October 2008 Archives

An on-air promotion broadcast on XM Escape has confirmed the November 12th date rumored this morning. Additionally, a jock on Sirius' The Pulse also announced the date, according to an Orbitcast commenter.

Listen to the full audio below:

What's clear is that the date appears to indeed be true. What's not clear, is how valid the 50 combined channels rumor is. One rumor down, one to go.

UPDATE: The audio is sourced from aegrotatio at XMFan.com. Thanks Alex!

Following last week's rumor of the combining of Sirius XM Radio Inc. music channels, comes a new batch of rumors that the launch date of the merged channels will come in less than two-weeks.

Instead of the revised date of November 14th (updated from November 5th), we're now hearing that the combined channels between Sirius and XM is scheduled for November 12th. Does two days make a difference? No, not really, but I'm just relaying the info here folks.

Here's the rundown so far:
50 channels are expected to be simulcast between Sirius and XM. There will also be new channels coming to XM, and both services will retain "special" channels unique to each.

XM Escape is reportedly moving to channel 28, and The Pulse is moving to channel 12. This indicates a complete channel shuffle to me, but - according to various sources - Boneyard, Squizz, The Loft (and even 90s on 9) - are reportedly going to be staying. In total, XM will air 69 commercial-free channels. Details on Sirius' lineup are unknown at this time.

It is possible that a channel guide will be released ahead of this change (this could be the original Nov. 5th date?).

We are at a crossroads right now. Satellite Radio has grown from a fledgling media to the single largest subscription service in existence, that is, second only to Comcast.

This is a defining moment for the company.

The future of satellite radio is being dictated in the coming months as Sirius and XM combine two different programming philosophies and strive to cut costs at the same time.

Some would argue that the signing of Howard Stern was the tipping point for the industry - when a struggling Sirius found its mojo and dramatically grew despite the dominance of its larger rival XM. Whether XM blundered in its (non)response to Stern is a moot point now, the two companies are now one, and the "old days" are over.

And while the signing of Stern was indeed an inflection point in terms of phenomenal growth, those days are over now as well. The industry has matured, and growth rate has flattened.

But it's not over, it's just beginning.

Satellite radio now has to redefine itself. It has to find that sweet spot between the "aggregation of niches" and simply seeking out "the hits." Even with nearly 20 million subscribers, the company is still the underdog (by a significant margin) when compared to terrestrial radio.

Sirius XM Radio Inc. need to find mass appeal, because, well, they are now appealing the masses. But it still needs to present a significant value proposition over terrestrial radio as well.

If satellite radio is simply going to be "FM without commercials" then the company will lose. Period. The advertising model historically beats the subscription model, just ask the New York Times. There needs to be a compelling reason for people to pay money (every month, without a contract, in an economy where consumers are reevaluating their "luxury" expenditures) for the service.

Satellite Radio needs to appeal to the enthusiasts, while still satisfying the casuals (or maybe, it's the other way around?).

And then, if that wasn't complicated enough, there's the specter of new technology and new innovative forms of "radio" that are growing at an exponential pace.

There's no doubt that Apple has affected how the masses consume music, but Internet Radio is here to stay as well - and both will only continue to evolve their offerings. The last bastion of hope for radio (both satellite and terrestrial) has always been the vehicle. It's simply a matter of time before audio alternatives are commonplace - and (most importantly) easy to use - in your car.

So, let's discuss. Where does satellite radio go from here? What ways would you like to see satellite radio change? Or, even, not to change? If you had the unwieldy responsibility of having to remove channels, in favor of others, what would they be? What are the strengths, and what are the weaknesses of the service? In short, what is the future of satellite radio in the years to come?

Sound off in the comments below.

Led Zeppelin is returning to the satellite radio airwaves, this time on both Sirius and XM Radio, starting on November 1st.

A dedicated Led Zeppelin channel first debuted on XM nearly a year ago in the form of "XM Led" only to be taken off the air in March 2008. XM made no secret that the all-Zeppelin-all-the-time channel was only on a temporary hiatus and would return later this year.

