The boys over at XM411 got the awesome opportunity to install and play with the upcoming XM CommanderMT. Finally the upgrade to the classic XM Commander, which (as the "MT" moniker indicates) integrates usage of the XM Mini-Tuner, will be available in June.

It's mainly targeted to those who would like to retain their current car stereo headunit, maintain a clean dashboard - all the while reaping the benefits of portability that the Mini-Tuner provides. The XM CommanderMT seems oddly simple, but would be attractive to many.

The downside? Installation isn't for the lighthearted. "Installation is relatively simple as long as you are comfortable with opening up your vehicle’s dashboard," it's noted in the XM411 review. The reality is that for most, opening up your dashboard isn't simple at all. The XM411 review goes on to describe other details of the install.

Personally, I think people who will want to have a clean dashboard, also wouldn't mind dropping a few bucks for a professional install. Me? I'd get one of the upcoming XM Mini-Tuner headunits instead.

[XM411] 

A recent article in the New York Post isn't very forgiving of the Sirius-XM merger, dramatically (in classic Post-style) highlighting Mel Karmazin's salary and how it would be taken into account when considering the merger.

"Details of Mel's pay package couldn't have come at a worse time for Sirius and XM," said Sanford Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett.

"Their credibility is already stretched pretty thin on Capitol Hill after weeks of anti-trust grilling. This will add fuel to the argument that their merger attempt is a way to enrich management rather than listeners."

At least, that's fuel to the fire that the NAB would love to feed. The reality is that Karmazin's compensation was likely put into place in his original contract back in 2004 when he signed on to Sirius. But who needs reality when you've got drama? Check out this ridiculous quote from an NAB spokesman:

"This outlandish pay package confirms that the proposed monopoly Sirius-XM merger was crafted mainly to enrich the companies' CEOs and their close friends on Wall Street," said NAB spokesman Dennis Wharton. "The notion that consumers or small shareholders would benefit from a government-sanctioned monopoly is pure fiction."

Apples... meet Oranges.

The unfortunate thing is that regardless of how little this should affect the decision by the FCC and DOJ - Peter Lauria at the NY Post is absolutely correct... the negative attention this stirs up certainly doesn't help.

[New York Post]

It was likely a joyous moment over at XM as the "8 million" sign finally went up outside their Washington D.C. headquarters on Eckington Place (lovingly referred to as "The Eck").

 

XM had hoped to hit this milestone last year... but hey, better late than never.

As of May 1st, Sirius and PodShow will reportedly be parting ways. A relationship that was started two-years ago with much fanfair, is now over... and I'm not so sure that many Sirius listeners will care.

It was a neat idea at the time - to take a social media like podcasting and stream it over satellite radio. But I have to agree with Podcast NYC in that there probably is no winner or loser in this case. It was low-cost programming for Sirius, and great PR for PodShow, but it likely didn't bring in mass subscribers for Sirius. Aside from new subs, I'm also not convinced that the show garnered many listeners aside from those who are already into podcasting (and who already have favorite podcasts they follow). Four-hours is a lot of time to dedicate to a channel with redundant content.

Frank Truth posted an email from Richard Brewer-Hay of PodShow, stating that the deal "has become less productive for both parties." Which I think puts it nicely - the value just wasn't there for both parties. That's it.

It's hardly the case of satellite radio becoming even less important... which I think is a hilarious take on the issue. I'm a huge fan of both the podcasting medium and the satellite radio medium, but the notion that this will cause satellite radio's "numbers further flushing down the toilet" due the dropping of podcasting content is a slight delusion of grandeur.

If you're going to look at the marriage of social media and new media, I think shows like Blog Radio are far more popular. But that's just me... will any of you be missing the podcasts on Sirius?

[via paidContent] 

Today the XM Kids Traveling Roadshow kicks off with its first live broadcast from Los Angeles starting at 12-noon PT/3pm ET.

The official start of the 20-day tour will include a live concert featuring kiddie fan-faves Paulie Litt, Rhythm Child, Laughing Pizza, Meredith Brooks and the Jonas Brothers.

The tour is a joint charity effort by XM, Wal-Mart, and the Children’s Miracle Network to help raise awareness and funds for local children's hospitals across the country. At each Children's Miracle Network hospital that XM Kids visist, kids will be encouraged to support the Children's Miracle Network by taking part in Wal-Mart's "Buy a Balloon" campaign.

This is all in an effort to raise $10 million in 30-days. A great goal for a great cause. The FCC should take note.

Check out a couple other shots of the XM Kids Traveling Roadshow tourbus - all wrapped up and ready for action - after the jump... 

Starting on Monday, April 30th, "Morning Living" on Martha Stewart Living Radio (ch 112) on Sirius has named a new host, and expanded its format to 3 hours.

Recently named host of "Morning Living" and veteran radio personality, Dean Olsher, is actually the first male morning show host on Martha Stewart Living Radio. Olsher roots are from NPR – he started there in 1987 as a cultural reporter and then launched "The Next Big Thing" at WNYC in 1999.

