Sirius Satellite Radio To Launch Channel Devoted to the Grateful Dead
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Get ready for Dead air.
A new channel devoted entirely to the Grateful Dead makes its debut on September 7 on Sirius Satellite Radio, beginning with the broadcast of a rare 1974 performance by the band at the Hollywood Bowl, the company announced yesterday.
“This is gonna be one fun channel,” Dead guitarist Bob Weir said in announcing the station. “We, the guys in the band, get to be involved as much as we can and we’ll make sure it’s fun. We want the fans to be involved as well.”
Mr. Weir will host a show following the concert broadcast on Sirius. Other original programming featuring bandmates Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann is also planned. The station will also air rare archival interviews with the late Jerry Garcia.
Although the Grateful Dead as a musical entity ended after Garcia’s August 1995 death, the band still has a large fan base that Sirius hopes to attract.
Sirius already has stations dedicated entirely to Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra, and has in the past broadcast programming devoted solely to the music of Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, George Strait, and the Who.
The satellite company offers more than 130 channels for a monthly fee of $12.95.
