NEWS BRIEF
XM Launches Online Radio Service

XM Satellite Radio today announced the introduction of an online, commercial-free radio service, to premier in October, the company said in a statement.

The Washington, D.C.-based company will charge a monthly fee of $7.99 for the service, called XM Radio Online. Customers who already subscribe to XM's satellite radio service will be able to purchase the Internet radio service for $3.99 per month.

A year ago the company introduced the XM PC Receiver, which allowed users to connect their computers to XM's satellite radio broadcasts. The company recently discontinued the receiver, apparently due to piracy concerns and the fear of litigation with the recording industry. The PC Receiver could be linked to third-party software and used to illegally download music from the satellite radio stations.

As part of the XM Online launch, the company also announced a promotional partnership with Dell (Nasdaq: DELL). Customers who purchase Dell Inspiron notebook and Dimension desktop computers will get a free 30-day trial of the Internet radio service.

XM currently claims about 2.1 million subscribers for its satellite service.