XM Beats the Competition in Smart Money Magazine Comparison of Satellite Radio Companies

XM Beats the Competition in Smart Money Magazine Comparison of Satellite Radio Companies

XM wins head-to-head comparison of music channels, signal strength, sound quality

WASHINGTON, March 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- XM Satellite Radio, the nation's leading provider of satellite radio with more than 3.2 million subscribers, was named the winner in a head-to-head comparison of satellite radio music channels in the March 2005 issue of Smart Money magazine.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000724/XMSATLOGO )

Comparing the two satellite radio services, the article said, "Hardcore music buffs will likely do better with XM ... Whether it's classic jazz, progressive talk, gospel, reggae, or old-school hip hop, XM has a dedicated channel programmed by a real fanatic." In the article, music critics consistently chose XM over the other satellite radio provider.

Smart Money said that XM's music programmers "have plenty of freedom and draw on a library ... about four times the size" of the other satellite radio company's library.

The magazine reported an XM music director "lets his channel programmers play what they want [because] they're the experts in their area" while the other satellite radio company "relies heavily on market research." While both companies offer commercial-free music channels, the article said XM's competitor is "more like an FM station with all the commercials sucked out." The story reported that XM's competitor "also takes a mainstream approach with its on-air personalities - a quarter of whom are moonlighting from their regular jobs at FM stations."

In a comparison of satellite radio receivers inside its second-story offices in Manhattan, Smart Money said that "the XM signal was steady," while the other satellite radio service "cut out every five minutes." The article said: "The direction of its signals and extra towers seem to give XM an advantage indoors."

When it came to satellite radio sound quality, XM topped the competition again. The sound quality of the competitor's service exhibited more "momentary garbling that comes with overcompression" than XM, the article said.

"We're pleased that XM was the clear winner in a comparison by leading music critics and the writers of one of the nation's leading business magazines," said Eric Logan, Executive Vice President of XM Satellite Radio. "XM is the market leader in satellite radio in part because we offer better music programming and superior technology."

About XM Satellite Radio

XM (NASDAQ:XMSR) is America's number one satellite radio service with more than 3.2 million subscribers. Broadcasting live daily from studios in Washington, DC, New York City and Nashville at the Country Music Hall of Fame, XM's 2005 lineup includes more than 150 digital channels of choice from coast to coast: more than 65 commercial-free music channels, featuring hip hop to opera, classical to country, bluegrass to blues; more than 60 channels of premier sports, talk, comedy, children's and entertainment programming; and 21 channels of the most advanced traffic and weather information for major metropolitan areas nationwide. XM was named Best Radio Service at the 2004 Billboard Digital Entertainment Awards. Popular Science recently chose XM products for two prestigious "Best of What's New 2004" Awards. As the Official Satellite Radio Network for Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Exclusive Satellite Radio Service for NASCAR, as well as the Official Satellite Radio Service for ACC, PAC-10 and Big-10 collegiate football and basketball, XM Satellite Radio is the industry leader in sports radio programming, offering thousands of live sporting events each year.

XM, the leader in satellite-delivered entertainment and data services for the automobile market through partnerships with General Motors, Honda, Toyota, Nissan and Volkswagen/Audi, is available in more than 120 different vehicle models for 2005. XM also is available in Avis, National, and Alamo rental cars. XM is the exclusive in-flight entertainment service for AirTran Airways, and will soon be available on JetBlue flights. Consumers can experience XM over the Internet through XM Radio Online at http://listen.xmradio.com/. For more information about XM hardware, programming and partnerships, please visit http://www.xmradio.com/ .

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements in this press release include demand for XM Satellite Radio's service, the Company's dependence on technology and third party vendors, its potential need for additional financing, as well as other risks described in XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc.'s Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on 3-15-04. Copies of the filing are available upon request from XM Radio's Investor Relations Department.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000724/XMSATLOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: XM Satellite Radio

CONTACT: David Butler of XM Satellite Radio, +1-202-380-4317,
david.butler@xmradio.com

Web site: http://www.xmradio.com/

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