Six-Week Dedicated Metallica Channel Hosted by the Band to Feature Complete Catalog, Rare, Live Performances, Interviews and More

NEW YORK, Aug. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- GRAMMY(R) Award-winning band Metallica will have a dedicated channel on XM Radio, it was announced today. Beginning August 16, 'Mandatory Metallica' (XM 51), will provide fans with music from the entire Metallica catalog, including rare live recordings from the band's personal archives, extensive interviews with the band and more. Metallica guitarist and singer James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo will serve as hosts for the six-week long channel.

In addition, the channel will also air interviews with other artists who will share their thoughts about Metallica's musical contributions, including Linkin Park, Slipknot, Disturbed, Guns n Roses, Chris Cornell, Ashes Divide, Blackstone Cherry, Five Finger Death Punch, Atreyu, Skid Row, Cinderella, Mastodon, Judas Priest, Dragonforce, Triumph, Tesla and many others.

Metallica is one of the most influential and commercially successful rock bands, selling 100 million albums worldwide. Since their formation in the early 1980s, Metallica has released nine studio albums, one live album and one EP. Death Magnetic, the band's 10th studio album will be released worldwide on Friday, September 12.

'Mandatory Metallica' is the latest limited run artist-branded channel to be offered by XM, which have included Led Zeppelin, Michael Jackson, George Strait, Coldplay and Kenny Chesney.

'Mandatory Metallica' (XM 51) will be available on XM from August 16 through September 30. Programming information will be available online at http://www.xmradio.com/metallica.

About SIRIUS XM Radio

SIRIUS XM Radio (Nasdaq: SIRI) is America's satellite radio company delivering the 'The Best Radio on Radio' to more than 18 million subscribers, including 100% commercial free music, and premier sports, news, talk, entertainment, traffic and weather.

SIRIUS XM Radio has exclusive content relationships with an array of personalities and artists, including Howard Stern, Oprah, Martha Stewart, Jimmy Buffett, Elvis, Jamie Foxx, Barbara Walters, Frank Sinatra, Opie & Anthony, The Grateful Dead, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tom Petty, and Bob Edwards. SIRIUS XM Radio is the leader in sports programming as the Official Satellite Radio Partner of the NFL, Major League Baseball, NASCAR, NHL, and PGA Tour, and broadcasts major college sports.

SIRIUS XM Radio has exclusive arrangements with every major automaker. SIRIUS XM Radio products are available at shop.sirius.com and shop.xmradio.com, and at retail locations nationwide, including Best Buy, Circuit City, RadioShack, Target, Sam's Club, and Wal-Mart.

SIRIUS XM Radio also offers SIRIUS Backseat TV, the first ever live in-vehicle rear seat entertainment featuring Nickelodeon, Disney Channel and Cartoon Network; XM NavTraffic service for GPS navigation systems delivers real-time traffic information, including accidents and road construction, for more than 80 North American markets.

This communication contains 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the benefits of the business combination transaction involving Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc., including potential synergies and cost savings and the timing thereof, future financial and operating results, the combined company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions with respect to future operations, products and services; and other statements identified by words such as 'anticipate,' 'believe,' 'plan,' 'estimate,' 'expect,' 'intend,' 'will,' 'should,' 'may,' or words of similar meaning. Such forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of SIRIUS' and XM's management and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of SIRIUS and XM. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements.

The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the forward-looking statement: general business and economic conditions; the performance of financial markets and interest rates; the ability to obtain governmental approvals of the transaction on a timely basis; the failure to realize synergies and cost-savings from the transaction or delay in realization thereof; the businesses of SIRIUS and XM may not be combined successfully, or such combination may take longer, be more difficult, time-consuming or costly to accomplish than expected; and operating costs and business disruption following the merger, including adverse effects on employee retention and on our business relationships with third parties, including manufacturers of radios, retailers, automakers and programming providers. Additional factors that could cause SIRIUS' and XM's results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in SIRIUS' and XM's Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007, which are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the 'SEC') and available at the SEC's Internet site (http://www.sec.gov). The information set forth herein speaks only as of the date hereof, and SIRIUS and XM disclaim any intention or obligation to update any forward looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this communication.

SOURCE SIRIUS XM Radio

Source: PR Newswire (August 8, 2008 - 12:00 PM EDT)

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