The big news in satellite radio - and really all of radio - is Howard Stern's debut tomorrow on Sirius. But, XM Radio - the other player in that medium - is making its own moves and waves to try to change the media landscape.

Howard Stern consistently touts how his move to Sirius will change the face of radio. Stern's move may have some impact, but the biggest thing to change radio has been the iPod. Since its arrival on the scene, the iPod has been the answer to corporate radio's stale playlists. Consumers have become their own DJs and radio now seems to have far less radio and far more talk shows.

Adam Corolla, who is one of the folks, along with David Lee Roth, who's show now fills Stern's time slot on "regular radio" said it best when he quipped that "If you want to hear music, get an iPod. If you want to hear talk, get a radio." Of course, both satellite channels are pleasing music fans with great music selections and old fashioned DJs who play music twenty-four hours a day.

The reality of music disappearing from "free radio" will make it harder for that medium to serve the younger and lucrative advertising demographics who are music happy and iPod savvy. Now, XM wants to take things a step further connecting the iPod generation with satellite radio.

To make this connection, XM has introduced what has been dubbed an "iPod" killer, which is a portable compact radio that also stores and plays MP3s. And, with a deal with Napster you can now buy the songs you hear on XM and download them to your new system. Its a nice combination that could catch on.