On Sun, 15 Feb 2004 11:35:59 -0600, dave weil wrote:

On Sun, 15 Feb 2004 17:10:17 +0000, michael turner
wrote:

On Sun, 15 Feb 2004 10:20:55 -0600, (remove)sound wrote:

Personally, i do not own one and would not pay for a subscription. BUT,
there are many people who spend a lot of time in there cars where it
would be beneficial. A few trucking companies i do work for have these
in there cross country trucks. Going across the mountains, radio sucks.
The XM works. They love it. Is it for everybody? NO.

Here in the UK we have a free digital radio service, this is terrestrial
based rather than satellite. Gives about 40 stations, some of them are
pure-music (with some commercials), no DJs, no spoken-word.

Don't you guys pay a radio license fee as you do for TV?

Nope the radio license got abolished in the early '60s. We still have to
buy TV licenses however, this is used to fund the BBC, this includes BBC
national and local radio stations which are commercial free. BBC TV is
also commercial free.

I'm pretty sure
that in Germany, they do and they sort of operate on the same paradigm as
you do.

AFAIK most of Western Europe has some sort of TV licensing system, usually
to fund the national broadcaster.

I could be wrong about this, but I seem to remember having to
choose TV or TV/Radio when submitting the proper paperwork.

The license choice here is a Black & White (monochrome) or Colour TV
license, and it's been like that since the late '60s.
http://www.tv-l.co.uk/

It would be good for
background music in commercial establishments too. (rights issues
aside)

I think that a commercial account would be covered in terms of rights.
It would be built into rental.

Yup it's the same with pay-TV satellite/cable here.
www.sky.com
www.telewest.co.uk
www.ntl.co.uk


--
Michael Turner
Email (ROT13)