July 2006 Archives

SIRIUS Satellite Radio will be broadcasting live from NFL training camps across the country starting this Thursday, July 27th on SIRIUS NFL Radio (ch 124).

Join SIRIUS hosts Jerry Rice, Cris Carter, Randy Cross, Gil Brandt, Tim Ryan, Pat Kirwan, Vic Carucci, Paul Allen, Jeff Dubay, Adam Schein, Solomon Wilcots and Steve Cohen as they interview players, coaches and exectutives.

[SIRIUS NFL Radio via Sirius Fan Network]

Check out the full schedule after the jump... 

UPDATED: iband has taken a great set of photos showing the adapter, thanks iband!

 
Owners of the Delphi Roady XT will know that the connector at the bottom is pretty delicate. Unfortunately, owners of the RoadyXT and the Belkin Boombox know that Belkin didn't provide a guide for snapping the RoadyXT into place. As a result, it's quite possible for someone to snap off the connector while inserting the plug-and-play receiver into place.

But alas, there is a solution. Delphi is now providing a clear plastic guide that helps ensure the RoadyXT will slide into place, perfectly aligned. If you own a Delphi RoadyXT and a Belkin Boombox, you may want to contact Delphi and see if they'll hook you up.

[via XM411]
Thanks iband!

Check out all the photos of the adapter after the jump...

Jessica Simpson, will host a special “fashionably late” edition of the SIRIUS Hits 1 Weekend Countdown this Thursday, July 27th at 5pm ET.

SIRIUS Hits 1 Weekend Countdown features the 45 biggest songs based on SIRIUS Hits 1 airplay and listener requests, including Jessica Simpson's own new song, "A Public Affair," which comes in at #15 on this week’s countdown.

Tune is as Jessica has a blond-moment when she confuses the stated sexual preferences of rap star Nelly with pop star Nelly Furtado.

With yesterday's appointment of Nate Davis to serve as the XM Satellite Radio President and Chief Operating Officer, we now have learned more about the situation from XM's latest 8-K filing (PDF).

First off, as we know from the announcement yesterday - Nate Davis, 52, is a member of XM's Board of Directors, and he will remain on there. That gives Mr. Davis a bit more clout than any ol' President/COO. Hugh Panero, and Gary Parsons will continue as CEO and Chairman of the Board respectively, so there is no change in that sense.

As for changes in the Board, member Jeffrey Zients has replaced Mr. Davis on the Audit Committee and existing Audit Committee member Eddy Hartenstein has taken over as chair of the Audit Committee. Board member George Haywood has replaced Mr. Davis on the Nominating Committee.

Nate Davis will receive a base salary of $500,000 for the first year of the agreement, with increases to $550,000 and $600,000, in the first and second year respectively. Mr. Davis will receive a one-time signing bonus consisting of $150,000 and 20,000 shares of stock.

Mr. Davis will supervise marketing for both retail and OEM, product development, customer service, and finance. While Hugh Panero will directly oversee programming, sales and business affairs. No doubt this will be a topic of discussion on Thursday's conference call, so let's see what else we will find out.

XM Satellite Radio and the American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP), have entered into a new five-year music licensing agreement. The ASCAP was established in 1914 and is the world's largest performing rights organization with over 130,000 composer, lyricist and music publisher members.

The agreement provides for XM Satellite Radio to pay licensing fees (royalties) to ASCAP for the public performance of copyrighted musical compositions in the Society's repertory of over seven million works.

"XM is pleased to renew our agreement, which compensates ASCAP's composers and lyricists for their important contributions," said Eric Logan, Executive Vice President of Programming at XM Satellite Radio.  "We look forward to continuing our productive and mutually beneficial relationship with ASCAP and its members."

XM Satellite Radio, today announced the appointment of Nate Davis to the newly created position of President and Chief Operating Officer.

Nate Davis is a seasoned telecommunications executive, having served in senior management roles at XO Communications, Nextel and MCI. He was President and COO of XO Communications from late 1999 through early 2003. During his tenure, XO became a $1.38 billion integrated communications provider offering voice, data, internet access, and web hosting services to all segments of the business market.

At Nextel Communications, Davis was the Executive Vice President of all technical operations which included engineering, operations, procurement, and IT. Davis also served as CFO of MCI Telecommunications, President and COO of MCImetro, and in a host of roles at MCI and AT&T earlier in his career. He most recently served as Executive In Residence at the venture capital firm Columbia Capital. In addition to continuing as a member of XM's Board of Directors, Davis serves on the boards of Mutual of America Capital Management Corporation and Charter Communications.

Davis received his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, his Masters in Engineering Computer Science at the Moore School at Penn, and a Bachelors of Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey.

Truck manufacturer Peterbilt will be offering SIRIUS Satellite Radio as a standard equipment on all Peterbilt Platinum level Unibilt sleepers.

Additionally, SIRIUS radios will continue to be available as factory installed option on all other Class 8 conventional Peterbilt vehicles. Peterbilt will also offer prepaid activation and three months of complimentary service on all vehicles equipped with SIRIUS radios starting with production installation on August 1, 2006.

Peterbilt will use the DEA300 SIRIUS/AM/FM/CD radio, the first all-in-one SIRIUS integrated radio available as factory installed in the commercial vehicle market.

Following an STA application a few days earlier, SIRIUS Satellite Radio has filed for another Special Temporary Authority with the FCC. This time, the STA is for an antenna to operate in the Ku band, that will act as a hub for delivering audio programming to their terrestrial repeater network.

Why is this significant? Because it's looking like Sirius is trying to get away from 3rd-party dependencies. That's a major change in their strategy.

[SES-LIC-INTR2006-01896_KuBand] (PDF)
[SES-STA-INTR2006-01897_AttachmentA] (PDF)

On Saturday July 29th, SIRIUS Satellite Radio will salute the legendary Memphis record label, Sun Records. Cowboy Jack Clement, Sun Records producer/songwriter and current SIRIUS Satellite Radio personality, will host How A Cowboy Made the Sun Rise as his tribute to the label. Clement started as a recording engineer at Sun Records in 1956 and became part of a musical revolution that signaled the birth of rock and roll.

On this anniversary of the death of Sun Records founder Sam Phillips, Cowboy Jack Clement will be playing music and sharing his first-hand recollections of working with Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash and many others. Clement will also air interviews with Jerry Phillips (Sam’s son), original label receptionist Sally Wilbourn, musical sidemen Roland James and J M Van Eaton, and author Peter Guralnick (Last Train to Memphis, Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley).

