# XM Net a National Asset?



## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

SkyReport:


> XM may have built its eight million-strong subscriber base on offering what terrestrial radio cannot, but the company is still looking for new ways to utilize its two satellites and 800 repeaters. One exec, Roderick MacKenzie, XM's VP for advanced applications and services, first helped the satcaster sign agreements with major automakers. Now he is looking beyond music and news to land deals with the government and big contractors.
> 
> "We tend to think of our network as a national asset," he told Forbes.
> 
> ...


www.SkyReport.com - used with permission


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## Mark40930 (Aug 2, 2007)

Does XM broadcast Amber Alerts on ch 247?


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## davring (Jan 13, 2007)

Trying to understand the evolution of the General Motors legacy: Hughs, DirecTV, XM, Hughs Net, DirectPC, OnStar. Somehow all of these companies were part of GM and I believe GM sold Hughs(which made GM vehicle computers)which owned DirecTV. Hughs spun off D* and I believe XM, OnStar and HUghs Net(DirecPC ?) were (are) still a part of Hughs. Gets confusing, maybe I should try Google for a history of who owned(owns) who. I think XM bought sat space from Hughs. Just curious.


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## Steve Mehs (Mar 21, 2002)

Probably. I was flipping through a while back and saw an Amber Alert on one of the Traffic/Weather Channels so I’d imagine 247 does it as well.


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## Steve Mehs (Mar 21, 2002)

davring said:


> Trying to understand the evolution of the General Motors legacy: Hughs, DirecTV, XM, Hughs Net, DirectPC, OnStar. Somehow all of these companies were part of GM and I believe GM sold Hughs(which made GM vehicle computers)which owned DirecTV. Hughs spun off D* and I believe XM, OnStar and HUghs Net(DirecPC ?) were (are) still a part of Hughs. Gets confusing, maybe I should try Google for a history of who owned(owns) who. I think XM bought sat space from Hughs. Just curious.


Not sure where the airspace came from, but XM was never part of Hughes. XM was founded in 1988 as American Mobile Satellite, DirecTV and GM were big time XM investors later on. There a timeline on XMs Wikipedia entry showing the progression of the company. Everything I've ever read tells me AMS/XM have always been their own company.


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