Well, now it's back, and with a whole lotta love for Sirius XM Radio Inc.

Led Zeppelin Radio will be broadcast on Sirius channel 12 and XM channel 39, and is launching this Saturday, November 1st starting at 6pm ET through the end of this year.

You know the drill by now, Led Zeppelin Radio will be a non-stop broadcast of virtually every song from Led Zeppelin's music catalog. Archived interviews with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham and unique content will be sprinkled throughout.

Sirius XM Radio Inc. and the National Basketball Association issued a press release, making the NBA's full available on XM (and subsequently on Sirius with the "Best of XM" package) officially official now.

It's a partnership that has many folks confused, and it's particularly hard to break down into a succinct quote as I tried to do when I was talking to Wired about it. So here's the full details, I'll try to be as brief as possible.

The NBA has had a partnership with Sirius satellite radio since 2003 (it was the first major professional sports league to provide live games on Sirius even). Now with the NBA season tipping off today, the NBA has switched over to XM where listeners get access to over 1,000 regular season games, plus the Playoffs and The Finals.

Now for "most" Sirius listeners (those without older generation chips in their radios), select NBA games will be available through the "Best of XM" package. Remember that if this merger never happened, then the NBA would be lost forever to XM and not available to Sirius subs at all.

Questions remain about the details of the contract negotiations. Did the NBA talk to XM, and then present a counteroffer to Sirius, which ended up being a moot negotiation since the two were merging anyway? Seems like the most likely scenario to me, but we'll never know.

Regardless, starting today, XM (and, yes, many Sirius) subscribers will have access to the Opening Night tripleheader with the Celtics hosting the Cavaliers at 8pm ET (XM channel 231, Sirius channel 215), plus the Bucks @ the Bulls at 8:30pm ET (XM channel 232, Sirius channel 216) and the Trailblazers @ the Lakers at 10:30 pm ET (XM channel 233, Sirius channel 217).

Check the full schedule on XM here.

If you thought the Sirius Starmate 4 deal at Sears was ho-hum, feast your eyes of this snoozer of a deal.

Fight your way through the crowds, the angry shoppers, the crying babies and the underpaid cashiers - and walk away with the now discontinued Sirius Stratus for a mere $24.99 after $10 mail-in rebate.

Now that folks is smart shopping. Black Friday and Saturday only.

[via BFAds]

Is it that time already? A week before Halloween, and the Black Friday specials are already starting to stream in. 

A new community website has formed in the recent weeks that was created as a grassroots effort to bring together all areas of digital radio together: Digital Radio Central.

It's an impressive group because of its forward-thinking and all-inclusiveness, so I wanted to give them some props by writing this. Started by veterans of Sirius Backstage, Digital Radio Central is setting its sights on more than just satellite radio - recognizing that many of us are fans of Slacker, Pandora, Last.fm, iPods - as well as Sirius XM.

Another impressive gesture: The folks at TSS Radio felt so strongly about this forum that they gave up an advertising slot here on Orbitcast, and dedicated it to spreading the word about Digital Radio Central. They did this at their own expense, without asking for anything in return. That says something.

My goal here at Orbitcast (which I started exactly 4 years ago this week) was to bring together the worlds of Sirius and XM in a single place. Digital Radio Central extends beyond that, and brings all areas of digital radio together - and not only is it a cool concept, but I think they deserve some recognition for taking on the task.

So when you get the chance, check them out.

[Digital Radio Central]

"There's hardly a day goes by when I don't ask myself [whether Sirius will survive]."

That's what analyst Tuna Amobi of Standard & Poor's Equity Research said to BusinessWeek in a recent article about Sirius XM Radio Inc. and its mounting debt - which will add up to more than $1 billion next year, according to the report.

Amobi, of course, rates SIRI a "buy" because it's such a cheap way to profit from any upside.

But that doesn't dispute the fact that there's a lot weighing on Mel Karmazin's shoulders right now, particularly the  $620 million in debt payments due in February and May.

