Janet Jackson's "oops!" during this year's Super Bowl halftime show certainly ruffled feathers at the Federal Communications Commission. The ensuing crackdown by the FCC has left broadcasters scrambling to clean up their shows and left some shock jocks shell-shocked.
Tougher broadcast standards could turn out to be a boon for satellite radio. Earlier this month, XM Radio
We're seeing here a sign of things to come. In February, Howard Stern was taken off some of Clear Channel's
Satellite radio is just growing out of the early adopter stage and in many ways resembles the cable market of 20-25 years ago, with XM being called the HBO of radio. The cable television industry was small back then, but thanks to HBO's (now owned by Time Warner
With fewer than three million subscribers between them, XM Radio and Sirius are tiny players in an industry dominated by heavyweights. It will take time before the satellite radio industry turns a reliable profit, but the relatively inexpensive services are seeing frantic subscriber growth, which coupled with creative freedom and nationwide broadcast ability make it an increasingly attractive option for frustrated radio talent.
Fool contributor Chris Mallon owns none of the companies mentioned in this article.