Well well, looks like Willie's Place is going to XM afterall. XM Satellite Radio just announced that country music legend Willie Nelson will join XM, to launch "Willie's Place" (XM 13), formally known as "Hank's Place."

In his new role, Nelson will provide creative direction for the channel, as well as contribute exclusive programming to "Willie's Place" and other XM music channels.

"Willie's Place" will begin broadcasting July 10.

In addition to changing the channel name, XM is building new studios for "Willie's Place" in Carl's Corner, TX, located in the Willie Nelson's BioDiesel Truck Stop. "Willie's Place" will begin broadcasting live from Carl's Corner in 2007.

Willie Nelson is very popular with truckers (a key community for satellite radio). Peter Bell, a Texas biodiesel supplier said it perfectly to Wired News:

"What Willie brings to this is the ability to communicate directly with a truck driver. That kind of community is hard for people to get to. When he starts talking, these folks really listen to him.... It's like having Tiger Woods talk about golf clubs."

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum has added the "baseball" episode from Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour music show on XM Satellite Radio, to its archive.

The one-hour episode contains Dylan singing an a cappella rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," along with classic baseball calls, such as Curt Gowdy's legendary call of Ted Williams' home run in his final at-bat with the Boston Red Sox, and baseball original compositions, such as Buddy Johnson's "Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball" and "The Ball Game" by Sister Wynona Carr, among others.

The CD will be added to the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library archive, which features more than 10,000 hours of recorded audio and video, and will be available for researchers to access.

 
XM Satellite Radio will be featuring special Superman programming this week just as the movie Superman Returns is arriving in theaters across the country.

The cast of the movie, including Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, Brandon Routh, Parker Posey and others, will descend upon Ethel (XM 47) this Wednesday starting at noon (Eastern) and continuing all day.

The director of Superman Returns, Bryan Singer, will appear on Cinemagic (XM 27) starting on Monday @ 2pm ET to talk about his latest project with Dave Z on Reel Time. They'll discuss the evolution of the project, the difficulties of writing a script on a superhero who is virtually indestructable, and the amazing score from composer John Ottman. Encores will be replayed all week.

Speaking of John Ottman, also on Cinemagic, the movie's composer will discuss the music behind the Superman Returns starting on Wednesday at Midnight ET and lasting all day long. Every hour will feature a cue with liner notes from Ottman and background behind each cue.

And then on Radio Classics (XM 164) tune in for a Man of Steel Marathon. Before he hit the big screen, Superman was a radio star and Radio Classics will feature the entire old time radio storyline that originally aired over a two week span in February 1948. 

Check out the full schedule here.

XM Satellite Radio will be broadcasting exclusive musical performances from the CMA Music Festival "Fan Fair" on XM's Highway 16 (ch 16), from June 7th to June 11th in Nashville, TN. Tune in for live performances and special broadcasts from XM's studio inside the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Scheduled performers include Wynonna, Keith Anderson, Bryan White, Julie Roberts, Little Big Town, Jason Aldean and Chely herself.

SIRIUS' New Country will be all over the event as well, with their own coverage of the CMA Music Fest. Big Zak Evans, Corey Duke and Al Skop will be canvassing Nashville and doing their shows from several locations around town, as well as doing interviews and covering the press conferences and fan club parties.

[XM Highway 16]
[SIRIUS New Country]