The reception area at SIRIUS HQ buzzes with activity.

Big entertainment in the Big Apple
It's hard to imagine a better location for the headquarters of satellite radio giant SIRIUS, than right smack in the middle of New York City, the entertainment capital of the world. The folks responsible for programming and transmitting SIRIUS' 60 channels of commercial-free music, and 40 channels of news, sports, and entertainment work at 1221 Avenue of the Americas, in the heart of mid-town Manhattan. From the windows of their offices on the 36th floor, you can look out on the Broadway theater district, Radio City Music Hall, and the studios of David Letterman, The Today Show, and Saturday Night Live.

As I witnessed on a recent visit, the electric atmosphere of the streets outside SIRIUS headquarters is equally evident inside the offices. Everyone I met — from the receptionist at the front desk, to the stream designers behind the soundboards, to Mark Kalman, the Vice President of the National Broadcast Studio and our "tour guide" — was abuzz with enthusiasm and excitement about the fledgling satellite radio enterprise.

Light floods into the waiting area at SIRIUS HQ.

First impressions
Stepping out of the elevators, a visitor to SIRIUS headquarters walks through a set of glass doors into a large reception atrium. To the left of the front desk is the Main Performance Studio, while to the right is the futuristic Control Center. A flight of stairs just off the waiting area leads to offices directly overhead. Unlike your typical corporate HQ, where everyone's hidden behind cramped cubicle walls, the SIRIUS offices are full of glass and light. The effect is one of transparency and openness.