XM Satellite Radio and In Style are partnering to form "In Style Magazine - Inspire Your Style" programming which recently began airing on XM Take Five (ch 155), XM's talk and lifestyle channel for women.

Two to four original 'Inspire Your Style' segments air each weekday throughout the day on Take Five, as well as other talk and news channels across the XM programming platform. Drawing from In Style's celebrity fashion, beauty and lifestyle content, service topics are also provided from the brand's special Weddings, Home and Makeover issues, hardcover books and InStyle.com website.

In addition, listeners will soon hear In Style editors as frequent guests on original XM-produced programs such as Take Five's Broadminded show (airs weekdays 5-7 pm ET).

It looks like Sprint is expanding their offering with SIRIUS, which debuted back in September allowing users to get 20 Sirius radio channels on their cellphones. Spring is now looking to give customers the option of buying songs that they hear on the satellite radio channels later this year. Essentially, adding a "buy button" - similar functionality to what Mel Karmazin highlighted as a feature for the upcoming SIRIUS portable.

Sprint is now looking to offer heavier music users a monthly subscription to music, rather than a one-time fee of $2.50 to download each song from a virtual store, under its current service. These advanced services (music, text messaging, games and video) represent about 10 percent of Sprint's revenue.

"We'd like to have the capability later this year that the customer listens to a song and says, 'I want to buy that song,'" Sprint COOr Len Lauer told the audience during his keynote speech at the World Congress of Sports conference.

One big question about SIRIUS' "buy button" (or Push-to-Purchase - whatever you want to call it) is who will fulfill the music.  I wonder if this Sirius/Sprint partnership hints towards that.

[Reuters] 

Thanks Tim! 

XM Satellite Radio has inked a deal with Concord Music Group to release a series of branded compilation CDs. Co-produced by XM and Concord, the concepts behind each CD is derived from XM Satellite Radio programming, including specific XM channels and original XM music shows combined with Concord’s remarkable collection of music.

The first CD, "Watercolors Series," which should hit shelves in early summer, will highlight songs by contemporary jazz artists, including those featured on XM's Watercolors contemporary jazz channel.

The second series, "Blistering Licks," will cover jazz and jazz performers who have influenced other genres of music from blues to progressive rock.

[Press Release] 

There's been some question about why Volkswagen would opt from offering both satellite radio providers to offering only one. It would seem the best thing for VW would be to provide the choice to the consumer.

An article in Reuters today shines a bit more light on the background of deal now. XM spokesman Chance Patterson told Reuters the expense of pursuing deals with these automakers was not worth the return.

"XM has long-term agreements with Toyota, General Motors, Honda, Nissan and Hyundai Corp. We evaluated the VW-Audi deal and determined the significant cost didn't justify the limited volume of vehicles produced," he said.

Interesting fact: Germany's Volkswagen is Europe's biggest automaker, but in 2005 it produced only 1.8 percent of the automobiles sold in the United States.

But even more importantly I think Sanford Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett has a great point. The number of cars being produced with satellite radio will now signficantly be increased. Craig Moffett said that while the total number of cars involved in this new deal is relatively small, the pact may ultimately be positive for both XM and Sirius, because of the high percentage of units that will install the radios.

"This signals that Volkswagen believes that there is enough demand for satellite radio...for it to put satellite radio in a very high proportion of its cars," he said in a note to clients. "It is yet another data point that indicates that ultimately the percentage of new cars that will have satellite radio installed is higher than consensus expects.."

So overall it's a good move for the awareness of the satellite radio industry in general.

[Reuters] 

SIRIUS Satellite Radio has inked a deal with Volkswagen of America to offer SIRIUS as VW's sole satellite radio provider for vehicles sold in this country through 2012. Volkswagen will exclusively offer SIRIUS beginning with the introduction of its 2007 model year vehicles, and expects to equip approximately 80% with SIRIUS satellite radio receivers. Additionally, Volkswagen will offer three months of complimentary service.

Volkswagen is a key auto manufacturer with several brands under it's umbrella. As part of this deal, Audi of America will offer SIRIUS as its exclusive satellite radio provider for Audi's model year 2007 - 2012 vehicles. Today, the installation rate of satellite radio in Audi models is approximately 50%.

Volkswagen owns Audi, Bentley, Bugati, Lamborghini, and several others (SEAT, Skoda, etc - but they're not so common in the States). Previously they had a joint deal with both XM Satellite Radio and SIRIUS Satellite Radio.

[Press Release (Volkswagen)]
[Press Release (Audi)]

Starting this month, United Airlines will be providing their customers up to 19 channels for in-flight audio entertainment.

Now for a promotional period, customers traveling on United will get a sample of XM Satellite Radio's music channels such as Top 20 on 20 for latest hits, Suite 62 for adult R&B, Highway 16 for country fans, the Blend for adult contemporary, Top Tracks for classic rock, XM Pops for classical music, Bluesville to hear jazz and blues and Soul Street for classic soul.

A full description of XM programming available on United flights can be found in the March issue of United's in-flight magazine, Hemispheres.

[Press Release]