12 SiriusXM channels to choose

I’ve had my 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt for the past five months, and it’s been the best five months of my driving life.  And one of the things that really captured my fascination with the Blackbird is that this bad boy has built-in SiriusXM satellite radio available on it.

Aces.

So in addition to six AM radio station presets and twelve FM radio station presets available to me, I can choose twelve of SiriusXM’s hundreds of radio stations and add them as my presets.

Hmm… what to pick, what to pick.

If I’m going to pay for this SiriusXM option package on the Blackbird, I’d better get some stations on my radio that I will enjoy listening to for hours and hours and hours, especially on long drives and such.

And mind you, these channels are subject to change.

So as of today, my twelve available presets on my car that contain my most-listened-to SiriusXM channels are:

[1] Channel 1, Hits 1. Yep, it’s my Top 40 station where I can enjoy the current hits of the day without having to put up with any self-important radio hosts.

[2] Channel 7, 70s on 7.  Okay, yeah, this is just a channel of hits from the 1970’s.  Remember, though, this was the era when I first started listening to popular radio.  And, as an added bonus, they play full 3-hour blasts of American Top 40 on the weekends!

[3] Channel 57, WSIX.  Time for a little country music, straight out of Nashville itself.  Since my girlfriend Nicole enjoys country music, I made sure there was a channel on the radio for her enjoyment.  And yeah, the more I listen to it, the more I find songs on that channel that I kinda like, too.

[4] Channel 15, Studio 54 Radio.  That’s right, I’m breaking out my best Tony Manero dance routines for some classic dance tracks.  Okay, I can’t do too many Tony Manero dance moves in the car… but you get the idea.

[5] Channel 69, Escape.  There used to be a music format back in the day called “Beautiful Music,” where one could enjoy peaceful, melodic instrumental music.  This channel has these melodies and more.

[6] Channel 33, 1st Wave.  Man, it’s back to my days of early 80’s college radio.  Hokey smokes, did they just play “Whisper To A Scream” by Icicle Works?  Did I just hear them play “Tell That Girl To Shut Up” by Holly and the Italians?  Man, I so heart this station.

[7] Channel 84, ESPN Radio.  Yeah, I can get ESPN Radio from 104.5 The Team if I want to, but this national vesion of ESPN Radio also has shows like “Coach and Company,” featuring former WWE reporter Jonathan Coachman, and I can’t get that show on my local terrestrial radio stations.

[8] Channel 85, ESPN Xtra.  Why two ESPN stations on my presets?  Well, ESPN Xtra is actually the audio simulcast from ESPN’s cable broadcast channel.  So I’m actually hearing shows like SportsCenter and Pardon The Interruption on my car stereo.  And if I have to deal with Tony Kornheiser, it’s easier to listen to him rather than to listen to AND see him.

[9] Channel 89, MLB Network Radio.  You mean I can actually listen to intelligent discussions about Major League Baseball without having to hear the cloying tones of John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman?  Yes, please!

[10] Channel 122, NPR Now.  When I’m traveling long distances, I need some good stimulating talk radio.  Plus, I can hear some of my favorite NPR programs on this national satellite channel, including Fresh Air, Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!, and A Prairie Home Companion. Good stuff.

[11] Channel 169, Fox Sports Radio. For those moments when I want a different morning sports option than Mike & Mike in the morning.  I usually bounce between the ESPN stations and Fox Sports Radio, depending on which channel is in the middle of a commercial break.

[12] Channel 82, Radio Classics.  Wow.  A station filled with classic radio dramas and comedies from the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s.  Totally awesome.  Now if they could only add the CBS Radio Mystery Theater from the 1970’s, I would be stuck on that station forever.

Now I’m sure there are other SiriusXM radio stations out there that I can add to or drop from my twelve presets.  But for now, these are the stations that I listen to, that I don’t have to play “spin the dial” while I’m driving in order to get a decent broadcast output.

So if anybody has some other suggestions for my consideration…

I’m all ears.