"We are very confident of taking care of the [$270] million in February, and we are confident the banks will extend the maturity in May," says Sirius XM Radio Inc. CFO David Frear. The company forecasts it will be able to generate $300 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization - effectively easing its cash needs next year.

Analyst James Ratcliffe of Barclays Capital estimates that Sirius XM needs to raise $750 million to $800 million to cover its debt repayments, programming costs, and capital spending for next year.

Which brings us to the company's plan to ask shareholders to allow it to nearly double its total shares.

"I don't think they want to issue more equity," said Ratcliffe. "But given the conditions of the credit market, they may have to."

A lot of people have been asking about the Halloween programming lineup for both Sirius and XM, well here it is...

Sirius XM Radio Inc. will be dedicating two uninterrupted channel, Sirius Scream (ch 113) and XM Gore (ch 134) devoted to all things Halloween for a total of six consecutive days of ghoulish goodness.

Sirius is also putting together the Alfred Hitchcock Radio channel (on Sirius channel 119), which - for three straight days - which will play vintage radio dramas such as The Birds and Shadow of a Doubt, movie versions of which were made famous by Hitchcock.

Sirius Scream and XM Gore will run from October 26th to October 31st, with the 24 hours of blood-curdling Halloween sound effects on the 31st only.

There's also a slew of additional Halloween programming, but we'll get into all that and a ton of other spooky programming after the jump.

An entire channel on XM - appropriately entitled "World Series Radio" - is being dedicated to the sounds of baseball and will air for 24-hour on XM channel 55.

The channel launching this Sunday, October 26th, the day of Game 4 of the Tampa Bay-Philadelphia World Series.

"World Series Radio" celebrates the Fall Classic with baseball-themed songs, famous play-by-play calls and other classic segments devoted to America's Pastime.

XM listeners will relive some of baseball's historic moments, such as Milo Hamilton's television call of Hank Aaron's record-setting 715th career home run in 1974. Music will - of course - be part of the mix with dozens of versions of "Take Me Out To The Ball Game," plus a variety of other songs including well-known tunes like "Centerfield" by John Fogerty and "Willie, Mickey & The Duke (Talkin' Baseball)" by Terry Cashman and rarely heard tracks such as "The First Baseball Game" by Nat King Cole and "There Used To Be a Ballpark" by Frank Sinatra.

The channel will also present baseball programs from the Golden Age of Radio: with famous comedy bits like Abbott and Costello's "Who's On First" and George Carlin's "Baseball-Football," spoken-word pieces including James Earl Jones' recitation of the classic baseball poem "Casey At The Bat,"...even clips from Bugs Bunny in his memorable "Baseball Bugs" cartoon.

As we all know, XM is the "Official Satellite Radio Partner" of the MLB and is offering four different live broadcasts of every World Series game, offering the Rays broadcast on XM channel 176, the Phillies broadcast on XM channel 183, the national radio broadcast on XM channel 189 and the Spanish language broadcast on XM channel 174.

Audi of America will be including HD Radio technology in "many" of its vehicles starting with the 2011 model year.

The vehicles that will be equipped with HD Radio will be those featuring top-of-the-line audio systems. No specific model lines were announced, but it was pointed out that these vehicles will arrive in dealers in 2010.

The news further underscores the legitimate competition that HD Radio serves against Satellite Radio, but also illustrates exactly how slow automakers are to react. This announcement comes out a full 2 years before the feature will even be available to the public.

Details are scant, but it looks like Sirius XM Radio Inc. staffers in Washington DC aren't the only ones falling victim to layoffs.

Reports started streaming in late Tuesday of layoffs occurring at the Sirius' NYC offices, but questions remain about who exactly have been let go. A report on the NY Radio Message Board corroborates what my sources have been saying, but is equally vague on the details.

Other sources within the company say that it seems like Sirius XM is going department by department and "cutting the fat" - and the focus is now on folks in the McGraw Hill Building.

