From the Washington Times: "Once upon a time, disc jockey Vin Scelsa believed radio's accessibility served as the industry's bedrock — a transistor radio and fistful of batteries is all one needs. Now, the veteran gabber isn't so sure.

"Mr. Scelsa is spinning discs for Sirius radio these days, one of two satellite radio companies offering consumers a new way to hear music and talk...

"As the number of satellite radio subscribers continues to climb, it seems likely that Sirius and industry leader XM Satellite Radio could become the HBO and Showtime equivalent for commercial airwaves...

Internet could undermine medium
"Tom Taylor, editor of the industry trade publication Inside Radio... isn't so sure the HBO/satellite comparisons will work for much longer.

"'All analogies break down,' Mr. Taylor says, when the Internet wild card gets played. 'I'd argue that the technical innovation that's hanging over everything in the media is wireless broadband,' says Mr. Taylor, who adds he can surf the Internet while riding in a car in his New Jersey neighborhood, thanks to the fledgling Wi-Fi technology.

"Music-based Internet sites could allow for the kind of audio alternatives that satellite currently boasts, he says, lessening the need to shell out a monthly subscription rate.

"'It's one of many new technologies that will become a part of our lives,' he says...

Growing subscriber base no guarantee
"After picking up more than a million subscribers in just over eight months, XM Radio now claims a total of 2.1 million plus. The company projects 20 million subscribers by 2010. Sirius comes in second in the two-company race with 500,000 subscribers. They expect that number to double by year's end...

"Rising subscription numbers aside, Mr. Scelsa says all the optimism in the world may not keep satellite radio afloat. 'This good thing we have right now could easily go away if not enough people eventually adapt to it,' he says. 'It's still an experiment.'"

This entire article is from the Washington Times, online here.