How A Cowboy Made the Sun Rise will air on Saturday, July 29 from 2 to 6pm ET (and re-broadcast on Sunday, July 30 at 6pm ET) on SIRIUS Outlaw Country (ch 63).

XM Satellite Radio has scheduled a conference call for Thursday, July 27, 2006 at 10am ET to announce and discuss its second quarter 2006 financial results. Prior to the call, XM Radio's second quarter 2006 results will be released to the public.

To listen to the conference call via telephone, please call (877) 265-5808 or via a live webcast here.A replay of the conference call will be available after 11am ET Thursday, July 27, 2006 until October 27, 2006.

XM Satellite Radio and Motor Trend have partnered together to bring Motor Trend Radio to XM's audience. Starting on Saturday, July 22nd (that's tomorrow), Motor Trend Radio will be available on XM's America Right (ch 166) from 6-8pm ET every Saturday.

Motor Trend Radio joins XM's other auto-related content, like Car & Driver Radio and America's Car Show, also on America Right. 

Motor Trend Radio is also available SIRIUS Satellite Radio's Sports 1 (ch 125). 

[Press Release] 

XM Satellite Radio has put their $50 million creative account in review. Ad Agency Mullen will still continue to handle XM's media buying through it's MediaHub unit, but the creative aspect will shift to a new shop as early as September.

XM is using Select Resources International to manage the review, and is seeking an agency in NYC.

This comes as good news (actually, great news) in my opinion as I don't think that Mullen has been properly conveying XM's message. I ranted about this not too long ago. XM recently announced a revamping of the marketing team, and word has it that this change spurred the review of its creative.

[AdAge & AdWeek]
Thanks cb and Jonathan!

In a refreshing change from the "XM vs SIRIUS" discussion you usually see in media outlets, CNN today has a piece on the benefits of the services from the eyes of two subscribers. There's no arguing or name calling, just a very personable way of highlighting how both XM and SIRIUS are unique - from each other, and especially from terrestrial radio.

Read the article from the eyes of a terrestrial radio listener. See how many items you can count in the "favorite channels" question that aren't available on AM/FM.

[CNN.com] 

Are you dying to see the winning video of the Howard Stern Film Festival was? Sure you are. Well, you can view "Radio Play" by Scott Masterson on AOL Comedy (note to Firefox users: requires Mozilla ActiveX control to view).

Sit back and enjoy as you watch lil' kinder-versions of Howard, Robin and Fred all meet each other for the first time back in 1962 while playing with HAM radios. It's a hoot!

["Radio Play" on AOL Comedy via SSG]
Thanks Mike and Todd!

Hear 2.0 has discovered a facinating bit that came from last week's Conclave session on HD Radio. iBiquity, the champions of the so-called "HD Radio" technology, announced that there will be an HD Radio car converter on the market by Thanksgiving. The HD Radio converter will - get this - convert the HD Radio signal to analog, so you can hear it on regular ol' AM/FM radio.

So, in essence, the "HD" from "HD Radio" is being removed. The benefit? You'll get to hear all those fancy multicasted stations that you never knew about. Genius! Wait until the general public figures out that the "HD" doesn't stand for High-Definition. Then they'll really be motivated to buy these things.

[Hear 2.0]

XM Satellite Radio and The Living Room are together starting up a new live musical performance series called "From The Living Room to The Loft." The series will showcase performances by singer/songwriters live from The Living Room in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

Each hour-long show will feature an introductory performance from an emerging artist, followed by a headlining act performance and interview with the noted musicologist Teri Landi.

The debut episode, which airs this Sunday (July 23rd), will feature The Little Willies performing several songs, including five previously unrecorded by the band. Named in honor of Willie Nelson, The Little Willies feature the talents of Lee Alexander, Jim Campilongo, Norah Jones, Richard Julian and Dan Reiser.

Future episodes will showcase performances by acts like Martha Wainwright, Joseph Arthur, The Autumn Defense, The Wood Brothers, Marah and Chris Thile of Nickel Creek.

From The Living Room to The Loft debuts July 23rd at 6pm ET on The Loft (XM 50) with encore broadcasts airing throughout the week. New episodes premiere at the same time every other week.

Harpo Radio has named Laurie Parsons Cantillo as the Program Directory for XM's upcoming Oprah & Friends channels. Laurie will report to Harpo Radio's General Manager, John Gehron.

As PD, Cantillo will oversee the programming and direction for Oprah & Friends, which will feature daily programming on a variety of topics such as nutrition, fitness, health, self improvement, home and current events.

Parsons previously served as PD for News/Talk KFYI and XTRA Sports 910 in Phoenix. Cantillo was also PD for Newsradio 620 KTAR in Phoenix; Executive Producer and co-host for Colorado's Morning News on KOA in Denver; and writer and voice talent for Health Notes, a daily radio feature dedicated to medical news on KOA.
 
[FMQB]

In a filing this morning, SIRIUS Satellite Radio has announced that they have advised manufacturers of some of their receivers, to halt production.

From the filing:

We directed manufacturers of Sirius radios with FM transmitters to suspend manufacture and shipment to retailers of non-compliant devices and to make the necessary changes in production to bring the radios into compliance.

Late last month I heard the same thing, which was later confirmed by Directed Electronics (a distributor and key hardware partner on a broad selection of SIRIUS receivers).

The filing had no mention as to exactly when Sirius told manufacturers to halt production, or exactly which receivers will be affected.

[SIRIUS Form 8-K]
Thanks Matthew!

Sirius Satellite Radio yesterday filed for an application with the FCC for a Special Temporary Authority (STA) to operate a C-band antenna meant to improve the reliability of their telemetry operations.

Apparently Sirius has experienced several service outages as a result of technical problems with a third party fiber provider. Sirius wants to use the antenna for it's internal network - to transmit telemetry data among Sirius’ network operations centers in South America, California, New York and Florida.

[Sirius Satellite Radio STA] (PDF)
[C-band Frequency Coordination Report] (PDF)

Looks like XM isn't out of hot water with the FCC just yet. In a recent filing, XM Satellite Radio has stated that they obtained new FCC certifications in mid-June for modifications performed on equipement based on in-vehicle testing of three representative vehicles.

XM has recently been informed that the new equipment certifications have been dismissed (but not denied) by the FCC.

According to the filing, dismissal allows the equipment certifications to be reinstated if the equipment is deemed compliant. XM is working to finish the necessary modifications, or will conduct additional testing for XM radios to address any uncertainties in the testing results.