Additional word is that further changes in the company are set for when the New Year begins.

The combined music offering by Sirius XM Radio Inc. is expected to be delayed by nearly two weeks, according to anonymous sources.

The new channel lineup, originally rumored for a November 5th release date, is said to include 50 music channels resulting from the combined resources of both Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio. It is unclear which channels will "survive" from either service.

Sirius XM Radio's combined lineup is now said to be scheduled for a November 14th launch date, the sources told Orbitcast. The full changeover of the channels will occur over that weekend, between Friday (11/14) and Monday (11/17).

This news comes on the heals of an additional - but small - round of layoffs of on-air staff (reportedly including XM Flight 26's jock "PJ" UPDATE: PJ is still employed at Sirius XM - my deepest apologies) and off-air staff yesterday.

The National Labor Committee is claiming that women workers at the Kiryung Electronics factory in Korea, where Sirius Satellite Radios are assembled, face sweatshop conditions and is calling for a meeting with Sirius XM Radio Inc. management.

Sirius XM Radio Inc. chief Mel Karmazin said yesterday that the combined satellite radio service technology in cars could take as long as 15 years to become available.

The MySpace pages for XM Holly and XM Radio Hanukkah have been updated with information about the 2008 holiday music lineup

A post on the Radio Hanukkah MySpace blog says that it will be back on December 21st, but adds that it will air "only on XM Radio." Meanwhile a post on the Holly MySpace blog has spurred some questions as it says the Holly will return "in November" to Sirius XM.

It's difficult to say if XM Holly will be replacing Sirius Holiday this year, because the Holly blog does say to look for Holly at its "new home" - but clarifies this as being a new channel number. Previously, Holly has appeared on the XM dial on channel 103, a slot now held by Martha Stewart Living Radio.

Regardless, it looks like fans of both XM holiday-themed channels won't be disappointed this year.

Thanks David!

Gee, who saw this coming? In what can hardly be called a surprise, ailing satellite radio provider WorldSpace Inc. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Its board determined the bankruptcy filing was necessary for the company to raise sufficient funds to repay its senior secured notes and convertible notes by means of either a sale of the company or its assets, or a recapitalization of the company.

WorldSpace listed assets of $307.4 million and liabilities of $2.12 billion. The company received a cash infusion of $40 million earlier this year.

It says it will continue to operate and to pay its employees, but the company has failed to pay some of its workers for two months, causing "significant employee attrition," WorldSpace CEO Noah A. Samara said in court papers. The company owes 50 "critical employees" $1.35 million in back pay.

"As a result of WorldSpace's growing concern regarding its inability to make timely payments to critical employees and other essential creditors, WorldSpace determined that it is in its best interests and the best interests of its subsidiaries and stakeholders to file these chapter 11 proceedings," said Samara.

The company is asking to secure the bankruptcy loan of $13 million and use some of that funding to pay its employees. Without it, the remaining critical employees will likely depart, which would "impair" WorldSpace's ability to operate the satellites, Samara said.

[Wall Street Journal]

Sirius XM Radio Inc. has asked shareholders for the right to declare a reverse split of its common shares (by a ratio somewhere between 1-for-10 to 1-for-50) in an effort to lift its share price and avoid the risk of being delisted from Nasdaq, the company said.

One of Nasdaq's criteria for remaining listed on the exchange is that a company's common stock must have a trading price of $1/share, and remain at that level for 30 straight business days.

Sirius XMshares have traded below $1 since September 19th.

"Although our common stock's trading price has not been below the $1 per share level for 30 consecutive trading days ... we believe that approval of this proposal would significantly reduce our risk of not meeting this continued listing standard in the future," the company said in a statement.

Already approved by Sirius's board, the plan would shrink the number of outstanding shares from anywhere from about 65 million to 320 million shares from the current 3.2 billion shares.

In the filing, the company also asked shareholders to approve a plan to increase the number of authorized shares of common stock to 8 billion from 4.5 billion. Sirius has about $1.05 billion in debt due to mature in 2009, and may sell stock to pay the obligation if it's unable to refinance.

