XM Canada has joined forces with Air Canada to provide satellite radio content to travelers starting on March 1, 2007.

XM's broadcasts will be accessed on a new touch-screen entertainment system on the back of each seat, which will be installed in all of the Canadian carrier's planes.

XM Canada's English and French content will replace the current enRouteFM broadcasts.

[via CheapFlights.com] 

 

The CRTC has granted Rogers Cable the rigth to distribute satellite subscription radio services via their digital cable service The decision means customers in Ontario, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador will be able to subscribe to Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Radio using their Rogers cable TV account.

Rogers hasn't yet announced which provider they will go with as part of their Rogers Digital offering, 

The Rogers Cable application was actually opposed by the CBC, who owns 40% of Sirius Canada. Interestingly though, Sirius Canada fully supported Rogers application. CSR (XM Canada) generally supported Rogers, but "could not accurately assess the impact of the proposed carriage on its own business plan until it had concluded an agreement with Rogers or any other BDU."

Read the full CRTC Decision here. 

[via Mediacaster Magazine] 

Here's a new XM Canada commercial. Funny and well done.

XM Canada, aka Canadian Satellite Radio, reported their 4Q and year-end (ending August 31, 2006) financial results. Here's the highlights:

• XM Canada ended with 120,000 subscribers (including 91,200+ self-paying subscribers) - exceeding previous guidance of 75,000 subs
• Adjusted Operating Loss for Q4 was $14.4 million; $56.4 million for full-year
  
• Q4 revenue increased 46% over Q3 to $3.4 million
• Full-year revenue was $6.9 million with Adjusted Operating Loss
  
• ARPU was $11.78 for Q4
• SAC was $59 for Q4 (down from $69 in Q3)
• CPGA was $242 (roughly unchanged from Q3)
  

Canadian Satellite Radio will hold a conference call today (November 16) at 1pm ET. You can listen online here.

Read the full press release after the jump... 

The CRTC issued a decision that prevents Sirius Satellite Radio or XM Satellite Radio from being included in Canadian satellite television broadcasts.

The ruling concluded that Sirius and XM were not traditional program offerings therefore the ExpressVu and Star Choice Satellite TV providers are not authorized to distribute them.

Back in March, the CRTC received a letter from the CBC stating that they had learned that one or both of the satellite television companies were considering distributing satellite radio services to their subscribers. The CBC argued that such distribution was not permissible under current rules.

Interestingly enough, the CBC is partnered with Sirius Canada.

ExpressVu expressed the view that the current Canadian broadcast current rules do not apply in this case, because the satellite radio services were a "programming undertaking" and not a new type of broadcasting undertaking. ExpressVu then asked the commission for a ruling on the issue.

The ruling (CRTC 2006-615) said that XM and Sirius were licensed as a satellite subscription radio undertaking and were not a programming undertaking, therefore ExpressVu and Star Choice do not have the authority to distribute them. Sorry Canada.

[Digital Home Canada]