Comparing Satellite Radio Services

Though the two systems are under one corporate entity, Sirius XM Radio has yet to overcome some technical hurdles that would permit them to offer one radio that receives a signal from both systems. For now, subscribers must still choose which package best suits them. So which is better -- Sirius or XM? They both have a similar range of music, news and entertainment programming. Sirius has Howard Stern to bring his raunchy brand of entertainment on board, and its other hosts and celebrities tend to be more polarizing and potentially offensive to listeners, too. Originally, XM had the only personal listening device, but Sirius currently offers portable radios as well. XM is still the clear market leader when it comes to subscribers, but Sirius has invested some significant cash to improve its offerings in order to entice more listeners. In fact, Sirius has continually added subscribers for several years, while XM's customer base has grown at a slower rate. This table shows how the two formats stack up.

With the merger, however, it may no longer be a question of which service is better. Both XM and Sirius offer "best of" packages that bundle their regular service with a small handful of popular programs from the other's selection, and both will be required to roll out à la carte options that let customers choose from both company's lists.