Rumors have emerged that Sirius XM Radio Inc. may be holding two additional rounds of layoffs for programmers and talent, according to a report from Taylor on Radio-Info.

Sirius XM Radio Inc. is revving up for the Holiday Season with rebates on eligible radios and an offer to get the "Best of" packages free for a limited time.

The Holiday promotion, which will be officially launched in coming days, offers customers a $50 discount PLUS the "Best of XM" or "Best of Sirius" packages free for 3-months.

The $50 mail-in rebate is available to new subscribers on eligible Sirius and XM radios (such as the Stiletto 2, Sportster 5, XMP3 and Inno - among many others) purchased between October 26th through December 27th, and activated by December 31st, 2008.

Additionally, if you subscribe to the "Best of" packages, you get the first 3-months at the regular $12.95/month price. Not a bad deal really.

UPDATE: This promotion hasn't launched yet. It's "official" on 10/26.

Check out images from the rebate promotions after the jump...

Sirius XM Radio is broadcasting today live from the campus of Hofstra University, the site of the final US Presidential debate.

The event will be headlined by a post-debate simulcast of political channels Sirius Patriot (ch 144) and Sirius Left (ch 146), where hosts Andrew Wilkow and Alex Bennett will preside over a post-debate 'town hall' discussion with Hofstra students.

The one-hour special will serve as an instant response forum for young voters to discuss the debate, the issues influencing young voters, and whether or not the candidates addressed those issues during the debate.

At 8pm ET, XM's POTUS '08 (ch 130) will kick-off its pre-debate coverage with hosts Joe Mathieu and Rebecca Roberts, featuring analysis from "The Playmakers," communication and competitive strategy experts Alan Kelly and Michael Cornfield. Glen Kessler from HCD Research will join the panel with instant polling results and analysis after the debate.

Earlier in the day beginning at 12pm ET, Sirius Indie Talk (ch 110) and XM's POTUS '08 will bring the latest news and updates from the Hofstra University campus. At 5pm ET Indie Talk's roundtable show "The Blog Bunker" will feature student bloggers from across the country.

Reports are coming in that Sirius XM Radio Inc. is laying off approximately 80 staffers, a number that is a bit higher than previously reported, but one that sounds "pretty solid" a D.C. source tells Radio-Info.

The immediate impact will be felt on the redundant staffers at the music channels, according to the industry website. "It looks like Mel's concentrating on the talk formats, which are the ones where he can sell ads," one soon-to-be-gone XM employee told Radio-Info.

Additionally, an XM source told DCRTV:
"All the great people that are gone from XM radio, may we all RIP... Let's go back and take the terrestial world by storm... Gone but not forgotten: '50s Channel PD Ken Smith, '50s Channel MD Matt The Cat, '60s Channel PD Pat Clark, '80s Channel MD/afternooner Kandy Klutch, Cross-Country PD Jessie Scott, Decades Channel Senior PD Kurt Gilcrest, Cafe PD Bill Evans, all of XM Urban accept three people."

Another round of cuts is said to possibly be coming in early November.

UPDATE: Orbitcast has confirmed that Karla Rodriguez, Music Director for XM Viva (Latin Pop Channel) as well as the Mad Mexican, Music Director for XM Aguila (Regional Mexican Channel) have also been let go.

At least 50 staffers were reportedly laid off ahead of schedule at Sirius XM Radio Inc. today, accelerating the company's termination plans due to leaked information.

According to Radio & Records, the mayhem began yesterday, when an employee accessed the internal Ultipro payroll site and was surprised to find a termination date of October 15th next to their name. Within moments fellow staffers were alerted as other employees logged in to learn their fate.

R&R further reports that an emergency management meeting was reportedly held Monday afternoon, and the formal termination memos from HR issued shortly afterward.

