The first coast to coast all digital satellite broadcast group in the United States, XM began broadcasting in late September 2001. It is a subscriber-based radio service that broadcasts only to its own specially built satellite receivers available in most electronics stores. XM offers 100 channels of programming, including one channel devoted entirely to Blues. Designed to acquaint customers with this new concept in radio, the first series of ads trumpeting the service included one featuring B.B. King.
