David Lee Roth has done an absolutely phenominal job at promoting satellite radio. Losing over 75% of his audience in one month, he's proven to those who were on the fence that terrestrial just has NOTHING to offer the radio world. Infinity/CBS Radio had 14 months to find a decent replacement for Howard Stern, and this is what they came up with.

Great job guys. Brilliant move.

A funny article by Daily News radio writer David Hinckley highlights the Talkers Magazine "Heavy Hundred" list recently released. I have a couple issues with this list, and also with David's take on it.

1. The list is for the Top Radio Talkers for 2005. Not 2006. Howard Stern didn't make the move to satellite radio yet. So the whole spin that Mr. Hinkley is doing is a year off. Sorry buddy.

2. This "list" is a subjective. It's not based on Arbitron ratings, because afterall, the Arbitron ratings are their own lil' list. No, these are just based on "courage, effort, impact, longevity, potential, ratings, recognition, service, talent and uniqueness."

The fact that Dr. Laura Schlessinger is ranked at #5 instantly raises an eyebrow about how this is judged.

Sooo, as a result, let's make our own list - Orbitcast's Top Talkers in 2006! Because... we're more relavent. :) This list is based on "courage, effort, impact, longevity, potential, ratings, recognition, service, talent and uniqueness" and therefore must be true. Check out the REAL list after the jump...

While Big Radio execs swoon over the comScore Arbtiron report that there are over 7 million now listening to radio online, they continue to shrug away the 9.2 million Satellite Radio subscribers that're driving around listening to high-quality content. Online radio is fine and dandy, but wake me up when that nationwide WiFi thing actually happens.

Still technology isn't the point. It's all about content, and it's summed up right here:

Clearly, whether those who occupy the executive suites at major broadcast groups admit it or not, there is a growing flight to the new forms of radio. [...] Now we have a wave of people choosing - repeat, choosing - other audio sources. [...] If ever there was a time for broadcasters to start cutting loose with creative programs, it is now. [...] If not, next year you'll read how comScore and satrad report thirty million listeners.

Snippets of wisedom taken from Audiographics... well said Ken!

TWICE reports that the incredibly tiny XM Passport next-gen XM Connect-and-Play satellite radio tuner/antenna will be available in late-May/early-June. The 1.3-inch by 1.65-inch by 0.44-inch XM Passport mini-tuner will MSRP for only $29.99 and will be distributed exclusively by Audiovox.

TWICE gives a full SKU-by-SKU breakdown which I've put together in a shortened version available after the jump...

Audiographics has an incredibly poignant article on the Radio Industry's own doubts about HD Radio. HD Radio, as you might recall, is terrestrial radio's retort to Satellite Radio. Their tactical approach to countering technology with technology, rather than fixing the root of the problem. See, we all know it's not the technology that makes the service unique - and apparently so do the suits sitting over there at the HD Radio Alliance:

"I'm probably not as excited about HD radio as others have been," said Judy Ellis, chief operating officer for Citadel Broadcasting. "I fear that HD is more for Wall Street than for consumers."

If you want to get an idea of how lost and confused the radio industry is, just look at the name "HD Radio" itself. Fact is, the "HD" in HD Radio doesn't actually stand for "high definition" at all.

"Quite honestly, it doesn't stand for anything," said Peter Ferrera, president and CEO of the HD Digital Radio Alliance. "The concept was somewhat of a steal from HD television, where viewers know it means better quality."

That's a great idea. I think Volkswagon should rename their diesel vehicles to "hybrid" vehicles - because afterall they both get high gas mileage

Thanks tim! 

As many of you satellite radio industry investors know, this weekend has been a slaughterhouse since the earnings calls last week. With headlines like Satellite Radio spending frenzy and Satellite radio bleeds cash - you'd think the whole industry is destined for doom and gloom. But then there comes a phenominal article in USA Today that puts it all in a different light: Satellite-radio rivals mine new revenue streams.

Sure, both XM and SIRIUS are losing money right now - I really don't think that's news. But the sensationalistic media loves to tell a horror story and make fancy headlines out of what really isn't very surprising events. Kudos to USA Today for taking a different angle.

According to Inside Radio, XM Radio's Scott Karnedy said at a IRTS Seminar that for the last two years “we’ve been selling the dream" and now they can "move the needle." Even so,SIRIUS' SVP Sam Benrubi says satellite radio is "not necessarily taking from traditional radio."

Analysts expect XM and Sirius to do $80-100 million this year - compared to $20 billion for over-the-air radio. Now, considering that the current satellite radio audience isn't anywhere near critical mass, the ad sales critical mass assumption is a little too preemptive in my opinion. That's like looking at Radio's ad revenue in say, 1946, and making an assumption on their own ad revenue.

An interesting article on TWICE says exactly that. Apparently XM's contract with many suppliers prohibits the selling of XM Connect-and-Play style technology, without having some costly repercussions.

Snip:

During XM's contract period, home audio suppliers wanting to offer Sirius service are presented with what contend are less-than-optimum choices: One is offering the same product as two separate SKUs, raising the products' costs and forcing retailers to stock additional SKUs. The second is to offer an XM-ready product with built-in Sirius tuner, further raising the suppliers' costs. Said one supplier, “The cost of adding a full-blown Sirius tuner in an XM-ready product is cost-prohibitive for us given the fact that the model has to have wide appeal, and consumer pricing is critical.”

Interesting. Can anyone confirm this? They also mention possible delays of a SiriusConnect "portable" like the XM Passport because of this contract. The article is worded in a fancy fashion, with no official comments from XM or SIRIUS - but then again, I wouldn't expect one.

[TWICE] 

SIRIUS Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio have both announced deals with Subaru to offer satellite radios as options for several 2007 model year vehicles.

SIRIUS radios will be offered as a port and dealer installed option in the 2007 Subaru Forester, starting in May of this year. In August, Subaru will begin offering SIRIUS as a port and dealer installed option in the 2007 Subaru Impreza. Subaru will also offer SIRIUS as a standard feature in the 2007 Outback Sport Special Edition.

XM radios will also be offered as a port or dealer installed option in Subaru's top-selling Legacy and Outback 2007 models when they debut later this year. The new B9 Tribeca SUV will also offer XM satellite radio when it goes on sales in June, and the new B9 Tribeca Special Edition will feature XM as standard equipment.

Both XM and Sirius will offer 3-months of complimentary service and waive activation fees for Subaru customers. 

[Press Release] 

Ok ok, so maybe that's a slightly misleading headline, but a little horn tooting is in order. On yesterday's Howard Stern show, Howard brought up the biased survey we all got fired up over a couple week's ago. Stern pointed out exactly the same things everyone else thought of - even with a biased survey, 14% of the population is still 40 million people. Not too shabby.

The only thing that's even funnier about the whole thing is that the only people who care about these surveys are people in the industry. So, if you're on the terrestrial camp you can point to it as being gospel, and if you're on the satellite radio camp you can point to it as being biased and crap. But no one outside of radio cares. So let AMS pat terrestrial on the back... no one's listening.

[HowardStern.com]
Thanks to Ian and CrankyMediaGuy for sending this in!