Among those said to be in this round of cuts: Eight-and-a-half-year vet Kurt Gilchrist, senior PD of XM's Decades channels; George Taylor Morris of XM Deep Tracks and senior director of original programming; Kandy Klutch, from XM '80s on 8; John Clay PD of XM's '70s on 7; PD Billy Zero and "Dean of Music" Tobi from XMU; alternative channel Ethel MD Erik Range and jock Rick Lambert; and Bill Hutton, PD of classic alternative channel Lucy.

Radio & Records also is hearing that while some are leaving immediately, other staffers are staying for another couple of weeks, when a second wave of terminations may come.

Reports have come in that XMU (ch 43) will be the first on the list of channels to be merged into its satellite radio counterpart.

The XMU Nation website and the XMU MySpace page are showing farewell letters from XMU's Program Director Billy Zero and the channel's "Dean of Music" Tobi. The two state that they have "enjoyed the years of love, music, fun and passion" and "say goodbye to our fans." They also invite their fans to "come chill with us."

A number of XM Satellite Radio staffers have discovered that their termination date has been released on the company's intranet, according to a report from All Access.

The intranet page listed employee information including vacation days, benefits, and a termination date of October 15th.

Many XM employees have already left the company (out of respect to the many that have been affected, I refuse to identify those individuals, though some have issued their farewell letters fairly publicly. Note: George Taylor Morris' reasons for leaving are said to be personal, but the point is that his leaving was public - and others shouldn't be).

All Access ended its report with "The list could be long."

[All Access]
Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

A member of XMFan has uploaded a video of his brand new XMp3 portable XM satellite radio that he bought at Best Buy. Watch the extremely detailed video below...



[YouTube]
Thanks to XMGUY and xzi!

Only days after being scheduled to present at the Media and Money conference, Sirius XM Radio Inc. CEO Mel Karmazin is also expected to keynote at the Convergence 2008 conference.

The Convergence 2008 conference, hosted by Chrysler, runs from October 20-22 in Detroit, Michigan. Karmazin is scheduled to keynote during the 9:10am - 10am timeslot.

Curiosity is piqued over this because the Sirius XM CEO will be keynoting at two separate conferences in less than a week's time. And Mel tends to schedule "media tours" surrounding milestone events.

[Convergence 2008]
Thanks William!

An unconfirmed rumor has surfaced that a new channel guide for the merged Sirius XM Radio Inc. was recently created, and is expected to be released on November 5th.

The lineup, of which 50 of the channels are said to be Music Channels, is rumored to have been put together last Wednesday. New Channel logos are rumored to still being created.
 
It will be interesting to see if this is all true (this information, I must stress, is still all unconfirmed). But if you think about it, there must be a reason why XM does not have an A La Carte radio - if they merged all the channels, perhaps there would be no need for it.

Additionally, sources are saying that most of these new "Combined" channels will come from the New York offices, however unique channels such as The Loft on XM will stay. Holiday programming is also said to be out of New York.

Channel merging will start within weeks and will be completed shortly afterwards in an effort to be completed before the holidays.

A little birdy has tipped Orbitcast with leaked photos of the upcoming Sirius SUB-X2 Boombox for Dock & Play radios.

According to our tipster, the new Sirius Boombox will be compatible with current Sirius radios (i.e., the Universal docking system). Judging by the photos, it will also feature a front-panel AUX input and headphone jack output, similar to the SUB-X1 Boombox.

More photos after the jump...

"There you go again, Joe..."

Former chairman and CEO of Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. Joe Clayton has joined the board of EchoStar, the company said Thursday.

Clayton was appointed to EchoStar's board following the recommendation of the company's Nominating Committee. He will serve on the Board's Audit, Nominating and Compensation Committees.

"We welcome Joe to our board," EchoStar CEO Charles Ergen said in a prepared statement. "He brings a great deal of executive-level experience in the satellite industry and we look forward to working with him as we grow our business."

Clayton resigned as chairman of Sirius back in August to make way for Gary Parsons, who took his place as chairman of Sirius XM Radio Inc.

