During my 90-min. cruise down the New Jersey Turnpike, I flipped from rock to jazz to classical to CNBC commentary, and it all sounded crystal clear, as if I were listening to it on CD on my home stereo. And the programmers had clearly put some thought into the playlists. There were no goofy deejays and, best of all, no commercials. The receiver looks a lot like a regular in-dash car stereo, but with a larger, more dynamic screen that displays the names of stations, songs, artists and albums. Sony, Pioneer and others have announced plans to produce the hardware, and several automakers will be offering the system as an option in new cars.
Nobody expects satellite radio to kill off traditional radio.
Neither XM nor Sirius will carry local programming, so you'll still need regular AM and FM for traffic and weather reports. And I know I'll always turn to WESS first if I'm ever back south of Scranton. You'll receive an e-mail when service is available in your area. Buy a receiver and antenna at an electronics retailer like Best Buy or Circuit City. Be sure to get the equipment you need for the service you've chosen.