In the meantime, XM is working to limit interruptions in supply of certain models of XM radios to retailers.

[XM Form 8-K] (PDF)

The Washington Post today featured an incredibly accurate column on the RIAA's lawsuit against XM. This paragraph says it all:

You'd think an industry that has managed to turn out so much mediocre music for so many years, done so much to lower moral standards and lost so much business to illegal file-sharing would have something better to do than attack some of the few distributors that are actually expanding the market and charging for music. But the prospect that the industry might not extract every last penny out of the new satellite radio services and their customers is simply unacceptable to the Recording Industry Association of America.

(cue slow clap)

Satellite Radio is the only media outlet that actually gives less "popular" music genres a chance to be heard in the car (where a majority of radio listening - and music discovery - occurs). In NYC, you can't find a single Country Music station. In my area, there isn't a single decent Jazz station in sight (sorry, "Blues" does not equal "Jazz"). The Satellite Radio Industry gives these genres airtime, which ultimately leads to increase sales (something the RIAA is complaining they're losing out on).

Talk about biting the hand that feeds you.

[more on the Washington Post]

The June NPD Group satellite radio sales results are in - and while there's some continued decline with flat year-over-year retail growth overall, Sirius' retail growth was actually up from the year before.

Retail sales for the satellite radio industry as a whole were up only 0.3% YoY in June - that's down from 6% in May, 9% in April and a whoppin' 26% in March.

Sirius Satellite Radio's growth on the otherhand was up 18% YoY in June - down from 23% in May, and 54% in April. 

XM didn't fair so well. XM Satellite Radio's year-over-year growth was down 18% in June - with an 8% decline in May, and down 20% in April.

Is the overall satellite radio weakness in retail an industry problem? Or does the blame soley on XM shoulders?

"Too hard to tell, and probably a little of both – especially with signs of a weakening consumer.  However, XM did suffer product shortages to the company’s decision to correct the FM modulator issue.  SIRI decided to wait until the end of the quarter to deal with this issue in the “dead of the summer” (despite having publicly stated that they had taken care of the problem at the end of May)," said Jonathan A Jacoby in a recent Bank of America recent report.

These numbers don't come as much of surprise considering we already saw subscriber numbers earlier this month.

The Oprah & Friends Channel (XM 156) has debuted on XM Satellite Radio, though it's currently only a preview right now. If you tune in you'll hear introductions of each of Oprah's Friends, with background & bios on each persion, and you'll hear information on the shows to come.

XM has also started running promos for Oprah & Friends throughout other channels, advertising her coming to XM in September.

Looks like the Oprah buzzmachine is starting.

Want to read the XM's court filing for the RIAA lawsuit? Sure you do.

Download it here (PDF).

The clock is ticking as people are anxiously awaiting some word about the Sirius Stiletto. David Frear, Sirius Satellite Radio CFO, said at the CIBC Conference back in May that details regarding the upcoming Sirius live-wearable device will be released in the "next several weeks." Separately it was supposedly told to analysts (privately) that the device would be released in June - we're in the second half of July now and still no word.

What's this mean? Well, since there's nothing concrete to go on, it only leaves room for rumors and speculation of course!

So to help feed the fire, below are some pieces of chatter that have been picked up:

• The device will not be a full-time live wearable receiver. Instead, it will come with the option to plug in an antenna/power module to enable on-the-go listening. Hence the connector at the TOP of the unit seen in Mel's hand.
• The device is not designed by Ziba (the agency that designed the Sirius S50).
  
• The Sirius Stiletto SL100-TK1 has been pushed back to September/Fall as Sirius awaits more color on RIAA-related issues with XM on both the legislature/lawsuit front.
• The final device will be black (as opposed to the unit we saw Mel waiving around) and will look like a "wider S50."
• There will be two devices: the first will be the Zing player which is pretty much an S50 with added Wi-Fi abilities. The second will be the Stiletto with a Live option.

 

So... there you have it. As usual with any anticipated device, people are whispering that "all will be told at the August conference call." We shall soon see.

As it's been widely reported, NPR has received numerous complaints from listeners about interference of satellite radio content on many of their stations. As a result, NPR Labs is running tests on several satellite radio devices for several weeks "to demonstrate the frequency of occurrence and investigate the instances of excessive field strengths from FM modulators," said NPR Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Mike Starling, who is executive director of the lab.

One of the big issues is with how some people are installing their radios. For instance, the "FM Switching Box" (like the Audiovox's SRSIR-001FM pictured) normally installs behind the car radio and allows users to directly input into the car's antenna. Starling believes some people are installing the devices improperly, stripping a wire and taking the output of the satellite receiver directly to the antenna input of the car.

"The problem with that is, when you turn on the FM radio, the satellite signal is fed into the car, but it's also sent back up the antenna and radiated out of the car antenna so the car is acting like a station," said Wilson.

WYPR/Baltimore and WDIY/Philadelphia are having the most problems with interference from FM modulated devices. Check out a sample of the complaints after the jump. They're a hoot.

XM Satellite Radio asked a federal judge to throw out the RIAA's lawsuit on Monday. In the court filing, XM Satellite Radio uses the 1992 Audio Home Recording Act as it's basis for arguement, in fact highlighting the fact that the RIAA's case does not even mention the AHRA (a statute that the RIAA themselves endorsed). It's odd that legislation that the RIAA has urged the enactment of is not being brought up in the civil lawsuit.

XM continues:

The AHRA was enacted to encourage the development of "digital audio recording devices" by prohibiting the filing of copyiight infingement suits, such as this one, based on the manufacture, importation. distribution and use of such devices. The inno - an AHRA compliant radio/recorder distributed by defendant XM Satellite Radio Inc. ("XM') is a "digital audio recording device" within the meaning of the AHRA. Accordingly, the AHRA mandates dismissal of this action.

One of the main points by the RIAA in their lawsuit is the claim that XM Radio's license is limited to playing music in "non-interactive radio-like service" - and that with the introduction of the Pioneer Inno, XM has somehow breached this license. XM disputes this point because of what an "interactive service" is defined as under the Copyright Act: one that "enables a member of the public to receive a transmission of a program specially created for the recipient, or on request, a transmission of a particular sound recording... which is selected by or on or behalf of the recipient."

