Orbitcast: March 2009 Archives

March 2009 Archives

Baseball on Sirius remains unlikely for 2009 regular season

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BaseballWith Opening Day less than a week away, nearly half of Sirius XM Radio Inc. subscribers will not be able to listen the 2009 regular season games, unless a deal can be worked out between the satcaster and the MLB.

And according to an Orbitcast source, the possibility of an extension of the MLB programming contract isn't looking too promising.
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Government forces out Wagoner; GM and Chrysler on brink of bankruptcy

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GM CEO Rick WagonerThe Obama administration has forced out General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner on Sunday, and threatened to allow Chrysler to go into bankruptcy if it cannot reach a deal with Fiat.

In a summary of its findings, the government's automotive task force suggested that the best chance for success for both GM and Chrysler "may well require utilizing the bankruptcy code in a quick and surgical way."
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XM Radio Online is down (again!)

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XM Radio Online - FAILXM Radio Online continues to have problems - this time, it seems that a massive number of people are being affected.

There's no solutions being presented, no word from the company. Nothing. The subscriber communications continue to fall apart, and we're left floundering.

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Sirius XM will cover every 2009 FIA Formula One event

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Formula OneSirius XM Radio Inc. has expanded its coverage of Formula 1 auto racing. Last year, F1 races only aired on Sirius, but now every race from the 2009 Formula 1 series will be broadcast live for both Sirius and XM listeners nationwide.
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MLB promotional email doesn't include Sirius

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MLB on XMSirius XM sent out a marketing email yesterday highlighting a promotion where fans can received 3-months of free XM.

The email is clearly missing a few things, the biggest (of course) is the fact that it doesn't offer MLB on Sirius. But I also feel like it's missing something else.
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Hair Nation's "American Soldier" weekend salutes those who serve the country

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U.S. Soldiers kneel during Purple Heart ceremonySirius XM Radio's Hair Nation channel is saluting the armed forces with its "American Soldier weekend" starting this Friday.

The channel will hand over the reins to our soldiers, their families and their friends - and will do something very special to make sure those who serve overseas get to hear every song.
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Sirius XM gets ready to launch new satellite

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Satellite LaunchSirius XM Radio Inc. is getting ready for the launch of the Sirius FM-5 satellite, the latest bird in the satellite radio's roster meant to improve the signal of the service.



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Enough Doom and Gloom: It's time to make a difference

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HatoradeIn a latest earnings call with analysts, Sirius XM Radio Inc. CEO Mel Karmazin said the "doom and gloom" about the company "had a tremendous impact on the consumer buying our product."

That "doom and gloom" doesn't just percolate among investors or media pundits, there's a pervasive negative sentiment weighing against the company. And it's not helping anyone.
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Jim Breuer and Jimmy Fallon sit down one-to-one today

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Jim Breuer and Jimmy FallonThe host of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Fallon, and comedian and Sirius XM host, Jim Breuer, sat down for an in-depth one-to-one interview that will air today on Raw Dog Comedy.

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Sirius XM to air every race of American Le Mans Series

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American Le Mans Series
Sirius XM Radio Inc. is offering live coverage of every 2009 American Le Mans Series race - this year to both Sirius and XM subscribers - starting with the season's first event from Sebring International Speedway.

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New Patent: Remapping tech allows for tiered satellite radio channels

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Channel Remapping PatentA new patent by XM Satellite Radio (it was filed back in August 2007 - before merging with Sirius) has recently been published at the U.S Patent & Trademark office, and it features some extremely interesting technology.

As always, remember that patents don't always mean intentions (Apple watchers know this all too well), but the potential behind this is pretty significant - and opens the door for free satellite radio.
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Greg Maffei joins Board of Directors; Principal Accounting Officer leaves

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Greg MaffeiGreg Maffei, president and CEO of Liberty Media, yesterday joined the board of directors of Sirius XM Radio Inc., according to a recent SEC filing.

On the same day, Sirius XM's Principle Accounting Officer notified the company that she will be leaving the company early next month.



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SXSW 2009: Sirius XM to air extensive coverage of Music Festival

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SXSW 2009
Several of Sirius XM Radio's music channels will be airing extensive coverage of this year's South By Southwest Festival (SXSW) in Austin, Texas.

The SXSW Music Conference, which kicks off today and runs through Sunday, March 22nd, showcases hundreds of musical acts from around the globe on over 80 stages in downtown Austin.

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Is XM Radio Online working for you?

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XMSince last Wednesday I've been getting inundated with emails from frustrated users who have had problems with XM Radio Online. I tweeted about it, and received mixed responses.

Most of the emails were about 128kps streaming, but now it seems that is back to normal (for some, at least).
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Radio Ireland: Sirius XM celebrates St. Patrick's Day

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Saint Patrick's DayStarting tomorrow at midnight, Sirius XM Radio Inc. will broadcast the soundtrack for St. Patrick's Day festivities with a limited-run channel: Radio Ireland.
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iHeartRadio iPhone App reaches 1 million downloads

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iHeartRadio
Clear Channel's own iPhone app, iHeartRadio, was downloaded more than 1 million times in the first 20 weeks it was made available to the public, the company said Monday.

