Talkers Magazine every year comes out the with their "Heavy Hundred" list of talk radio hosts, and two of satellite radio most listened to talkers are in the top 20.

Last year Howard was #1 (even from "outer space") and this year he dropped down to #12 - a point that David Hinckley found to be very important. Still, Talkers refers to Stern as "the original hot talk superstar" and "the face of satellite talk entertainment."

Meanwhile Opie & Anthony have made the jump to #6 (I don't even think they were on the list last year). Talkers calls them the "leaders of the new generation of hot talk" and as "satellite pioneers now in national syndication."

Also of note, Neil Boortz ranked as #9, and Rusty Humphries placed #41. 

[Talkers Heavy Hundred 2007] 

It looks like ReachMD has pre-announced their arrival on XM Satellite Radio for the Spring of 2007.

This is highly uncharacteristic of XM as most channel announcements usually come from them and not the content partner. But who am I to judge (can you say Radio Wasabi?).

Either way, ReachMD is supposed to be targeting the medical professional community with a 24/7 channel centered around general medical content as well as specialty content. It will also feature clinical research updates, policy reports, regulatory information, conference coverage, lifestyle segments and best healthcare practices.

Sounds, truly fascinating.

(Psst, can we please get a 24/7 TechTV-style channel? Seriously, there's a lot of geeks out there who would kill for the likes of Leo Laporte and Kevin Rose on satellite radio.)

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is merging with interviewing Daytona 500 winner Kevin Harvick on XM Satellite Radio today (February 22nd) at 7:30pm ET.

Kevin will appear on "Dale Jr. Unrestricted" on XM Sports Nation (ch 144) to talk about his victory at the Daytona 500 and his outlook for the season.

Unfortunately I don't think Jimmie Johnson will stop by so him and Dale can discuss their wrecks at Daytona (along with other favorites Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch and Matt Kenseth), but it should be an interesting show regardless. 

(...and don't worry, there will be plenty merger coverage to come, I just need to take a breather!) 

XM Satellite Radio is adding two popular American Public Media programs "A Prairie Home Companion" and "Marketplace," (actually, they're adding a bunch of "Marketplace" shows) to XM Public Radio (ch 133), starting in March.

Starting March 3rd, "A Prairie Home Companion" will air live every Saturday from 6pm to 8pm ET, with replays during the week. Now in its 33rd year of production, "A Prairie Home Companion" consists of 32 live shows broadcast from across the country, as well as comedy sketches, music, and the signature monologue, "The News from Lake Wobegon" by best selling author Garrison Keillor.

The XMPR schedule also will include “Marketplace,” an entertaining high-energy program on business and finance. One of the most popular series in the public radio news line-up, "Marketplace" will start airing weekdays, at 7pm ET starting Monday, March 5th.

And then there's "Marketplace Money," an hour-long weekend program focusing on personal finance, and "Marketplace Morning Report" which will also be added to the XMPR schedule.  “Marketplace Money” will air Saturdays at 9pm ET starting March 3rd while “Marketplace Morning Report” will air weekdays beginning March 5th.
 
But wait, there's more! American Public Media is also adding a schmorgusborg of other public radio programs like “The Story,” “Weekend America,” “Sound Opinions” and “Performance Today Weekend” - all joining the XMPR lineup sometime this spring.

In anticipation of The Oscars, XM Satellite Radio's public radio guru Bob Edwards next week will host interviews with Oscar nominated actors, directors and other key players on XM Public Radio (ch 133).

Bob Edwards will speak with Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, the director and screenwriter of the political thriller, "The Lives of Others," next Wednesday, February 21st. The Oscar nominated film (for Best Foreign Film category) begins in East Berlin in 1984, ends in 1991 and focuses on the Stasi, the German Democratic Republic's vast network of informers that at one time numbered 200,000 people.  

Then on Friday, February 23rd, Bob Edwards gets an insiders opinion to the Oscars from film reviewer David Kipen. Edwards will also speak with Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris the creators of “Little Miss Sunshine,” (four nominations) and with actor Forest Whitaker who’s up for Best Actor for his role as Idi Amin in "The Last King of Scotland."

Other notable film related appearances next week include:

• Actress and writer Annabelle Gurwitch talks about her documentary film and companion book called Fired!: Tales of the Canned, Canceled, Downsized, and Dismissed. Gurwitch was inspired after she was dismissed by her idol Woody Allen, who added, "You look retarded." (Tues, Feb 20th)
• Billy Bob Thorton who plays a family man pursuing a lifelong dream of building his own rocket in the film "The Astronaut Farmer." (Wed, Feb 21st)
• Michael Apted, director of “49 Up,” “Coalminer's Daughter,” and dozens of other films.  His newest movie, “Amazing Grace” tells the true life story of William Wilberforce, a leader of the British abolition movement and his fight to pass a law to end the slave trade in the late 18th century. (Thurs, Feb 22nd)

"The Bob Edwards Show" airs on weekdays from 8-9am ET, with replays throughout the rest of the week on XM Public Radio (ch 133).

UPDATE: Jim Norton's book is now available.

Jim Norton, host of the popular "Norton & Friends" show on XM Satellite Radio's The Virus (ch 202) and occasional stand-up comedian, has inked a book deal with Simon and Schuster, according to the New York Post's Page Six.

The book is described as a 'tell-all' by a Simon and Schuster rep, who is quoted in the Post as saying it covers "everything from Norton’s affinity for hookers, stalking Black Sabbath and Alan Alda, and always getting stuck with the hot girl’s fat friend."

Norton says of the as-yet-untitled tome, set for a July release, "It's ironic that many of the stories revolve around prostitution, because that's where all proceeds from this book will be going. Actually, that's probably more disgusting and creepy than ironic."

Sources familiar with the deal tell Orbitcast that an audiobook is expected to accompany the release of the print version, allegedly voiced - in perfect diction - by the executive producer of Norton's show. More details to follow.

[New York Post Page Six via FMQB]

UPDATE: Jim Norton's book - Happy Endings: The Tales of a Meaty-Breasted Zilch - is now available from Amazon.

XM has extended their contract with public radio guru Bob Edwards, in a new multi-year deal, to continue hosting the XM Public Radio (ch 133) flagship show, "The Bob Edwards Show."  
 
Edwards joined XM in 2004, and has interviewed hundreds of notable personalities such as William F. Buckley, Jr., Jimmy Carter, George Clooney, Matt Dillon, Nora Ephron, Al Gore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Arianna Huffington, Jeremy Irons, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Bob Newhart, Edward Norton, Anna Quindlen, Dan Rather, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., Ricky Skaggs, Gore Vidal, Forest Whitaker and many others.

"The Bob Edwards Show" airs weekdays from 8-9am ET, with encores at 7am, 9am, 10am and 8pm ET.  In 2006, XM debuted "Bob Edwards Weekend," a two-hour highlights program that also is the first satellite radio show made available on terrestrial radio. "Bob Edwards Weekend" is syndicated nationally to public radio stations across the country through Public Radio International (PRI). 

Terms of the deal were not announced.

(TWO Bob Edwards posts in a single day? The sky must be falling.)