XM is not an "interactive" service. Being able to call up XM and request a song, like terrestrial radio, does not make XM "interactive" as is defined under the Copyright Act. XM subscribers can only hear what XM chooses them to hear, and transmission is not "distribution" as the RIAA alleges.

The RIAA is going to have a hard time disputing these facts without the use of misinformation and rhetoric as they have been doing. Also on Monday, the Consumer Electronics Association - joined by the  Home Recording Rights Coalition - sided with XM Satellite Radio in a court filing stating that the company was protected against such lawsuits by the 1992 AHRA law.

[more on Forbes]

Chrysler will be unveiling their next generation in-car entertainment starting with the 2007 Sebring sedan: MyGIG. TechnoRide got a up close look at the technology in NYC and have a very detailed writeup on it. Essentially, the system is based on an embedded MyGiG 20Gb HD.

Features include SIRIUS Satellite Radio with Real-Time Traffic, AM/FM radio, CD/DVD player, a 20Gb HD, a USB jack, line-in jack, two audio outputs, Bluetooth hands-free calling and a 6.5-inch touchscreen with voice control. The MyGIG 20Gb harddrive holds the navigation software (removing the need for a dedicated DVD drive like most nav systems).

Other features include the ability to rip CDs onto the HD directly in the car, plus the USB port lets you transfer music and pictures onto the unit. They could have sported for a little more than a paltry 20-gigger, but hey, it's one step closer to the "connected car" concept becoming reality.

The embedded SIRIUS Satellite Radio is a single chip in the radio, instead of a separate module, with real-time traffic reporting and the ability to route you around a traffic tie-up.

TechnoRide notes that the MyGiG 20GB HD will also initially be offered in the Dodge Nitro and Jeep Wrangler, before being spread across the model lineup of each brand.

[TechnoRide via Autoblog]


 

Introducing the brand spankin' new handlebar mounted Road TechT AL20 XM Satellite Radio - the first portable XM unit designed exclusively for many 1996 and later model Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Sure, there are motorcycle kits out there to strap a plug-and-play radio to your hog, but never a unit meant specifically for bikes.

This baby is designed from the ground up with the rider in mind.

The Road Tech AL20 XM Satellite Radio is waterproof, touts a crystal clear LCD screen with adjustable backlighting and the PAD data is meant to be very easy to read. The large backlit buttons also ensure that riding gloves don't become an obstacle to changing channels.

As a special benefit to seasonal riders, the radio kit comes with an automobile mounting bracket. With the additional purchase of an automobile kit from XM, the Radio Tech AL20 can easily be transferred to a four-wheel "ride" during winter.

Each Road Tech AL20 XM Satellite Radio will include three months of complimentary XM service and is available through Harley-Davidson Parts and Accessories for an MSRP of $249.95.

Thanks cb! 

Think Secret has spilled the beans on information regarding Microsoft's much talked about Zune player. The part I care about is that the device will possibly have satellite radio capabilities:

Details leaked to Think Secret by Microsoft insiders call for the device to pack a 400MHz DSP processor, far more powerful than what audio and video playback would demand. Along with Wi-Fi, Microsoft is said to be considering a satellite radio receiver option for the device, along with hard-tying it to the new Urge music service.

The wording of this is interesting. The first thing that comes to mind is the upcoming Sirius/Zing player due to the Wi-Fi capabilities. The Zing player also has "social networking" capabilities such as push-to-talk and the ability to share playlists (these are features rumored for the Zune). But Think Secret clearly states that the satellite radio receiver is in addition to Wi-Fi support and that it would be an option.

The Wi-Fi makes me lean towards Sirius if this rumor should ring true. But XM does have the XM Passport, which is just begging to be an add-on to nearly any CE device. Speculating on speculation? We sure are.

[Think Secret vis Sirius Backstage, Engadget] 

Who saw this coming? Opie and Anthony have signed with Citadel Broadcasting syndicate "The Opie and Anthony Show" to eight additional markets - bringing the show's total up to 19 markets.

Citadel has launched O&A in the following markets:

• WSKO-FM/AM, Providence, RI
• WEDG-FM, Buffalo, NY
• WKLQ-FM/WILZ, Grand Rapids, MI
• WBSX-FM, Wilkes Barrie, PA
• WBZU-FM, Albuquerque, NM
• KRDJ-FM, Baton Rouge, LA
• WCYY-FM/WCYI-FM, Portland, ME
• WMOS-FM, New London, CT

Opie and Anthony will be broadcast during morning drive on all of the stations during 6am – 9 am, except for WBZU-FM, where they will be heard in afternoon drive, 3pm to 5pm.

Thanks Rob! 

SIRIUS Satellite Radio will be celebrating this summer's wedding season with special programming, prizes and advice from experts, this week (July 17th – July 21st) on Martha Stewart Living Radio, channel 112.

Ten different weddings experts will offer insider tips and tricks to make the big day an unforgettable one.

Check out the full schedule and quick bios on each of the wedding experts after the jump...
   

XM Canada will be raising their monthly price from $12.99 to $14.99 starting on Septermber 1st. Anyone subscribing to XM Canada before September 1, 2006, will  get the $12.99 monthly rate until September 2007.

Sirius Canada's monthly subscription price has been $14.99 since their launch, however, Sirius Canada offers more channels than its competitor XM.

[Sirius Fan Network]
Thanks Joshua!

XM Satellite Radio is not sitting on their hands when it comes to the PERFORM Act (which the Senate Judiciary could take up as soon as the end of July).

Following the misinformed letter from Congressman Tom Latham, here's a fact-sheet created by XM (PDF) that outlines specifically what the Pioneer Inno and Samsung Helix can and cannot do. Two key points:

• Users cannot automatically record individual songs or artists.
  
• Users cannot pick what songs are played on XM, or access a playlist of songs that are to be played.
  

It's amazing how much misinformation is being spread by the RIAA regarding the capabilities of the Inno and Helix. These devices are no different than cassette recording, but with slick PR and well connected lobbyists, the RIAA is making sure to spread misleading statements.

In fact to illustrate the far reaching tentacles of the RIAA: the Senator who is championing the PERFORM act - Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist R-Tenn. (arguably the most powerful Republican in the Senate) - appears to have some special interest in getting the PERFORM Act to the floor.

"I guess he sees this as his last chance to do something parochial for his constituents," a GOP aide said to Roll Call (PDF), referring to the multibillion-dollar country music industry centered in Nashville, Tenn. "It was made pretty clear at the staff level — there would be very little chance this [telecom] bill would get floor time if this wasn’t in the bill."

