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XM Satellite Radio Details Line Up Changes

Digital Trends Staff
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XM Satellite Radio yesterday released details on an expanded channel line up which will push their total number of channels over 170. Some of these new channels are being added as a response to arecent arbitration settlement with XM investor Clear Channel Communications in which they were required to add Clear Channel advertising in May tochannels the radio broadcasting company programs.   Overall, XM said, they now have 69 commercial free music channels.On March 1 they added Big Tracks (XM Channel 49), focusing on classic rock from the late 70’s onward, and XM Chill (XM Channel 84), devoted to “Chill” music. During April and May, again in partialresponse to the Clear Channel settlement, XM will be adding U.S. Country (XM Channel 17 – country superstars of the 80s and 90s), Flight 26 (XM Channel 26 – modern hits of the 90s and now), XMHitlist (XM Channel 30 – today’s “hit music”), enLighten (XM Channel 34 – Southern gospel), XM Liquid Metal (XM Channel 42 – heavy metal), The Heat (XM Channel 68 – “rhythmic” top 40), Escape (XMChannel 78 – easy listening) and Viva (XM Channel 91 – Latin pop hits).   XM will also introduce six new regional news and talk channels during the late spring/early summer period, joiningCincinnati’s tri-state news radio station WLW (XM Channel 160). These stations, which are programmed by Clear Channel, will be grouped with the radio broadcasting company’s KISS, MIX, Nashville,Sunny and the new WSIX satellite music stations to form a block called “Regional News, Talk & Music Channels”.   Other upcoming additions to the XM line up will include the Oprah &Friends channel (156) in September, a Bob Dylan hosted hour long music show on Deep Tracks channel 40 in May, newly launched channel dedicated to FIFA World Cup Soccer (XM Channel 148) and a sportstalk show co-hosted by political guru James Carville and Luke Russert, son of newsman Tim Russert, which airs weekly on XM Live (XM Channel 200)   “Our programming lineup demonstrates the depthand breadth of XM’s industry-leading content portfolio,” said Eric Logan, executive vice president of programming for XM Satellite Radio, in a statement. “We continue to expand programming with ourfirst-ever regional news and talk channels, innovative music formats, plus 10 new music channels that demonstrate XM’s firm commitment to providing the most choice and most channels in satelliteradio.”

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Digital Trends Staff
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