Since 2001, the European Space Agency has investigated a file-based system for providing satellite radio to the automotive market. This system is significantly different from existing commercial counterparts, Such as the American systems XM-radio and Sirius. In terms of service it not only provides traditional radio services but is also capable of offering Multimedia content and data transfer. In terms of infrastructure, it does not require launch of new satellites or deployment of terrestrial repeaters. As Such it offers a highly efficient, low-investment and low-risk approach to offering satellite radio services to a Consumer automotive market. Moreover, it departs from the traditional schedule-based streaming radio concept to a concept in line with the concurrent developments within the media landscape, providing the user the full control of what entertainment to play and when to play it. This paper presents the system in more detail, outlines its performance and makes comparisons with other existing satellite radio systems. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.