But beyond a home-state interest, another enlightening fact is that the former Frist Chief of Staff - Mitch Bainwol - now heads the RIAA. Connected? You think? In recent House testimony, the RIAA’s Bainwol said, "With these devices, you can tape without listening. That’s not old-fashioned listening to the radio. You’ve changed the fundamental nature of radio." (Is it really? Have you really?)

To your right is an ad that XM recently ran in two Capitol Hill newspapers: Roll Call and The Hill (PDF).

It highlights a real-life scenario of an artist - struggling to sign with a Nashville label - who was able to gain an audience thanks to satellite radio.

If the RIAA was truly concerned about the artists, and not in stifling technology that might be a threat to CD sales, they would work with the satellite radio industry rather than against it.

The ironic thing is that they're going against an industry that can lengthen the long tail of CD sales by promoting back-catalog and indie artists. What's unfortunate is that they don't see that (or choose not to), and it's even more unfortunate that powerful Senators like Bill Frist are in their pocket - helping bring this battle to Washington, rather than where it belongs - on the free market.

PDFs:
[Roll Call Article] (highly recommended)
[Inno/Helix Fact Sheet]
[XM Artist Ad]

(If you haven't done so already, please write your Senator and voice your opposition now. Time is running out.) 

A concerned reader took XM's advice and contacted his state's congressmen to express his feelings about the PERFORM Act (aka the anti-satellite radio bill), and the response he got back made him really mad. And reading it makes me pretty ticked off as well.

So, in the interests of public knowledge, here's the letter completely unedited (minus the recipient's name).

Is Congress really looking out for our "best interests" (i.e., not stifling technology) or in the interests of campaign finances?

You be the judge. Read the letter after the jump...

XM Canada and Suzuki Canada have signed a multi-year agreement to factory install and dealer install XM Satellite Radio in several Suzuki vehicles starting with the 2007 model year.

The 2007 XL-7 JLX will be factory-installed with XM, while the 2007 Grand Vitara and SX4 will offer XM with a dealer-installed option. 2006 Grand Vitara's already are available with XM dealer-installed for the 2006 model year.

XM will eventually be available in a majority of Suzuki Canada'a lineup. XM Canada will give Suzuki buyers free activation and 3-months of free service.

[Press Release] 

Through XM Satellite Radio's partnership with Network LIVE and AOL Music, millions of fans will be able to experience the Foo Fighters live from London's famed Hyde Park. Tune into XM's Ethel (ch 47) on July 21st at 12 noon ET to hear the concert with 85,000 screaming fans jammed into London’s Hyde Park as the Foo Fighters play the largest show of their 11-year history.

Not only will you hear their hits, but there will be guest appearances from friends like Queen's Brian May and Roger Taylor who will join the band for a cover of their "Tie Your Mother Down" featuring Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins on vocals, while Lemmy of Motorhead provides guest vocals on "Shake Your Blood."

[via So Hood]

FMQB's latest eQB interview is with Brent Hatley, Executive Producer of the Bubba The Love Sponge show on Sirius' Howard 101.

As usual with the eQB features it's an in-depth interview asking about topics ranging from the studio preparations, to the show's characters, to (of course) the differences of broadcasting on satellite radio. They even touch upon the fact that Howard and Bubba are adversaries turn compadres.

A good read, and a healthy plug for Sirius at the end. 

[FMQB] 

 

Mounties who have been frustrated with the lack of satellite radio available on their trusty steeds can now rejoice, because the Pioneer Inno is now available in Canada.

That's right hosers, for a mere $499.99 MSRP (that's in Canadian cheese) you too can listen to Sur La Route and Quoi de Neuf on XM Canada while on-the-go. Your curling buddies will truly be jealous.

But wait, there's more! XM Radio Online is now available to you Canucks as of today as well. Just pop on over to listen.xmradio.ca and enjoy.

Fred Jacobs over at Jacobs Media has posted about Opie & Anthony's move to broadcasting on both terrestrial and satellite radio.

It's confusing because the post sets the tone by bashing O&A, followed with the beaten-horse question of "why would anyone pay for O&A if they can listen for free?" - only to end with a sort of back-handed praise of their jump back to terrestrial... I think.

Now, I need to call attention to the fact that he's citing numbers from February (a full 14 months after O&A joined satellite radio) based on a webpoll of terrestrial radio stations. How many satellite radio listeners are visiting terrestrial radio websites? Wouldn't listeners of Stern still be checking terrestrial radio stations at that time? Wouldn't that make this "poll" skewed based on timing?

But aside that, I'm still confused as to his final stance on the move. Yes, he thinks XM won't benefit from this (I disagree), but... is he seeing it as a benefit to terrestrial instead?

Ford Canada and Sirius Canada today have announced signing an agreement that will put SIRIUS Satellite Radio receivers as factory-installed equipments in "virtually" all Ford models sold in Canada by 2008. "Virtually" sounds like legal-speak for "pretty much standard but there's some hiccups in the production so let's just call it 'virtually' to protect ourselves."

Whatever the legal meaning, we know for sure that the Canadian 2007 model year lines will include the Ford Fusion, Mustang, Five Hundred, Freestyle, Ranger, Explorer, Sport Trac, Expedition, Expedition Max, Edge, Lincoln Navigator, MKZ, and MKX. So it's good news from the OEM front.

[Press Release] 

Hallelujah! XM Satellite Radio has restructured their marketing operations by creating a dedicated marketing group for automotive, as well as realigning several senior-level marketing positions.

XM veteran Steve Cook has been named to the newly created role of Executive Vice President, Automotive, effective immediately. Cook will focus on XM's automotive strategic partnerships, as XM is expecting to double annual OEM factory-installations in the next two years.

In addition XM has signed on My-Chau Nguyen, formerly of Sprint Nextel, as Senior Vice President, Marketing, Planning and Research, and Sean Connolly, formerly of Intel Corporation, as Vice President, Brand Management and Media. Both will report to a Chief Marketing Officer, who will be appointed in the coming months to oversee all sales and marketing for the company, including media, branding and retention programs. Until a Chief Marketing Officer is named, Nguyen and Connolly will report to Panero. 

As Senior VP of Marketing, Planning and Research, My-Chau Nguyen will oversee XM's strategic marketing efforts with responsibility for packaging, pricing, retention and marketing research. Her appointment is effective in September. Nguyen most recently held several senior marketing positions at Sprint Nextel Communications, serving both as Vice President, Marketing Excellence and as Vice President, Segment/Industry/National Accounts Marketing. She also served in senior marketing positions for AOL and Cable & Wireless. 