Olsher, a lifelong foodie, brings kitchen karma to life every morning. Freestyle conversation, humor and personality drive his show. Olsher, his show regular - Betsy Karetnick - and a wide-ranging mix of guests do much more than trade recipes and make coffee (thankfully).

As a fun touch, they actually cook breakfast and other treats in the studio, never afraid to experiment with morning food. In fact, after one too many breakfasts consisting of eggs, Olsher has issued a plea to his audience to call and send in creative alternative ideas.

Like "Whatever with Alexis and Jennifer" (the evening drive time show), "Morning Living" is an open forum for everything plus the kitchen sink.  Listeners to both shows are privy to up close and personal radio unique to Martha's channel.

Expect the unexpected. This is not your mother’s morning radio show.

"Morning Living" will air Monday – Friday from 7am - 10am ET on Sirius' Martha Stewart Living Radio (ch 112).

Howard Stern fans will be able to enjoy more of the free Howard TV promotion for a few more days than originally planned.

Registration problems prevented many users from accessing the site on the first day of the preview, so In Demand and Howard Stern said they plan to extend the offer until May 1st (instead of April 29th).

The Howard TV registration process requires users to prove that you're 18, as well as to prove that you're a US resident. The form asks that you enter your current and previous home address, date of birth, gender and the last four digits of your social-security number.

All of which apparently led to the delay.

At the time of posting, I encountered a repeated failure in the registration process myself. So instead of reaping the rewards of the striptease seen during registration... I saw this picture instead. Ugh.

Sign up for the free Howard TV preview by going to howardstern.com/free. 

[Multichannel News] 

Long before Sirius Backseat TV was even announced, many a satrad geek has questioned how much bandwidth would be required to deliver the mobile video entertainment.

Well, the math-geniuses over at Satellite Radio TechWorld have a pretty darn good theory. Based on Sirius' response to a complaint filed by the WCS Coalition about Sirius Backseat TV, we learn that the video programming will use less than 1/5 of its bandwidth.

Now for some number crunching:

"So, we can calculate that [Sirius Backseat TV] will consume 2.5 MHz of the 12.5 MHz band, or 0.625 to 0.833 MHz per channel. Since it is broadcast on 3 carriers (two satellites and one repeater), the numbers have to be divided by 3, meaning that each channel per carrier will consume 208 to 278 KHz. If we understand the technology correctly, that should translate into video streaming somewhere on the order of 625 to 833 kbps per channel."

That might be our nearest indicator as to the level of quality to expect for the service. The demo at CES looked pretty damn good, though that could have been, well, just a demo.

[Satellite Radio TechWorld] 

NASCAR driver Kyle Petty will join Doug Rice as the host of "Fast Talk Live," starting on Monday. The show airs on the Performance Racing Network (PRN), and is heard on XM Satellite Radio.

"Fast Talk Live" - which has been broadcasting for 15 years - airs Monday nights at 7-8pm ET on XM Sports Nation (ch 144) and is part of XM's Engine Block racing-centric programming.

Petty, along with several other NASCAR Nextel Cup drivers, will be a part of a rotating panel of hosts for the 2007 "Fast Talk Live" season.

"We’re hoping to make an informative and entertaining show," said Petty. "Whether it is the competition side, which includes the Car of Tomorrow, to the sponsorship and business side that is crucial to Petty Enterprises, we will leave no stone unturned."

Fun fact: Kyle Petty recently broadcast live from the Sirius booth at NYIAS 2007 for Sirius NASCAR Radio.

Jacobs Media's latest Technology Poll shows that cell phone usage not only dominates American culture, but that it's considered primarily as a communication device and not an entertainment device. Yes, an obvious conclusion, but interesting to see the numbers...

 

Note where "Listening to MP3s" places in comparison to all the other mobile phone features. This doesn't necessarily indicate consumer's desire to listen to music over the cellphones - just what they are currently using on their cellphones.

What might that mean? That the experience of mobile audio just isn't satisfactory yet. A recent Arbitron study indicated that mobile audio is a massive growth opportunity for broadcasters, and it most likely is.

But right now, the over-the-air mobile audio experience, well... sucks. The interfaces are awkward, you need to know what you want before you can listen to it, and it's more difficult than it's worth. Especially when there's an alternative sitting next to you that you already spent $400 on (yes, the iPod). There's a growth opportunity here alright, and that's in streamlining the experience. (Side note: I really really hope that XM is trying their darnedest to utilize their relationship with Cingular to get XM Radio Mobile into the iPhone.)

Now here's another bit of data that is unsurprising:

 

Given the choice of TV, the Internet, Cell Phones or FM Radio, which do you think most people could live without? FM Radio is the obvious loser in that equation. But consider why?

Gone are the days of radio as the sole purveyor of information to the masses - an argument that preserving terrestrial's monopoly on "localism" is not in the public interest. Or maybe more accurately, the "localism" argument is a moot one, since most radio isn't even "local" at all (and therefore, not a necessity to consumers anymore).

[Jacobs Media Tech Survey III]