Satellite Radio

Thank Ohio Senator John Glenn and his breed with the right stuff that’s pioneering noble ventures in the US space program gave us lesser souls the mundane enjoyment of satellite radio broadcasts. A communication satellite, but of course, is responsible for sending out the digital radio signal in this types of broadcasts, which would not have been possible had ex-Senator John and his ilk had chosen to remain earthbound.

Because it is satellite-based, broadcast coverage is much wider in geographical scale compared to ground-based radio stations. This makes it possible for one travelling, say from the US East Coast to the West Coast, to listen to the same radio program from end to end of the journey. Well that is of course if this peripatetic listener has satellite set and a subscription to this type of radio programming.

Such mobile satellite services are offered by commercial broadcasters like Worldspace, XM and Sirius. There are other service providers like Muzak’s and Music Choice, but these need a receiver at a fixed location and a satellite dish antenna. In any case, a satellite radio must have an antenna with a direct or clear view of the satellites. Repeaters can be placed in areas with obstructing building or other structures, to make the broadcasts available to the subscribers.

Special equipment is necessary to decode and play back the broadcasts sent via satellite, and subscription is required because these are proprietary radio signals. Programs are essentially the same as ground-based stations, such as sports, weather and other news, but with music broadcasted free of commercials. As such, satellite radio music is now often set as mood music in commercial establishments like hotels and restaurants, for which we have some space cowboys to thank for.