In his new role as VP of Brand Management and Media, Sean Connolly will oversee brand marketing and media for XM, effective August. He most recently served as Worldwide Advertising Director at Intel Corporation, where he oversaw Intel's global advertising campaigns, including television, print, radio, outdoor and online, for both business and consumer audiences. He joined Intel in 1999 as Consumer Advertising Manager and Director. Prior to that, Connolly spent six years with Foote, Cone & Belding Worldwide working with a client roster that included 3Com, Palm Inc., AT&T, Citibank and Nabisco Inc., among others.

All I have to say is... it's about time! 

According to Radio & Records, Opie and Anthony will simulcast to Citadel's WSKO-AM & FM (The Score)/Providence. WSKO now has a landing page up showing show times (6am-9am) and announcing the boys coming on board.

In addition to Providence, a rumored half-dozen additional Citadel markets may be in the works, with Buffalo and New London having been named on the air.

[WSKO The Score] 

DLO, not associated with E-Lo, has come out with a new line of cases for the Samsung Helix and Pioneer Inno.

Running for about $30, the DLO Action Jacket is a neoprene case with a clear screen protector, 180-belt clip, and a much needed armband for the new XM2go line. Though an armband is about as manly as hanging a Shuffle lanyard around your neck, they do have their function at the gym, so these sport cases are a welcome addition to the accessory line.

[DLO via Gizmodo]

That's what the latest report from Targetbase (via Billboard Radio Monitor) is seeming to imply. The report projects that the total number of satellite radio subscribers will reach a meager 19.5 million between both XM and SIRIUS by 2010. That puts the estimate well below PriceWaterhouseCooper's estimates of 30 million by 2010.

Targetbase indicates that about 83% of US households don't intend on subscribing to satellite radio by 2010. With 13% going to XM and 19% going to SIRIUS, of those who actually are interested in satellite.

A real interesting aspect about this study is the level of brand confusion between the two service (all the more support for my rant the other day). Of those who are planning to subscribe to satellite radio, many say they will choose a service other than Sirius or XM (good luck with that). Also a larger percentage of Sirius users named Major League Baseball as an attraction of satellite radio... even though it's only available on XM.

We still have a lot of work ahead of us. 

[via Billboard Radio Monitor]
[More details from the report on Media Buyer Planner]
Thanks Rich!

In spring/early-summer, XM Satellite Radio was supposed to include six additional regional news & talk channels (XM 134 - XM 139) provided by Clear Channel. Now it seems that these channels will not be included in the lineup, but not because XM decided against it, but because Clear Channel has.

This information comes from Jon Zellner, Senior VP of Music Programming at XM, in a letter that was posted on XM Fan. For a while now, the channel lineup PDF hasn't included these regional channels, spawning speculation that they were getting the axe, this now just seals the deal.

You can also read the letter after the jump...
Thanks Nelson!

With the recent firing of Mancow from his flagship station Q101, the question has come as to where this guy will go. Mancow needs to find a flagship station to broadcast from, and quickly, or he needs to find one quickly as he's syndicating to smaller markets.

Regardless of the self-promoting hype that Mancow is spewing, there's really no reason why satellite should sign him on (or terrestrial for that matter). Here's a couple reasons as to why.

In the most recent Arbitron ratings covering the first quarter, Mancow's "juggernaut" numbers were lack luster to say the least:

Persons 12+ (11th place)
Persons 18-34 (3rd place)
Persons 24-54 (12th place)

Men 18-34 (2nd place)
Men 18-49 (3rd place)
Men 25-49 (5th place)
Men 25-54 (7th place)

Not necessarily the most impressive, so it's not like he'll bring along any serious number of listeners. And even though he's syndicated in 22 markets, only 6 of those markets are in the top 50 with less than half in the top 100 [Chicago Tribune].

The self-proclaimed "King of Free Media" (another reason not to hire him - aside from the douche-chilled picture seen above) also hasn't done a very good job of staying on the good side of both XM and SIRIUS' lead talkers.

After mailing Howard Stern a box of human shit (which was opened by an 18-year old intern), a furious Stern said he would skullfuck Mancow's recently deceased father's corpse (he recently reiterated this promise on Sirius in March). Mancow also isn't buddy-buddy with Opie & Anthony (anyone recall specific incidents? I can't remember any other than that they hate each other).

So aside from not bringing a significant audience with him - signing on Mancow would be a tarnish on the images of both XM and SIRIUS' top talk entertainers but with essentially no advantages. Bubba the Love Sponge is one thing, but the battle between Stern and Mancow was a bit higher profile. The loss of credibility with either Stern's or O&A's listeners would be tremendous.

Right now, Mancow's only real asset is his relationship with Fox & Friends - but that can be replaced... easily.

The first universal Sirius boombox has been spotted by the eagle-eyes over at Sirius Backstage. Remember, this is the first glimpse of the upcoming Sirius' Universal Plug and Play Boomboxes which will have support for not only the Sportster 4, but also the Streamer 3 and the Sportster 3 (which has been talked about, but as of yet not seen).

The SUBX1 Universal SIRIUS Boombox will have a built-in amplifier plus speakers, and will feature an auxiliary input for other audio devices. Included with the boombox is an adjustable indoor/outdoor windowsill antenna with 20' of cable and an AC adapter.

The price listed on GoPremco (where the photo was originally discovered) is $359.99 for both the Sirius Sportster 4 and the Boombox. So minus the $169.99 for the Sportster 4, that would bring the Boombox to around $190 (yeesh).

[Sirius Backstage] 

SIRIUS Satellite Radio will broadcast a special press conference by The Who from Berlin, on Thursday, July 13th, at 7pm ET on Sirius' The Vault (ch 16). The press conference will feature a performance by Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, and upcoming tour dates are expected to be announced as well.

The Montreal International Jazz Festival ended a couple days ago, but not before the keen-eyed Dave Zatz spotted the XM Satellite Radio booth below, along with these two hotties setting it up. Grrrr.

 

(Yes, I'm hoping this will be a new segment of "spotting" XM or Sirius at different locations. If you have video or photos and want to submit your own, go ahead email them over to me.)
Thanks Dave!

OK, now for a bit of terrestrial news... Q101, the flagship station for morning dolt jock "Mancow" Muller, officially will be dropping Mancow's Morning Madhouse as of July 14th. This after Mancow issued a statement that he's seeking a new home for his syndicated morning show, trying to spin the situation towards his favor.