[Multichannel News]
Thanks Nelson!

Sirius XM Radio Inc. chief executive officer Mel Karmazin is scheduled to present at the Media and Money conference, hosted by The Nielsen Company and Dow Jones, according to the conference brochure.

The conference runs October 14 - 15 and will be at the Mariott Marquis in NYC. Mel Karmazin's presentation is scheduled for 9:35am ET.

Karmazin is expected to discuss profitability in the company, and what it will take to make Sirius XM a major media player in the marketplace. He will also give his view of where the radio industry is headed and the media industry as a whole.

[Media and Money Conference]
Thanks William!

Grammy-award winning artist Beck will be taking over Sirius' Left of Center and transforming it into "Radio Beck" starting this weekend.

Radio Beck will premiere on Friday, October 10th at 3pm ET and will air through Sunday, October 12th. Of course, the launch of Radio Beck coincides with the release of Beck's new album Modern Guilt.

You know the formula by now: Beck will share the story behind his new album and play songs from Modern Guilt as well as his entire catalog. Beck will also play songs by various artists who have influenced him throughout his career.

Sirius listeners will also be treated to a live recording of Beck's performance at the Austin City Limits Festival last month.

The live performance will air on Saturday, October 11th at 12am, 2pm and 10pm; Sunday, October 12th at 10am and 6pm; and Monday, October 13th at 2am, 12pm, 8pm and 12am (all times Eastern).

During this extremely rough economic period, more companies are in danger of breaching minimum share value rules and becoming delisted. Sirius XM Radio Inc. is one of these companies, but the NASDAQ may be seeking to inject some good news for investors.

Of course, Sirius XM Radio (SIRI) isn't in the only company suffering from the deepening economic crisis. The NYSE may be delisting the most companies in five years - 22 stocks closed under $1 on the exchange, compared to just one at the end of 2007, according to Bloomberg.

On the NASDAQ, 263 companies closed below $1 yesterday - compare that with 53 at the end of 2007. But the exchange is seeking to lengthen the period a stock can trade below the limit before a delisting.

"You're now dealing with extremely high-profile companies," said Glenn Tyranski, senior VP of financial compliance at NYSE Regulation Inc., referring to Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., Bear Stearns Cos., Washington Mutual Inc. and IndyMac Bancorp Inc.

So what does delisting mean? Delisting makes it "more difficult to buy and sell the stock," according to Joel Hasbrouck, the Kenneth G. Langone professor of finance at NYU's Stern School of Business. "After a company is delisted from the NYSE or Nasdaq, it usually trades on one of the much smaller and less liquid markets."

But the severe drop in share prices has prompted Nasdaq CEO Robert Greifeld to seek regulatory approval from the SEC to extend the time a stock can trade under $1 and remain listed on the exchange.

"We have started the advocacy process with the commission," Greifeld said in a conference with issuers.

If successful and the delisting period is indeed lengthened, there will be collective sigh of relief coming from SIRI investors... at least for now.

[Bloomberg]

XM's award-winning music show, "Theme Time Radio Hour," hosted by Bob Dylan is kicking off its 3rd season on Wednesday. The premiere of "Theme Time Radio Hour" coincides with the launch of, Tell Tale Signs - the 8th installment in the best-selling and critically heralded Bootleg Series which launched 1991.

Bob Dylan's weekly radio program - which was described as "revelatory" by Rolling Stone magazine - will air on XM's Deep Tracks (ch 40) on Wednesdays at 10am ET, The Village (ch 15) at 12pm ET and all day every Wednesday on XMX (ch 2).

Each episode features an eclectic mix of songs, from a wide variety of musical genres, related to that week's theme with Dylan's on-air thoughts and commentary interspersed with phone calls, email readings, contributions from special guests and an array of classic radio IDs, jingles and promos from the past. Themes on season three of "Theme Time Radio Hour" will include "Money," "War," "Presidents," "Cats" and "Famous People."

