Xm

IT CAN FIRE 30 shots without reloading and is touted as a near clone of the military style M-16. In fact, a do-it-yourself disassembled version of the Bushmaster XM-15 is sold on the company's Web site under a section titled "Post Ban Rifle Kits," a reference to the congressional ban on so-called assault weapons and the gun's careful skirting of that law. It's the gun that John Allen Muhammad allegedly proved can be as deadly as any gun manufactured, one...

More than 22,000 miles from Earth, two satellites named "Rock" and "Roll" are getting ready to rock 'n roll. The two aptly named orbiters are set to begin bathing North America in waves of digital music in the long-anticipated launch of satellite radio. So what makes these different from the 12,000 radio stations that already service the country? Think of it this way: with a satellite radio you can drive from Baltimore to Los Angeles and never be out of range of near-commercial-free tunes that match your tastes.

WASHINGTON -- Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. Chief Executive Officer Mel Karmazin clarified yesterday his pledge to freeze prices in order to win approval of the proposed $4.29 billion purchase of XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. Karmazin, testifying at a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on digital radio, said XM or Sirius subscribers who elect to keep their existing service after the companies combine won't see a price increase from the...

Shock jock Howard Stern, who has earned a living - and the wrath of the FCC - with his foul mouth and sexual humor, is taking his act from the commercial airwaves to satellite radio. There, the government won't be able to regulate what he says, but his listeners will have to pay to hear it. In a deal announced yesterday, and valued at $500 million over five years, Stern will broadcast exclusively on Sirius Satellite Radio, which charges subscribers to listen to its 120 channels. Off the public airwaves, Stern will be freed from regulation by the Federal Communications Commission, which has repeatedly found his show indecent and has fined radio stations for airing it. "I'm done with this kind of radio," Stern said on the air yesterday in announcing his decision.

It's been four months since Howard Stern, the self-proclaimed King of All Media, abandoned terrestrial radio, but the personalities who sought to fill his shoes are still struggling to find their footing. Audience ratings released last week for the first three months of the year show dismal numbers for most of Stern's successors in morning drive-time on terrestrial radio. One, the former rock singer David Lee Roth, who never took to his new gig and admitted as much on the air, was fired, and replaced last week in seven major markets -- including New York, Boston and Philadelphia -- by a duo more in tune with Stern's shock-jock persona, Opie and Anthony.

If you're old enough to remember the words: "Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear," you may be surprised to learn that, thanks to new technology, the Lone Ranger and other stars of classic radio are riding once again. But these days, programs from the golden age of radio are available for download from the Internet to CDs, MP3 players and cell phones. "Research shows that the older generation is the fastest-growing group of Internet users," says Jeffery Dittus, CEO of Media Bay, a digital media and publishing company.

Radio One Inc., the nation's largest radio broadcaster serving black listeners, reported yesterday record first-quarter revenue but a wider loss after writing down the value of Federal Communications Commission licenses at four stations in one of its markets. The Lanham company said its net loss increased to $22 million, or 28 cents per share, from $15.1 million, or 23 cents per share, in last year's first quarter. Radio One took a $23.2 million charge in the quarter under a new accounting rule that requires U.S. companies to take charges related to good will and intangible assets all at once, rather than in increments for up to 40 years.

A roster of semi-famous liberal talk-show hosts has kicked off Air America Radio with the lofty mission of countering conservative talk-show hosts Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly and their ilk. One week in, the newcomers have succeeded in making the microphones work - an improvement over their first few days on the air. As comedian Al Franken, the fledgling network's marquee player, proudly announced to listeners: "I am not a radio professional....

XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc., the biggest satellite radio service, reached an 11-year, $650 million agreement yesterday to broadcast Major League Baseball games, countering Sirius Satellite Radio Inc.'s contracts to carry National Football League games and Howard Stern's talk show. XM Satellite, based in Washington, is adding attractions to maintain its subscriber lead over Sirius, the second-largest pay-radio service. XM Satellite said in a statement that it will broadcast the games beginning in 2005.

Steve "Phlash" Phelps and Kurt Gilchrist are winging their way through the continental 48 states in just 14 days, making stops throughout in a customized Cadillac SUV as they broadcast songs from the '60s and '70s on XM Satellite radio. Yesterday was Day 2, and they pulled up mid-afternoon in Owings Mills, at a Tweeter electronics store where XM-compatible equipment can be found. The SUV was covered in logos for the satellite radio service and some of its 101 channels. A red transmitter disk sat atop the SUV, resembling nothing so much as a misplaced giant clown nose.