XM Celebrates Reaching 1 Million Subscribers

“We’re here. We ain’t going anywhere,” said XM Satellite Radio President/CEO Hugh Panero as the company celebrated its one-millionth customer. “There’s wannabes in this business. We are the real deal,” said Panero, before a crowd of new listeners, XM’s vendor partners, reporters and its own employees.
“We are dashing the myth that nobody would pay for radio – and the myth that it has to be local,” said Panero.
XM honored several new subscribers who were on hand for the festivities. Each of them received an XM Delphi SkyFi boomboxes and a lifetime subscription to the digital satellite-delivered radio service.
Eighteen thousand listeners participated in a contest in which they described their XM experience. Thirty were chosen for a video that played during the event. One listener from Radford, Va., credited the service for giving him vital information during a tornado. Because of mountains in the area, Eric Baynes said he couldn’t receive any terrestrial radio stations during the tornado. He credited XM for “saving my life” and helping him to get home. The Weather Channel is one of XM’s information channels.
Panero said many of XM’s employees have been working on the product launch for four years. The satcaster launched its service nationally less than 24 months ago. It plans to release its latest financials Thursday.