WSM and Grand Ole Opry to Debut On Sirius Satellite Radio

Business Wire, Sept 20, 2002

Business & Entertainment Editors

NEW YORK & NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 20, 2002

New Sirius Channel To Feature Programming From The Heart Of Nashville

And Country Music Performances From The Grand Ole Opry

Sirius Satellite Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI), the premier satellite radio broadcaster, and Nashville-based Gaylord Entertainment Company (NYSE: GET) today announced a new national country entertainment channel created jointly by Sirius and Gaylord. Debuting next month on Sirius channel #164, "WSM Entertainment," the newly created channel, will feature music, performances and special features from WSM-Radio, America's country music station, and the Grand Ole Opry, America's most famous and beloved country music show.

"WSM Entertainment" will broadcast each Grand Ole Opry performance, including the Grand Ole Opry's weekly Friday show (8:30-10:30 p.m. EST) and its weekly Saturday show (7:30 p.m.-1 a.m. EST). Seasonal performances, which run for six months from spring to fall on each Tuesday, will air from 8-10 p.m. EST. Listeners will also have access to special features from the Grand Ole Opry and WSM archives throughout the day.

"We're excited to join with Gaylord to share this unique heritage and landmark Nashville music and entertainment programming with country fans everywhere," said Joseph P. Clayton, President and CEO, Sirius Satellite Radio. "With this great new channel, WSM Entertainment, country fans nationwide have a home on Sirius, and a place to listen to the country music and entertainment that means the most to them."

"Our company has committed to expand the distribution of the Grand Ole Opry, country music and its artists, and today's announcement is another step toward that objective," said Colin Reed, Gaylord Entertainment President and CEO. "More listeners around the nation will now have the opportunity to experience one of America's most cherished lifestyle brands, the Grand Ole Opry, by listening to WSM Entertainment on Sirius Satellite Radio. The Opry and WSM are the heart of country music, and we are excited to be offering another fabulous venue for country music fans."

"Having WSM and the Grand Ole Opry accessible on Sirius Satellite Radio is a real win for Music City USA - Nashville, Tenn.," said Ricky Skaggs, a member of the Grand Ole Opry. "Having original country music and the music that's closest to my heart - bluegrass - heard on Sirius just helps expand the fan bases of the artists who are played on WSM and who play on the stage of the Opry."

"We are pleased to partner with Gaylord Entertainment and create a new national entertainment channel that will evolve from programming based on the true icons of country music: WSM and Grand Ole Opry," said Larry Rebich, Sirius Vice President, Programming Acquisition and Market Development.

"WSM and the Grand Ole Opry, which both started in 1925, have been at the forefront of new technology across many generations," said Steve Buchanan, Gaylord Entertainment Senior Vice President of Media and Entertainment. "We were again pioneers of cable television in the 1980s, and in June 2000 we began streaming WSM and the Grand Ole Opry on the Internet. Today, in 2002, we are taking the next step in connecting new fans to country music by broadcasting nationwide on Sirius Satellite Radio. And we are working hard to find even more innovative ways to connect new and existing fans to the Grand Ole Opry and country music."

About the Grand Ole Opry and WSM

The Grand Ole Opry began on the night of Nov. 28, 1925, when a young announcer on Nashville radio station WSM introduced an 80-year-old fiddle player, Uncle Jimmy Thompson, as the first performer on a new show called "The WSM Barn Dance." The announcer was George D. Hay, a former newspaperman who labeled himself "the Solemn Old Judge," but in actuality he was neither old nor a judge. Somehow, Hay knew he had started a good thing. Now almost 80 years later, the show Hay started is stronger than ever. Along the way, the show led to Nashville's becoming known as Music City USA, and it became the cornerstone of Gaylord Entertainment Company.

About Gaylord Entertainment

Gaylord Entertainment, a leading hospitality and entertainment company based in Nashville, Tenn., owns and operates Gaylord Hotel branded properties, including the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center and Radisson Opryland Hotel in Nashville, and the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Kissimmee, Fla. The company's entertainment brands include the Grand Ole Opry, the Ryman Auditorium, the General Jackson Showboat and WSM-AM, WSM-FM and WWTN Radio. Gaylord Entertainment's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol GET. For more information about the company, visit www.gaylordentertainment.com.

About Sirius

From its three satellites orbiting directly over the U.S., Sirius broadcasts 100 channels of digital quality radio throughout the continental United States for a monthly subscription fee of $12.95. Sirius delivers 60 original channels of completely commercial-free music in virtually every genre, and 40 world-class sports, news and entertainment channels. DaimlerChrysler has announced plans to offer Sirius radios in 17 models of Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep(R) vehicles beginning this fall. BMW has announced plans to offer Sirius radios as an accessory in its most popular models through BMW Centers across the country, including select BMW 3 Series, 5 Series and X5 vehicles. Nissan has announced plans to offer Sirius radios as an option this fall on numerous Infiniti and Nissan 2003 models, and future Audi and Volkswagen models will also offer Sirius. Sirius also has agreements to install AM/FM/SAT radios in Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Volvo and Mazda vehicles. Kenwood, Clarion, Audiovox, and Jensen satellite receivers, including models that can adapt any car stereo to receive Sirius, are available at retailers such as Circuit City, Best Buy, Sears, Good Guys, Tweeter, Ultimate Electronics and Crutchfield. Panasonic satellite radio products will be available this month.