Time for a Sirius Talk
Well, as talked about earlier, I'm up and running with Sirius radio. The "home docking station" is hooked up to the home stereo, and I should be jammin' in my TrailBlazer as soon as Radio Shack replaces the dud one that they inadvertently sold me (no power=no radio!).
In the meantime, I'm listening to it at work via streaming audio through the web (Note to XM radio customers: Your service provider charges you 4 bucks extra for this, making your $9.99 bill now $13.98, surpassing my $12.95. Who's got the better deal now, chump!?).
A common question is why in the world people would pay for something that they could otherwise get for free. Well, the question is basically the same as standard 5-station TV versus cable. Yes, you could probably get by without it, but it's about better choices and more options (in other words, Channel 3 doesn't play SportsCenter or "A Wedding Story" or "Kitchen Remodeling Today" or "Busty Babes' Cool Whip Party 7." I mean, if you're into that). Sure, I may not ever stop on Sirius channel 40--"Hip-Hop Nation"--but I don't have to endure commercials, a channel that SOMETIMES carries the ESPN Radio feed, etc.
Perfect example: Suppose you're a country music purist who would rather hear Randy Travis than Toby Keith. Or George Jones instead of Keith Urban. When's the last time you heard an Alabama song on the radio? This morning on Sirius channel 32--"Prime Country-80's and 90's country hits"--I have heard On the Other Hand by Randy Travis, The Gambler by Kenny Rodgers, and I'm No Stranger to the Rain by Keith Whitley. Or there's Sirius channel 35 "The Roadhouse--Classic Country." Now, in fairness, some channels like 103.3 WKDF in Nashville advertise themselves as "#1 for Today's Country and the Legends"--which means Martina McBride mixed with Dolly Parton or Barbara Mandrell --but let's face it--you can't be all things to all people.
So there. Not that I have to explain to you, the cyberworld, why I'm spending $12.95/month on premium radio service, but in case you considered joining the choir of skeptics, you'll have knowledge from the other perspective. Know thy enemy, they say. But the next time you favorite channel is interrupted by a S.W. Tennessee State at Milan football/basketball game, or a 36-hour "Save the Tse-Tse Fly pledge-a-thon", think about me--I might be listening to Sirius channel 97 "Vaction--Island Vacation Music," pretending I'm on the beaches of Aruba or Barbados. Which are beautiful, by the way.
In the meantime, I'm listening to it at work via streaming audio through the web (Note to XM radio customers: Your service provider charges you 4 bucks extra for this, making your $9.99 bill now $13.98, surpassing my $12.95. Who's got the better deal now, chump!?).
A common question is why in the world people would pay for something that they could otherwise get for free. Well, the question is basically the same as standard 5-station TV versus cable. Yes, you could probably get by without it, but it's about better choices and more options (in other words, Channel 3 doesn't play SportsCenter or "A Wedding Story" or "Kitchen Remodeling Today" or "Busty Babes' Cool Whip Party 7." I mean, if you're into that). Sure, I may not ever stop on Sirius channel 40--"Hip-Hop Nation"--but I don't have to endure commercials, a channel that SOMETIMES carries the ESPN Radio feed, etc.
Perfect example: Suppose you're a country music purist who would rather hear Randy Travis than Toby Keith. Or George Jones instead of Keith Urban. When's the last time you heard an Alabama song on the radio? This morning on Sirius channel 32--"Prime Country-80's and 90's country hits"--I have heard On the Other Hand by Randy Travis, The Gambler by Kenny Rodgers, and I'm No Stranger to the Rain by Keith Whitley. Or there's Sirius channel 35 "The Roadhouse--Classic Country." Now, in fairness, some channels like 103.3 WKDF in Nashville advertise themselves as "#1 for Today's Country and the Legends"--which means Martina McBride mixed with Dolly Parton or Barbara Mandrell --but let's face it--you can't be all things to all people.
So there. Not that I have to explain to you, the cyberworld, why I'm spending $12.95/month on premium radio service, but in case you considered joining the choir of skeptics, you'll have knowledge from the other perspective. Know thy enemy, they say. But the next time you favorite channel is interrupted by a S.W. Tennessee State at Milan football/basketball game, or a 36-hour "Save the Tse-Tse Fly pledge-a-thon", think about me--I might be listening to Sirius channel 97 "Vaction--Island Vacation Music," pretending I'm on the beaches of Aruba or Barbados. Which are beautiful, by the way.
posted by Eric C at 11:29 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home