Why Satellite Radio is Doomed to Fail

There is a lot of debate on whether or not satellite radio is of any real value. Some will argue why pay for what you can get for free. After all, celestial radio has been around for decades, is always free, and readily available to the public. Now add to that the large array of internet options. From internet streaming of local radio stations from around the country (and beyond) to sites specifically streaming music, talk, etc. like Live365.com and Slacker.com there are more than enough choices to choose from.

However, others will argue that satellite radio does offer options that are not available any other way. For instance commercial free radio in your car, which is good for long drives in traffic or on road trips. And if on a long road trip you can listen to the same station the entire way. Or choose from a multitude of stations, a number that far outweighs any local stations in any given area. There are also exclusives like Howard Stern, Oprah Radio, etc. that some really like, while others have little to no interest in. In fact, some current users of the Sirius XM service claim those as some of the negative money waste of a company struggling to make money. In addition to what some may think are unnecessary DJ's, duplicate stations, or stations no one wants to hear.

All very valid arguments for and against satellite radio. Some people will gladly pay the $13 a month to have so many options, without commercials (for most of those options anyway) and without needing an internet connection in order to listen. So why then are they struggling? It's a very hard question to answer, but I do have my own theory. My biggest issue with XM (my current service, which I only re-signed up for due to a $4 a month for 5 month deal) is accessiblity. Yes, XM is available through multiple devices for home or car, internet, even iPhone and Blackberry. But for all of these options there is an additional cost. If you want to listen online or through the iPhone application there is an additional $2.99 per month charge on top of the $12.99 you already pay. The Blackberry application has a separate fee of $6.99 per month. And to add a radio there is a fee per device. With the struggling economy does anyone want to pay even more fees to have full accessiblity to the radio stations they love? Some will say yes. Others will pass and have even canceled because of the change in online fees. 

Personally I think if Sirius XM is to survive they need to keep in mind the competition and the options available to us. As well as the concerns of those who are subscribers. We were promised a lot with the recent merger and XM Sirius has failed to deliver on many of those. My suggestion? Give us more options without the added fees. Full online access and up to three radios per subscription would ensure I stick around when my special offer expires. And maybe it's time to consider quality over quantity when it comes to the stations we are offered. 

What about you? What will keep you or bring you back to satellite radio? Or give you a reason to try it for the first time? Or is there any hope at all?