Q101 is opting to extend their "shuffle" format into mornings, which currently gets broadcast for the remainder of the day.

Come September, Emmis will unveil an "unconventional morning show" with a "broader appeal."

I'll forgo any speculation of him joining up with either XM or SIRIUS, simply for the fact that he's annoying as hell.

[Q101] 

Sirius got a quick plug on Entourage. Definitely shows that Sirius' reputation as a celebrity-centric radio service is taking hold. Check out the video below:

Thanks Rich!

SIRIUS Satellite Radio will release their second quarter 2006 financial and operating results on Tuesday, August 1, 2006. SIRIUS will hold a conference call at 8:00 am ET to discuss these results.

You can listen to the conference call online here, or on SIRIUS Satellite Radio by tuning to SIRIUS channel 125.

Reading a heated recent post in the Lefsetz Letter (scroll down to "XM/Sirius") made me pause for a bit. There's been grumblings about this for a while, but recently it's gotten louder and louder. XM's marketing sucks.

Lefsetz's statement right here says it all:

Sirius has the one thing XM lacks.  Marketing.  The marketing is SO bad at XM you’d swear a teenager is running the operation.

What does XM stand for?

We know what Sirius stands for.  Howard Stern and celebrities.

XM stands for…baseball.

XM has a REVOLUTIONARY music programming concept.  Of truly changing the marketplace.  By not insulting the listener.  By making broad swaths of music available for listening.  Does anybody know this?

There's something here that I think the boys at The Eck need to really stop and think about. XM is an incredible service. People who experience it love it. But that all means nothing if people aren't aware of it. The problem: XM's brand seems to have no singular direction.

Let's take a look at slogans as an example. Beyond AM, Beyond FM, XM. This was one of my favorites, though I believe it's been retired (unfortunately) in place of Listen Large: America's Largest Playlist. Which targets the iPod market, steering away from "radio" and more towards "music" - a strategy I can't say I agree with. But then there's still Radio to the Power of X, which is still being utilized through the service.

Yeah... wait, what? Which one is it? If they can't keep a consistent slogan, then the rest of the message is bound to be equally inconsistent.

Now I don't know if this spells the impending departure of Hugh Panero (as the beginning of Lefsetz's post implies), but this level of indecisiveness should spell the end of whoever is running the MarComm show. There needs to be some drastic change, some excitment over there. Some rule breaking.

Here's a tip: stop designing by committee. The temptation is always to try to be everything to everybody, so you ask for everybody's input. But that just creates a bland, lifeless message. Why? Because the message is undoubtedly a compromise. Just put a core group together and let them work on the direction. That's why you hired them.

Here's another tip: fire the ad agency. Is it still Mullen? Why? They did great magazine ads, but their TV spots just aren't connecting - TBWA/Chiat/Day did a better job. XM needs to wake up their image. Being market leader means you need to work even harder to grow. My vote? CP+B. But that's just me.

Lefsetz has one important point - shit rolls uphill - so unless things start improving, and improving quickly... calls for Panero's head may soon ring true.

That's right kids, Jesus Salas has joined with XM Satellite Radio as the Senior Program Director of XM’s four Latin channels: Fuego, Viva, Aguila and Caliente.

Salas will also oversee XM Vibra and XM Caricia which are available on DirecTV only.

[via Radio & Records] 

It looks like Wistron NeWeb has been given a FCC grant for a new SIRIUS Starmate Replay.

It appears that the only change (that I can see) is that they've done away from the internal FM antenna loop. XM did this as well a while back, using the antenna and power wiring instead. Looks like Wistron is doing the same. Remember that during the NAB's test report submitted to the FCC, the 20ga wire used for FM transmitting was considered non-compliant. It appears that this is a correction for FCC compliance.

Check out the before and after pics below.

Old SIRIUS Starmate:

New SIRIUS Starmate:

Two years ago, on June 17th, 2004 Phish performed one of their last concerts at Keyspan Park, Coney Island in Brooklyn, NY. The concert was simulcast live in theatres across the US on that night only, and the footage has not been shown since.

On Monday, July 10th at 9pm ET, SIRIUS Satellite Radio's Jam_ON (ch 17) will feature an exclusive simulcast of the one-night-only re-release of the Phish film, Live in Brooklyn, with intermission co-hosted by the official Phish archivist Kevin Shapiro.

The entire Phish film Live in Brooklyn will also be shown in high-def at selected theatres across the US on July 10th, day before Phish releases Live in Brooklyn as a 3-CD and 2-DVD set..

XM Satellite Radio will be providing full coverage of All-Star Week, with five days of live broadcasts from the host city of Pittsburgh, including the MLB 2006 All-Star Game on July 11th, at 8pm ET on XM Channel 176.

But the coverage isn't just on the All-Star Game. Fans will also hear the XM Satellite Radio Futures Game, featuring the next generation of baseball stars from the minor leagues, on Sunday at 3:45pm ET also on XM Channel 176.

Then comes the MLB Home Run Derby on Monday at 8pm ET on the same channel.

XM’s all-star hosts Rob Dibble, Kevin Kennedy, and Orestes Destrade will be on hand to cover the Mid-Summer Classic with baseball talk, phone calls, and guest interviews at PNC Park, the All-Star FanFest at Lawrence Convention Center, and other locations throughout the Steel City.

[View Full Schedule] 

The FCC will be tackling the issue of Satellite Radio's impact on Terrestrial Radio at their next meeting. The agenda for the FCC Open Hearing includes the item"Digital Audio Broadcasting Systems And Their Impact On The Terrestrial Radio Broadcast Service" - scheduled for next Thursday, July 13th.

The NAB has been voicing constant opposition to satellite radio, from stating that satellite should be subjected to indecency regulations (because of the free trial subscriptions) to saying that satellite hasn't been honest in staying as a 100% national service. This meeting will gives the NAB the opportunity to press its case, but the FCC has historically been pro-satellite because they tend to favor new services.

This should be interesting.

[via Inside Radio and All Access] 

 

TimeTrax Technologies - which made a name for itself by allowing recording of satellite radio long before XM and Sirius added time-shifting to their own radios - seems to have disappeared. If you visit their website, it redirects to XM's website. Curious.

Even more suspect is the fact that someone, claiming to be a TimeTrax employee, went through and deleted all posts on the Unofficial TimeTrax message board (even though it's actually not managed by TimeTrax - the messages have since been undeleted).

