Satellite radio goes upstream via Web

Sirius has rolled out a new offering called Sirius Internet Radio. They say it is a CD-quality, high bandwidth service for online listening via your computer. The feeds run at four times the bit-rate of their standard online streaming — which comes out to as much as 128kbps for the music channels. I’m not sure I would call that CD-quality but it is an improvement.

What you need to know is that this online service is in to your regular Sirius satellite service. In other words, what that means is it’s not free. Their current online streaming offering (feeds up to 32kbps) is free with your monthly satellite subscription.

Patrick Reilly, Sirius Senior V.P. of Communications told me that if you’re a first-time subscriber to Sirius you’d pay the standard $12.95 a month to listen online. But if you’re already a Sirius subscriber and also wanted to get the new, high-bandwidth SIR service, you could subscribe for an additional $6.99 a month.

Sirius introduced 75 Internet-only SIR channels — including SIR-quality feeds of The Howard Stern Show and Stern’s two 24/7 channels for free Oct. 25. There were so many fans calling in to Mr. Stern’s show this morning, from all over the world, that their phone system was overloaded and shut down.