More content 'discovers' XM

WASHINGTON -- XM Satellite Radio has signed programming agreements with National Lampoon and Firesign Theatre and with the Discovery Channel to provide material for XM's radio service.

"XM's partnerships with Discovery, National Lampoon and Firesign Theatre add another dimension of top-tier educational programs and cutting-edge comedy to our lineup," says XM president and chief executive officer Hugh Panero. "XM continues to expand its offerings of quality audio entertainment for all ages and interests."

XM will create and package from its 82-studio broadcast center in Washington D.C. Beginning this summer, the service will be uplinked to XM's satellites and transmitted directly to vehicle, home and portable radios.

Discovery Communications, will create a new radio channel featuring content from its genre of cable networks, including the Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, the Travel Channel and the Discovery Health Channel. The agreement provides for a Discovery-branded channel offering a range of news, health, travel, science and special programming, as well as content designed specifically for children.

"Making our programming available through satellite radio is a natural evolution for Discovery," said Judith McHale, president and chief operating officer of Discovery Communications. "Discovery Radio helps us reach our goal of providing the best in real-world entertainment across all media platforms and complementing our cable network and Internet offerings."

National Lampoon has produced Animal House and the Vacation movies as well as the radio show and numerous live stage shows.

"We chose XM for our partner in this venture because of the potential for growth in the medium," said Alan Donnes, whose company Network One has exclusive rights to the radio program. "We feel that satellite radio is the future and XM is the future of satellite radio."

Network One will provide XM with National Lampoon's entire library of archived radio shows created prior to the Saturday Night Live era, including skits from comedians such as John Belushi, Billy Crystal, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, and Harold Ramis. The hour-long shows will be featured on one of XM's comedy channels. As part of the relationship, XM will contribute funds to Gilda's Club, which provides places where people with cancer and their families and friends join with others to build social and emotional support as a supplement to medical care.

Under XM's agreement with The Firesign Theatre (Phil Austin, Peter Bergman, David Ossman, and Phil Proctor), the legendary comedy troupe will create a live monthly show that will be broadcast on one of XM's comedy channels, and will also serve as creative consultants.

The Firesign Theatre has been portrayed as America's Monty Python and as the illegitimate children of Mark Twain and The Beatles. Some of the team's most popular albums include I Think We're All Bozos On This Bus, Don't Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me The Pliers and the Nick Danger albums.