Here's a quickie for a little pre-New Year levity: Best Buy has a $50 Sirius gift card up for sale on their website for... $55.

The boys over at Consumerist talked to a Best Buy rep, who said Sirius charges the retailer an extra $5 for the $50 gift card. Yet a little research shows that other gift cards seem to match up to their given price.

So I'd say it's just a typo. But a funny one at that.

[Consumerist]
Thanks realwx!

In the past year, more Americans have become used to thinking of their cellphones as entertainment devices at a soaring pace, according to a new-media survey from Deloitte & Touche.

Deloitte's first edition of the survey (which was performed just 8 months earlier) showed that 24 percent of U.S. consumers used their cellphones as entertainment devices. Since then, a follow up survey shows that entertainment usage on cellphones jumped 50 percent, bringing the total of U.S. consumers who use their cellphones as entertainment devices to 36 percent.

The findings of the survey of 2,081 Americans, conducted in late October, were provided to The Hollywood Reporter before their official release next month.

Roughly 62 percent of "millennials" (13-to-24-years-old) are using their cellphones as entertainment devices - that's up from 46 percent in the previous study conducted in late February. And among Generation X consumers (25-to-41-year-olds), the number grew to 47 percent - up drastically from 29 percent in the earlier survey.

That's a pretty rapid adoption rate. And only in eight months. Now imagine how that usage will grow in the next two years?

Note to Sirius and XM: If you want to ride this wave - stop thinking of your mobile services as a revenue generators, and start thinking of them as a lead generators. The key to adoption, is exposure.

[Reuters]

Miley Cyrus, star of Disney Channel's Hannah Montana, will be taking over Sirius Hits 1 (ch 1), starting tomorrow.

The pop sensation will take time out of her sold out US tour to play her favorite songs, share stories and countdown the year's top 45 pop songs.

"Miley Radio!" premieres December 28th at 12pm ET and will run through January 1st.

Miley will also host special editions of "Hit-Bound" (the Sirius Hits 1 show that showcases artists/songs that will be the next big thing), and "Best of Live Earth Countdown" (a recount of memorable moments from Live Earth).

While Miley Cyrus is also the daughter of country star Billy Ray Cyrus, she became an overnight sensation herself as the star of the Disney Channel's series Hannah Montana. In 2007, she launched the "Best of Both Worlds" tour - performing as both herself and Hannah Montana - and tickets for the 54 city tour sold out in record time.

Forbes recently ranked Miley at #17 on their 'Top 20 earners under 25.'

Much of the incredible amount of exposure surrounding Howard Stern's move to Sirius hasn't just been the fact that he's on uncensored radio - it's how much they paid him to make the move. And the media obsession hasn't ended even two year later...

Forbes recently released it's Biggest Celebrity Paydays Of 2007, and Howard Stern (who topped last year’s list) comes in at Number 3.

Stern earned the honorable position (ahead of Jay-Z and Oscar De La Hoya) thanks to a stock bonus valued at $82 million. The reason? Helping Sirius boost subscription numbers for a second year in a row.

[Forbes]

Representative Paul Broun (R-GA) sent a letter on Friday to US Attorney General Michael Mukasey, FTC chairman Deborah Platt Majoras and FCC chairman Kevin Martin, blasting the merger between XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc and Sirius Satellite Radio Inc.

Broun is a member of the House Homeland Security Committee and the House Science & Technology Committee.

He wrote that the merger would result in an "elimination of competition" that "would hurt my constituents who are consumers of satellite radio."

Broun said the original FCC decision to issue licenses to two satellite radio providers "resulted in robust competition and expanded choice for the American consumer, all of which would be undermined by a merger of Sirius and XM."

He added that "a united Sirius/XM would be free to raise consumer prices, unchecked in the marketplace."

Broun also pointed out that the FCC "has never before allowed the only two competitors in a given market to combine. Present circumstances do not warrant the FCC's complete reversal of its conclusions in the satellite radio licensing decision, or the consumer benefits and protections that have resulted from that decision."

[Billboard via Orbitcast Forums]
Thanks N2DEEP!

Both Sirius and XM will be providing on-scene coverage of the 2008 Iowa Caucuses and the 2008 New Hampshire primary this January when locals cast the first votes to determine the next commander-in-chief.

Sirius Left (ch 146) host Alex Bennett will be in the middle of the Iowa and New Hampshire political action, delivering blow-by-blow news, reactions and analysis.

