The fact that satellite radio service XMRadio is coming to Canada has been known for a while now. I've looked into a few times and always come back to the same question: "Why would I subscribe?" I'm not sure I see the real value proposition of such a service. Yes you get get music, sports and talk radio all without commercials, but I still don't see it. In a recent article/interview with the New York Times they asked the same question of XMRadio president Mr. Panero
Q. Why should someone pay to listen to the radio?
A. We offer 150 channels of the best music, news and sports around. Commercials are out of our music channels. Consumers can discover their next favorite song or rediscover some of their old favorites. We have filled a void that has been created in the audio entertainment industry with what is a spectacularly successful service in terms of subscriber growth.
I still don't get it. They've filled a void? What void? Commercial free programming? If that is the value proposition that how does an iPod loaded up with my entire music collection and dozens of informative podcasts discussing topics I'm interested in not already satisfy that?
The thing I don't like about the satellite radio offer is that I still lack choice in terms of the content being played at any given moment. What happens when a song comes on that I don't want to listen to? What about when I switch on my XMRadio and its halfway through a song I love or a talk radio show I'm really interested in? I think that as devices like the iPod continue to find their way into people's hands, the less services like XMRadio will make. The more and more content that become available like podcasts that now range from every topic imaginable, the more people will be able to pick and choose what they want to listen to and when.
For anyone already using satellite radio and loves - be sure to let me know why. It's one of these technologies that sounds great, but I haven't been able to justify yet.
Comments