Sirius to Move Beyond Audio

Sirius Satellite Radio has some expansion plans in the works that involve adding non-audio services such as sports scores, stock quotes, cartoons and music videos. They'll be upgrading their satellite infrastructure to deliver the new features, which won't break any current-generation receiver equipment, but if users want to take advantage of the new functionality they'll have to upgrade to the next-generation of Sirius radios. Prices for the new premium services and hardware haven't been set, but the full rollout is expected in the second half of next year.

The new technology requires upgrades to Sirius' satellite uplink and terrestrial repeater system, but the company notes that it should not affect existing Sirius radios. Customers who wish to add the services once they become available will need to buy Sirius' next-generation satellite radios, said Jim Collins, a company spokesman.