We have all been there before. Stuck in traffic on the way home and punching the radio buttons trying to find a decent song when you realize that every single pre-set station is on a commercial break.

Well, if you are fed up with this happening there may be a solution. That solution is satellite radio.

So, what exactly is satellite radio?

Satellite radio is a form of digital radio that receives broadcast from a commercial communications satellite.

What this means is that because the satellite is higher up than a traditional radio tower, the signal can be broadcast to a much larger area. As long as the antenna of the radio has a line of sight to the satellite, the listener can still listen to the same station no matter what part of the country he or she is in.

Imagine driving all the way across America and never having to change the station because you lose the signal.

This all sounds great. However, there is one catch: unlike regular radio, it isn’t free.

Because the communications satellite is a commercial one, satellite radio distributors charge a subscription fee.

However, because of this subscription fee, satellite radio does have one major advantage over regular radio. That advantage is, of course, no commercials.

Both providers offer over 60 channels of commercial-free music programming as well as sports, news, live music and comedy as well as weather and traffic updates.

So, how do you get it?

Since its debut, satellite radio has gained tremendous popularity thanks to the cooperation of the automotive industry. Satellite radio is now available in almost every major make ranging from Rolls Royce to Hyundai.

If you do not want it in your car, both companies offer portable boom-boxes that can go almost anywhere you do.

Subscription prices both start at around $13 per month for each company; however, XM offers a wider variety of stations.

So, next time you are stuck in traffic and trying to find something to listen to, consider satellite radio and put commercial interruptions behind you.

Sources: Wikipedia.com, Sirius.com, and XMradio.com

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