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"Beyond Jazz" show launching on Real Jazz channel

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JazzIn a move that we're seeing more and more of, Sirius XM is launching a new two-hour jazz specialty show hosted by Mark Ruffin called Beyond Jazz on the Real Jazz channel.


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NiceMac spills the beans on the iPhone situation

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Sirius XM on iPhone
NiceMac has finally gone public on what happened with its satellite radio iPhone App and its relationship/situation with Sirius XM Radio Inc.

In late February, the uSirius StarPlayr app was rejected by Apple, and we now have confirmation on what many had already suspected - that the app was killed by the satellite radio provider. This led to the final demise of the StarPlayr project itself, and NiceMac's decision to drop its satellite radio endeavors.

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Who received $27 Million from Sirius XM?

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Backspin and The Strobe on Sirius XM
Sirius XM Radio Inc. made a mysterious one-time payment to an unknown programming provider amounting to a total of $27.5 million, according to the company's annual report.

The question that BusinessWeek asks is: who was that provider?
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Sirius XM iPhone App made official

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UPDATE: The Sirius XM iPhone App is now available!



Sirius XM on iPhoneOne of the major unveilings at today's earnings call was that Sirius XM Radio Inc. confirmed what sources close to the company told Orbitcast in the beginning of this month - that an official Sirius XM iPhone App was indeed in development.
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Live Blogging the FY08 Sirius XM Earnings Call

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Sirius XM Radio
Orbitcast is live blogging the full-year 2008 and fourth-quarter 2008 investor conference call. Keep hitting the refresh button to see the latest updates.

  • Regular old introductions of "forward looking statements"
  • David Frear is on right now talking about how the company still managed to grow despite this terrible economy
  • Total subscribers grew 10% for the full year
  • Q4 subscribers adds fell thanks to "absolutely awful" OEM and retail market
  • Top line revenue grew 16 percent
  • For the first time Sirius XM had a positive adjusted EBITDA
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Satellite Radio tax gets reversed

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Sirius A controversial plan to hike up taxes on "nuisance" items such as non-diet soda, manicures and satellite radio has been removed by New York State leaders today.

Phew! That was a close one.

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Sirius XM Subscribers: Only 83,000 subscribers added in Q4

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Sirius XM net subscribers (quarterly)Deep within the recent Sirius XM Radio Inc. earnings release is hidden the fact that the satellite radio provider only added about 83,000 net subscribers in the fourth-quarter.

The result? Sirius XM ended 2008 with a just hair over 19 million subscribers. In my opinion, this further solidifies my argument that the company needs to have a renewed focus on retail in an attempt to be less dependent on the auto industry.


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Video: "Sirius XM can prosper and grow" - Liberty CEO

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CNBC's Maria Bartiromo interviewed Liberty Media's president and CEO Greg Maffei yesterday to gather some insight into the decision to invest in Sirius XM Radio Inc. and to learn about the company's future prospects.

Maffei sounds highly optimistic (he sort of has to after dumping $530 million into the company) and talks about how the slagging automotive industry - even at 9 or 10 million units - still will help Sirius XM grow.

But what of the future?
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Sirius XM report 2008 results: Full-year revenue grows as loss widens

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Sirius XM RadioSirius XM Radio Inc. has released their 4th quarter and full-year 2008 earnings results two days ahead of this Thursday's scheduled conference call.

Full year revenue grew 18 percent year-over-year to $2.44 billion, while net loss widened to $245.8 million from $166.2 million. Thanks to fewer shares outstanding, the per-share loss narrowed to 8 cents from 11 cents. Analysts' estimates were for a loss of 7 cents a share, according to a Thomson Reuters poll.

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Leaked: Inno firmware v2.11 with FM modulator turn on

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Pioneer Inno Here's a little present for Pioneer Inno owners: a version of the v2.11 firmware with the FM transmitter turned on.

For those who didn't know, the Pioneer Inno initially had its built-in FM modulator turned on for times when it wasn't docked in the car. But XM crippled the FM transmitter in subsequent firmware updates as a way to appease the FCC - instead of being able to use your FM modulator everywhere, you could only use it in the car. (booo!)

Well not anymore. This handy piece of version 2.11 firmware - with the FM mod turned on - fell off the back of a truck and landed in the hands of yours truly. And now, it's available for all Orbitcast readers to enjoy.

To be clear, this firmware update is not authorized by Sirius XM Radio... but that's what makes it fun right?
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"Mandatory Metallica" returns to Satellite Radio

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Mandatory Metallica
Metallica's own 24/7 music channel on Sirius XM Radio, Mandatory Metallica, will return to satellite radio starting on Saturday, March 14th at 6pm ET. The limited-run channel will have a lifespan of about one month on what's currently Liquid Metal (Sirius channel 27 and XM channel 42).