In Iowa, Bennett will deliver a firsthand account of the Caucus results and all the late breaking news from politically influential Iowa on January 3rd and January 4th. In New Hampshire on primary day, January 8th, and the morning after, January 9th, Bennett will broadcast his show live from the iconic Red Arrow Diner in Manchester, where he'll talk with "everyday Americans" about the Presidential primary.

XM's POTUS ’08 (ch 130) will be broadcasting from the Des Moines convention center on January 3rd as Iowans gather for the Democratic and Republican caucuses. Then the POTUS team will head up to Manchester, N.H., for a primary preview on January 7th, primary day on January 8th, and a post-primary wrap-up on January 9th from the Expo Center of New Hampshire.

XM will also be at multiple locations in the two states, including the C-SPAN Campaign 2008 Bus.

Here's a fun ongoing trend: organizations that are willing to accept the burden of responsibility - in the name of "public interest" - by asking the government to mandate that they get a piece of the Sirius-XM action.

First we had U.S. Electronics and Georgetown Partners, either of whom want "open network access" or a chunk of the bandwidth, and now iBiquity - the folks behind HD Radio - has joined the fray.

They conveniently ask the FCC requires that HD Radio be included in all satellite radio receivers, and that a merged Sirius-XM terminate all exclusive agreements with suppliers, retailers, and the OEMs. How generous of them.

Mark Ramsey sees this as a sign that HD Radio is hurting in its efforts to garner support from Detroit. It also might be a signal that the merger opposition from the NAB is coming to an end.

Satellite Radio TechWorld points out that Sirius and XM worked their respective asses of to build that OEM support, and that approving this would be unfair to the satellite radio industry. "iBiquity appears to want a free ride."

And the discussion is even more heated over in the Orbitcast Forums.

It seems to me that HD Radio/iBiquity needs to move more towards the "if we can't beat 'em, join 'em" attitude, and try working with satellite radio. If iBiquity wants to be embedded in all satrad receivers - maybe they should try a different approach.

Obviously HD Radio isn't something the public wants, but they have another asset that Sirius and XM want: bandwidth. Maybe it's time for less vinegar, and more honey.

[Satellite Radio TechWorld, Hear 2.0]
Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

With analysts and FCC Commissioners indicating a decision won't come until next quarter, not to mention only a few government-decision days are left until the new year, it looks more and more like we'll be on the edge of our seats into 2008.

Former FCC Chairman, and current hired gun for Sirius (of the Wiley Rein namesake), referenced this during a recent teleconference with Wall Street analysts led by Bear Stearns' Victor Miller.

"DOJ always goes first in this area," Wiley told analysts on Wednesday. "It is looking more and more like a 2008 decision."

Wiley then added, "If I had anything to say, I couldn't say it, but I don't have anything to say."

[Radio & Records via Orbitcast Forums]

FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, one of the two Democratic members of the FCC, spoke with NPR yesterday and gave some insight into the timing of the Sirius-XM merger decision.

During the interview on NPR's "Talk of the Nation," which focused primarily on the recent media consolidation ruling, Adelstein indicated that the DOJ's decision could be coming "shortly" and that the FCC's own decision would come in the first quarter.

"We’re hearing that action could be coming shortly but I don’t want to predict for sure, and then sometime after that presumably the FCC would act," said Adelstein in response to a caller. "I think probably in the first quarter of next year."

Of course the FCC Commissioner is using all the safe-words, but it's the first solid indication of timing - aside from various analysts' DC contacts - since FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said a decision would be coming in Q4. Adelsteins comments also coincide with a report from RBC's David Bank, which indicated a DOJ decision by the end of the year, and an FCC decision in February.

Listen to the audio snippet below:

[Listen to the full audio, or read the transcript]

Rock legend Keith Richards will be making an appearance tonight on Sirius Satellite Radio for na interview with Steve Jordan, Keith's friend and bandmate.

In the one-hour interview, Keith Richards shares stories on a variety of topics including his three day road trip with John Lennon through England, his first encounter with Muddy Waters at Chess studios, his infamous meeting with Peter Tosh, meeting Chuck Berry, and the life-changing experience of hearing Elvis Presley for the first time on Radio Luxembourg.

The interview will air on The Spectrum (ch 18) at 8pm ET today, with encores on December 20th at 1am and 5pm ET. Additional replays will air on The Spectrum and Classic Vinyl (ch 14) throughout the month.

Richards is a founding member of The Rolling Stones and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee. In 2003, he ranked number ten in Rolling Stone magazine's top 100 guitarists of all time. Over his four decade career, Richards has worked on various solo projects as singer, songwriter, and producer with some of the greatest artists in rock history.

[via Sirius Backstage]
Thanks Todd!