Terry Teachout in The Wall Street Journal said this of Bob Dylan's show:
"To listen to 'Theme Time Radio Hour' is to rediscover the sense of musical adventure that old-fashioned disc jockeys with strongly individual personalities offered in the days before big-money stations pinned their fiscal hopes to the rigid Top 40-style playlists that took the fun out of radio."

Couldn't have said it better myself, and the new season of (in my opinion) one of the best shows on radio, will be most appreciated.

With all the merger discussions, business concerns, and changes going on in the industry, sometimes we forget about what satellite radio is truly supposed to affect: Your Life.

Deep down, the purpose of this medium isn't about just the wizbang techie gadgets or the programming contracts or the latest deals. It's about connecting to listeners and becoming integrated into our lives. For myself, satellite radio (obviously) is a huge part of my life - more than just being part of the blog - I literally cannot imagine my days without either XM or Sirius. My commute would be, well, utterly boring.

So, I thought it would be neat to have a discussion as a weekend feature and share with each other:
When did you get your first satellite radio? How many do you have, and where are they? Do you listen more via your computer or via the radios (or both equally)? And most importantly... how has satellite radio changed your life?

Sound off in the comments below (and yes, I'm participating in the comments myself).

There's been more Sirius XM Radio management announcements, this time in wild and wacky world of the Talk and Sports programming.

Here's the Talk and Entertainment rollcall:

• Dave Gorab, VP/Original Talk (Sirius)
• John McDermott, VP/Comedy and Entertainment (Sirius)
• Frank Raphael, VP/News and Operations (Sirius)
• Todd Stack, Sr. Director/Talk Production (Sirius)
• Don "Wicky" Wicklin, Sr. Director/Partner Programming (XM)
• Jason Schramm, Director/Programming Development, with Sr. Directors Kenny Curtis, Craig Schwalb and Maurice Tunick.

These Talk/Entertainment execs will report to Senior VP Jeremy Coleman (from Sirius).

And for the Sports Programming roster:

• Brian Hamilton, VP/Sports Programming (Sirius)
• Doug Mortman, Director/Sports Programming Operations (Sirius)
• Daniel Norwood, Director/NASCAR Radio (Sirius)
• Nick Pavlatos, Director/NFL Radio (Sirius)
• Matt Fishman, Director/College Sports Programming (XM)
• Chuck Dickemann, Sr. Director/MLB Home Plate (XM)
• Steve Torre, Director/Mad Dog Radio (Sirius XM Radio)
• Joey DiFazio, Director/Sports Imaging
• Chris Castleberry, Director/PGA Radio (XM)

The Sports execs will report to Senior VP Steve Cohen (also from Sirius). Both Coleman and Cohen were announced into their positions shortly after Sirius and XM merged.

When Sirius XM Radio Inc. first announced the full lineup for the Best of packages, a lot of readers noticed that the NBA was to be part of the Best of XM service. So what gives?

Well, apparently Sirius and the NBA parted ways, and the basketball league will now become part of the base package for XM subscribers. XM now has a teaser page up touting live play-by-play games "all season long and through the NBA Finals."

Since the Best of Sirius and Best of XM packages were released, there has been a level of confusion over some issues surrounding the new "Best of" subscription packages:

• Why aren't all satellite radios compatible with the Best of packages?
• Will the MLB ever be on the Best of XM package?
• Does Sirius XM have rights to all sports games?

Well, the folks at Sirius XM Radio Inc. took the time to answer these questions and to help clear the air.

Mind you, this isn't from a customer service rep or a third party, this is info direct from corporate. Click through to read the answers to these questions and several more...

Sirius XM Radio Inc. have officially announced what we've all known for a few days now: that the Best of Sirius and Best of XM (as well as the first-ever A La Carte radio) packages are now available.

Some subscribers have learned that some of their radios are not compatible with the Best Of packages. The company addresses this, albeit without further details, in the press release by stating that: "Most subscribers can add the premier programming without purchasing a new radio."

A sign of the times: U.S. auto sales are down for every single automaker across the board for September.