The launch of Mandatory Metallica coincides with the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the launch of Guitar Hero: Metallica.

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Opie and Anthony no longer on K-Rock

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Opie and Anthony K-Rock

Opie and Anthony have been dropped by New York's 92.3 K-Rock, according to a post on Opie's Twitter page:

"It's official KROCK has just informed us that our services are no longer needed.#2 M18-49,#3 M25-54. This is really bad for our show,PERIOD!"
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Debt is out of the way, now let's get back to business

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The Future
On Friday, Sirius XM Radio Inc. announced that they closed the $530 million investment deal with Liberty Media, giving the satellite radio provider about a year's breathing room before having to worry about debt again.

Additionally, there's now some cash in the company's coffers giving some wiggle room in the meantime. So now is the time to get down to business.

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WLW and National Lampoon Radio removed from XM

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XMClear Channel-owned programming is disappearing or getting moved around on the XM Satellite Radio dial. So far, National Lampoon Radio and WLW have been removed, while other channels like America's Talk and Talk Radio are getting a heavy rescheduling.

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Shuttered: StarPlayr closes shop, retires from Satellite Radio

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Sirius XM on iPhone
Ever since word got out that Sirius XM were working on an official iPhone App, the StarPlayr project has seemed to hit a few bumps in the road. The players started stopped working, and now word is out that NiceMac has decided to end StarPlayr altogether.
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Friends no more: Rebranded "Oprah Radio" launches on Sirius XM

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Oprah Winfrey

The Oprah & Friends channel has been officially renamed and rebranded to Oprah Radio, said Sirius XM Radio Inc. today in a joint announcement with Harpo Radio Inc.

The channel will be expanded as well to feature a "diverse and lively programming" lineup.
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Jason Ellis joins The Virus

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Jason Ellis"Red dragon!" Australian-born professional skateboarder, mixed martial artist and rising satellite radio star Jason Ellis will be expanding his reach this weekend when his show gets added to The Virus lineup.

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Paul McCartney and James Taylor sit down for a "Fireside Chat" on Sirius XM

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Paul McCartneyPaul McCartney and James Taylor will be sitting down for an intimate "Fireside Chat" that will be broadcast on Paul McCartney's Fireman Radio this Friday, March 6th.

In addition, Sirius XM will kick off two new limited-run specials on Fireman Radio entitled the "Fireman Chill Hour" and "Paul McCartney Rarities Hour" - both launching on on Monday, March 9th.

To bring it all together, Paul McCartney's performance from the Liverpool Sound Concert will air on Sirius XM next Thursday - marking the first time this historic concert will be heard in the United States.

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Sirius XM's growing Internet Radio strategy

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Sirius XM on the Roku?First we learn that Sirius XM Radio Inc. will begin charging for online streaming of satellite radio. The initial benefit? That everyone will be upgraded to a higher-quality bitrate.

Then we learn that an official Sirius XM iPhone App is in the works and nearing the final phases of development. This App would be available for free download, and to all paying subscribers.

Now rumors are growing that more Internet-based services are currently in the works, including word that satellite radio could be available as a native service in the Roku (pictured above).

All signs point to one thing: an evolving internet radio strategy for Sirius XM.
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A peek inside the MiRGE radio

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MiRGE RadioOh sure, I got to manhandle the MiRGE (the first truly interoperable satellite radio, ever) at CES 2009 a couple months ago, but what I really wanted to do was smash it open with a hammer and peek inside at the guts.

But thanks to the boys at the FCC, no hammer is necessary in order to do a virtual autopsy.

Buy the MiRGE direct from Sirius - the only place you can get the MiRGE. Includes interoperable "Dock & Play" Radio + Vehicle Kit. (Now a new lower price!)
[Click for more info]



Get the MiRGE Home Kit and enjoy both Sirius and XM in your home, office, or on your other stereo system/powered speakers.
[Click for more info]

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Orbitcast forms a strategic partnership...

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Orbitcast

That's right, Orbitcast has formed a strategic partnership with what I believe to be one of the most influential players in the satellite radio space.

No, I haven't partnered with Sirius XM Radio (I want to get that out of the way immediately), and this partnership involves a very familiar face that I think many readers are already aware of.

All the more reason why I want to call it out and talk about it...
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Official Sirius XM iPhone App now in Beta: Source

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UPDATE: The Sirius XM iPhone App is now available!


Sirius XM on iPhone
Sources close to Sirius XM Radio Inc. say that the company has been in development of an official iPhone App, and the app is currently in beta, Orbitcast has learned.
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Sirius XM postpones filing Annual Report

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SiriusSirius XM Radio Inc. announced this morning that they will postpone filing their 10-K Annual Report, noting that management has been otherwise tied up with the recent refinancing transaction.


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And we're back!

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I apologize for the downtime this weekend, but we're back up now and (hopefully) running smoothly. Thanks everyone for your patience and all the emails of concern.

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