DEDICATED GEORGE STRAIT CHANNEL TO LAUNCH EXCLUSIVELY ON XM BEGINNING APRIL 1  

 

 

Washington, D.C., March 12, 2008 - XM Radio will launch a new channel dedicated to the music of country music legend George Strait on April 1, to coincide with the release of his 37th album Troubadour, it was announced today.  The new, limited-run channel, "Strait Country", will feature songs from Strait's vast audio catalog, XM-exclusive interviews with the artist's friends and some of his closest colleagues, as well as other original XM programming that celebrates the musical contributions of "King George."  In addition, the channel will showcase Strait's newest album by highlighting tracks off the new release every hour.

 

"It's always a thrill to hear one of your songs played on the radio, but to have XM Radio dedicate an entire channel to my music is just amazing.  I'm hoping fans and the millions of XM subscribers will enjoy hearing the new music from Troubadour, as well as revisiting their favorites from years past," said George Strait.  

 

"With 'Strait Country', XM will provide fans with an unprecedented George Strait experience that includes an extensive song library, insightful interviews and other original content available to XM subscribers," said Eric Logan, executive vice president of programming, XM.  "George's tremendous achievements and body of work transcends musical genre and will make this channel a must-listen for all music fans across the country."  

 

"King of Country" George Strait is one of the most successful and prolific country music artists of all time.  With a career that spans more than 25 years, Strait has 55 number one songs on the country charts, more than any other artist, regardless of genre, 74 Top 10 and 78 Top 20 hits.  He has sold more than 67 million records and counting, garnering him 32 different platinum or multi-platinum albums, the second most certifications of any artist in any genre, following only Elvis Presley.  Strait has received more than 50 major entertainment industry awards and countless nominations.  The winner of 18 Country Music Association (CMA) Awards, Strait has received a record-breaking 73 CMA Award nominations.  In 2006, Strait was elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame, one of the few artists to receive such a distinction while still actively recording and producing music.  

 

"Strait Country" will be available from April 1 through May 31 on XM channel 17.  The channel will also be available on XM Radio Online (http://xmro.xmradio.com).  Complete programming information for the channel will be available online at http://www.xmradio.com/straitcountry.  

About XM XM is America's number one satellite radio company with more than 9 million subscribers.  Broadcasting live daily from studios in Washington, DC, New York City, Chicago, Nashville, Toronto and Montreal, XM's 2008 lineup includes more than 170 digital channels of choice from coast to coast: commercial-free music, premier sports, news, talk radio, comedy, children's and entertainment programming; and the most advanced traffic and weather information.   XM, the leader in satellite-delivered entertainment and data services for the automobile market through partnerships with General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Porsche, Ferrari, Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota is available in 140 different vehicle models for 2008. XM's industry-leading products are available at consumer electronics retailers nationwide. XM programming is also available through XM Radio Online, the exclusive home on the Internet for XM's commercial-free music channels; as downloads of original XM shows via podcasts from XM's Web site or the Apple's iTunes Store; and as streams of commercial-free XM music channels to AT&T and Alltel wireless customers through XM Radio Mobile.  For more information about XM hardware, programming and partnerships, please visit http://www.xmradio.com/.  

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements in this press release include demand for XM Satellite Radio's service, the Company's dependence on technology and third party vendors, its potential need for additional financing, as well as other risks described in XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc.'s Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on 2-28-08. Copies of the filing are available upon request from XM Radio's Investor Relations Department.  All programming subject to change.  

Contact:

Kathy Best
FrontPage Publicity
615-383-0412
kathy@frontpagepublicity.com

Anne-Taylor Adams
XM
212-708-6171
annetaylor.adams@xmradio.com