Think of your favorite music or discussion topics, piped into your home or car in digital-quality, crystal-clear sound. And then think of your favorite format with absolutely no commercials - no used car salesmen, no fuel company ads, no heavy rotation ads hawking every possible product or service all the way to work and home again - all your favorite stations available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, with no static.

Whether you love fifties music or reggae, conversation from right wing pundits or Air America, or even 'round the clock comedy, Satellite Radio is it. The purchase of a satellite radio and a small monthly fee will open a whole world of ad-free radio listening to you.

XM Satellite Radio offers over 150 digital channels in formats specializing in music, sports, talk, and entertainment, plus 21 channels dedicated to weather and traffic patterns in major metropolitan areas around the U.S. XM offers the deepest music playlist available, with over 2 million titles. For $12.95 a month (less if you opt for an annual contract) and the cost of an XM radio (anywhere from 50 to 200 dollars, after rebate) you will have an amazing range of music formats to choose from, from Decades to Classical to Urban, from Jazz and Blues to Latin, World, and Christian. Channels for kids are available as well, plus a variety of sports, talk and comedy formats.

Sirius offers over 60 music channels plus a wide variety of other formats, including football, soccer, and even horse racing channels. The "World" music options are a bit more edgy than the XM offerings, and offer music from all over the world, including Africa, Brazil, the Caribbean, the British Isles, Central Europe and Asia. Musicians range from the Rolling Stones to the Gypsy Kings and Khadja Nin. Both XM and Sirius offer channels which give emerging artists a boost.

Sirius offers a variety of radio systems, including a Plug and Play kit with adaptors for your car or home radio, only $29.99 after the rebate; the systems go up in price and complexity from there. Subscriptions start at $12.95. Right now Sirius and XM systems are not compatible.

Owners of conventional broadcast radio stations have expressed concerns that the commercial-free satellite stations will cut into their listenership and, as a result, their ad revenue; but the proponents of satellite radio feel that won't happen. There's plenty of room for free local programming offering local and regional news and events announcements. With this thought in mind, both XM and Sirius offer radios which can be connected to home or car radios without interfering with their regular operation, for the best of both worlds: free local stations keeping the listener up to date on happenings in their community, plus the best in music, talk, and sports from around the world.