There's been no word from anyone at the company, but the fact that website redirects to XM is pretty telling.

[SatelliteGuys] 

XM Canada and Telus Corp have inked a deal to bring a piece of the XM Canada service to cellular phones. The deal will provide 20 channels of XM Canada's music and talk content to a selection of Telus phones. The cost? $15 month.

Initially though, the service will be given away for free (for the first 2 months), and only available on the LG 8100 and the Samsung A950.

The deal is very similar to the Sirius / Sprint partnership of last year, though it should be noted that XM Satellite Radio (the U.S. version) currently does not have a deal with any mobile carriers.

[globeandmail.com] 

...so says Jim Cramer in his infinite wisdom. See, according to Cramer (who, for some reason, I actually used to respect) the satellite radio industry needs to have one and only one player in it. As a result, Sirius will emerge as the superior of the two and either: a) buyout XM or b) XM will go the way of AOL and diminish to nothingness.

Cramer. You sir, are an idiot.

Enough with the silly merger talk already. It's almost as tiresome as reading the hacky "Sirius-ly" tag in every newspaper headline. I've already ranted about why it wouldn't be a good idea, but to throw salt on the wound - Mel himself even stated that a merger was out of the question (that's right folks, the Reuters spin-machine was turned to high - gasp!).

Maybe a better way to look at this would be from one of Cramer's collegue's standpoint. In a duopoly, the natural order of things is for marketshare to gravitate to 50/50. Sirius has gained massive subscribers to bring itself to 40% marketshare in a very short amount of time.

Phenominal work, and it's obvious now that the move to sign on Howard Stern was a very smart one (a move made by Joe Clayton btw, not Mel).

But another thing to take into account is that with a higher subscriber base, comes higher absolute churn. "Net subscribers" can be a misleading number - I'd like to see GROSS subscribers as a form of gauging growth. I'm not diminishing Sirius' success (far from it), just saying that things are more complicated than "mine is bigger than yours" comparisons. Sirius' success doesn't spell the doom of XM, and it sure as hell doesn't mean that a merger is imminent.

So either Cramer is smoking something, or he's looking for attention by waxing poetically about mergers, or perhaps - he just doesn't get it. You decide.

Just over a month ago we learned that Wistron NeWeb (WNC) will most likely be the manufacturer behind the upcoming Sirius true-portable Satellite Radio/MP3 Player. The date? The 2nd half of 2006.

Well, lo-and-behold now it turns out that Humax has something up their sleeve as well. Humax, who are the peeps behind the Sirius S50, is expecting to have a "new model" starting in the 3rd quarter of 2006, according to this report (PDF). Here's the snippet:

Humax started the satellite radio business in 4Q05 when it supplied its S50 model to Sirius, the North American satellite radio operator. Thanks to growing demand and increasing Sirius subscribers, the business posted moderate earnings results. However, the S50 was a high-end product focused on design and specialties and thus failed to meet customer needs. Accordingly, 1Q06 sales growth was negative and we expect stagnant sales and dwindling inventory levels in 2Q06. The company is to supply Sirius with a new model starting in 3Q06.

Now, just to add to the speculation, there's been rumblings that the Zing-Sirius player will be completely separate from the Sirius Stiletto (aka, the "S100"). So Humax, or possibly Wistron, will be offering the live-wearable, while the other will be handling the Zing.

Either way, both appear to be coming soon.

[Read the full report] (PDF) 

XM Satellite Radio is finishing off their coverage of the FIFA World Cup with the finale match between Italy and France. Tune into the live play-by-play coverage of Italy vs. France this Sunday, July 9th, at 2pm ET/11am PT on XM 148 (in English) and XM 147 (in Spanish).

Soccer fans will hear coverage of the final match from an English broadcast line-up that includes former U.S. World Cup team players Jeff Agoos, Thomas Dooley, and Christopher Sullivan, as well as renowned soccer play-by-play broadcasters such as Dave Johnson and Phil Schoen. Meanwhile, Spanish-language coverage of the World Cup will include legendary announcer Andres Cantor.

In a related note, the Examiner wonders: what will happen with XM 147 and XM 148 when the World Cup comes to an end? The World Cup has suddenly brought an increased interest in the sport, and writer Jim Williams begs XM to sign with MLS, Gol TV or Fox Soccer.

Not a bad idea since a huge benefit of satellite radio is to appeal to a mass market by offering a wide selection of verticals. And soccer - at least in the U.S. - is pretty damn vertical.

Thanks Jason! 

SIRIUS Satellite Radio has just announced that they have added 600,460 subscribers for the second quarter of 2006, bringing the total amount of Sirius subscribers to 4,678,207. That's 64% higher than last year's second quarter subscriber additions.

Wow. This beats analysts' estimates hands down.

XM Satellite Radio has just announced that they have added 398,000 new subscribers for the second quarter of 2006, bringing the total amount of XM subscribers to 6.89 million. This is quite a bit lower than many analysts estimated.

During Q106, XM added 568,000 subscribers.

"As we previously indicated, subscriber growth in the second quarter was limited by product availability and overall softness in the retail channel," said Hugh Panero, President and CEO, XM Satellite Radio. "As we approach seven million subscribers, however, XM Satellite Radio remains one of the fastest growing consumer entertainment products."

XM has scheduled a conference call for July 27th, 2006, at 10:00 AM EDT to announce and discuss its financial results for the second quarter of 2006.

RBC analyst David Bank is estimating weaker subscriber additions for XM Satellite Radio for the second quarter. According to Forbes, the street expects additions of 420,000 to 440,000 subscribers in the second quarter, versus Bank's estimate of 420,000 XM subscribers. By contrast, Bank is estimating a whopping 589,000 subscribers in the second quarter for Sirius.

Bank figures that XM's estimated weakness is caused by lower promotional activity and inventory issues caused by the recent FCC regulatory issues. Time will only tell how much these factors actually affected retail sales.

[Forbes]

Welcome back, hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend (I'm still recovering). And just to welcome us back, Directed Electronics has filed an 8-k, that confirms what we heard about the mysterious missing Sirius units. Apparently the Sirius S50 and the Starmate Replay FM transmitters are not in FCC compliance. Directed received a letter on 6/30 notifying them of this.

In a recent report by Bank of America analyst Jonathan Jacoby, he suspects that Sirius' plug-and-play receiver shipments "ended on 6/23/06." Interesting.

Check out the 8-k excerpt after the jump...