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Technology Stocks : XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. (XMSR) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Christopher Gates who wrote (34)	3/18/2001 7:25:23 PM
From: Ron	Respond to of 3386

WASHINGTON, March 18 /PRNewswire/ -- XM Satellite Radio (NASDAQ: XMSR - news) announced the successful launch of its first satellite, XM ``Rock.'' Liftoff occurred at 5:33 pm EST off the Sea Launch Odyssey Launch Platform in open waters of the Pacific Ocean on the equator. The first signals from the satellite were captured by a ground station in Australia at 6:43 pm EST as planned. ``Today's flawless launch puts one of the final pieces in place to kick off XM's revolutionary new radio service on schedule this summer,'' said XM President and CEO Hugh Panero. ``We now have a satellite in the sky, XM-ready radios on retail shelves, our chipsets in production, and our state-of-the-art broadcast studio humming. First there was AM, then FM, and now XM. Radio will never be the same.'' All three XM satellites -- ``Rock,'' ``Roll,'' which is also built, and a spare in its final testing phase -- are Boeing 702 models, the most powerful commercial satellites ever made, manufactured by industry leader Boeing Satellite Systems, a business of the Boeing Company. The Sea Launch Company, an international partnership, is the world's only ocean-based commercial launch service provider, offering the most direct and cost-effective route to transfer orbit. Rock launched from 154 degrees West Longitude. Its final position will be at 115 degrees West Longitude. A 200-foot Zenit-3SL rocket lifted the 10,284 lb. (4,666 kg) digital audio radio satellite to geosynchronous transfer orbit. Roll will launch in early May, also from Sea Launch's platform in the Pacific. Rock and Roll will both operate in geostationary orbit above the United States. By using two powerful satellites, each with the same nationwide coverage, XM will ensure maximum signal and system reliability. XM will transform radio, an industry that has seen little technological change since FM, almost 40 years ago. XM will create and package up to 100 channels of digital-quality sound and provide coast-to-coast coverage of music, news, sports, talk, comedy and children's programming. XM won several awards at the International Consumer Electronics Show in January, including ``Best of CES'' in the automotive category. Service is scheduled to begin this summer. XM's strategic investors include America's leading car, radio and satellite TV companies -- General Motors, American Honda Motor Co. Inc., Clear Channel Communications, DIRECTV and Motient Corporation (Nasdaq: MTNT - news), the company's largest shareholder. XM has a long-term distribution agreement with General Motors to integrate XM radios into its vehicles commencing in 2001. XM-ready radios are being manufactured by such household names as Sony, Alpine, Pioneer, Clarion, Blaupunkt, Delphi-Delco, Visteon, Panasonic, and Sanyo. For more information, please visit our web site: www.xmradio.com .