS availability to its great lineup of quality vehicles, and that they are moving forward to offer SIRIUS as a factory-installed option."
According to Clayton, demand for satellite radio -- and SIRIUS -- is increasing, and the company expects to reach one million subscribers by the end of 2004.
The recent introduction of live NFL games and college football, as well as relationships with the NHL, Maxim magazine, Eminem and the announcement that Howard Stern will be joining SIRIUS in 2006, are yet other examples of the company's innovative content strategy to differentiate itself from the competition.
About Ford
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures and distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With more than 318,000 employees worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo.
Its automotive-related services include Ford Credit, Quality Care and Hertz.
Visit http://media.ford.com/ for information, news releases and high resolution photography.
About SIRIUS
SIRIUS, now available to over 10 million DISH Network satellite TV and SIRIUS Satellite Radio subscribers, provides listeners with over 120 channels of commercial-free music, sports, information and entertainment, with digital quality sound coast-to-coast, broadcast daily from New York City, Los Angeles, Nashville, New Orleans, Houston and Daytona. SIRIUS offers 65 channels of 100 percent commercial-free music, and features 55 channels of world-class sports, news, talk, entertainment, traffic and weather. SIRIUS also broadcasts live play-by-play games of the NHL and the NFL, and is the Official Satellite Radio partner of the NFL.
Any statements that express, or involve discussions as to, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance with respect to SIRIUS Satellite Radio Inc. are not historical facts and may be forward-looking and, accordingly, such statements involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Accordingly, any such statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the factors discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Among the key factors that have a direct bearing on our results of operations are: our dependence upon third parties to manufacture, distribute, market and sell SIRIUS radios and components for those radios; the unproven market for our service; our competitive position and any events which affect the useful life of our satellites.
Click on http://www.sirius.com/ to listen to SIRIUS live, or to find a SIRIUS retailer or car dealer in your area.
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