Here's a funny article in Florida Today by columnist Breuse Hickman. The article headlines with the dramatic title of "Stern's leap to satellite the year's biggest flop" - yet it does little to support that bold statement.

First off, Breuse doesn't own satellite radio. Great. But, even though his beat is on local and national media, he justifies not owning satellite radio because... well... actually it's hard to understand his justification.

This graduate of the Univertsity of Central Florida (with a degree in technical writing) doesn't really back up his statement at all. He first says that he doesn't feel left out because of the "latest year-end reports" (let's assume he means the reduction in subscriber guidance) then he goes on to refer to Forbes' "Dethroned" article, for really no purpose.

But... then he goes on to say that regular radio is boring. Breuse, a reporter for 15 years at Florida Today, gets so distracted in plugging different local radio stations that the whole article just resorts to name-dropping. So how did "the year's biggest flop" happen? Who knows, but the title sure is catchy.

Fine reporting there Breuse!

[Florida Today]

If you missed Opie & Anthony on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno last night, you can catch the video below:

[via Bearing Drift] 

Washington Post tech writer Yuki Noguchi and Leslie Walker, dropped by the XM Satellite Radio's headquarters (nicknamed The Eck) for a tour on Monday.

It's a great read of their experiences within the facility which is a century-old renovated printing press where National Geographic and Newsweek were once printed. Their personal account of the tour really illustrates the corporate environment that creates the music and programming we all listen to everyday.

[Washington Post: Post I.T.]
Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

Comedy gone too far? Bill O'Reilly obviously thinks so. Below is a video from a segment in his show where he talks about Opie and Anthony's recent "Homeless Shopping Spree 2006" where they took a group of homeless people shopping in a mall, giving each $200 to spend on whatever they want.

The event also drew the attention of Boston's Mayor Tom Menino, who issued a statement after it aired this past weekend. 

The editors at men.style.com have unveiled their The Year In Gear feature, selecting the 20 most stylish gadgets of 2006, the 3 biggest duds, and 5 things they are looking forward to in 2007.

Unfortunately, they didn't place the Stiletto under "the best" category. Nope, in fact the Stiletto is one of their duds of 2006. Here's the reason:

"Sirius's first true portable satellite radio (and the first player with a Wi-Fi chip that lets you listen over the Internet) was supposed to bring Howard Stern to the mobile masses. But the Stiletto needed better reception and audio quality to get away with a name like that."

Check out the men.style.com list of best and worst after the jump...

An interesting thought was brought up on Radar Online: will Sirius Satellite Radio follow HarperCollins' lead and fire Judith Regan?

According to the NY Times, Rupert Murdoch personally called for her firing after he heard of "comments that were deemed anti-Semitic." The bad press surrounding her is undeniable, and apparently the Anti-Defamation League is "looking into the matter" which could add to the pressure for Sirius to distance themselves.

A source told Radar that he doubts Mel would fire her unless the matter gets worse. "Mel has a long history of taking people who are getting the crap beaten out of them and picking them back up," says their source. "His first reaction would be to let the person who's in deep trouble have some time to dig themselves out."

What do you all think?
(As a side note, due to Judith Regan's recent "rise in popularity" several comments have been posted blasting her - many of which I didn't publish because they were just a little too nuts - but you can read the remainders here and here.)

he Los Angeles Times featured an amazing article yesterday about a single man's experience with his new satellite radio. The entire article revolves around a single aspect that he discovered with his new present:

"The first surprise about satellite radio is the return of surprise."

It's a key differentiator from the iPod: the element of surprise. You've already heard the songs on your iPod, you've heard them over and over again. There's nothing new. The article's writer said it perfectly: "even if you collect 1,000 iTunes they all finish uploading with the same empty thunk."

With satellite radio, the chance to discover (or rediscover) music is an opportunity constantly presented to the listener. It's not your entire personal collection in your pocket like the iPod - music from satellite radio is a chance relinquish control and enjoy music for what it is. For the first time, you're actually listening again.

The article is a bit lengthy, so set it aside for your lunch hour, but try to take in everything he says - it's worth it. Read as his enlightenment unfolds while just sitting in L.A. traffic. Then take a moment and see how his experience relates to your own moment of enlightenment, when you  first realized what you've been missing.

[LA Times] 

Listen to the latest episode of the CNN "The Digital Life" podcast as your's truly talks with CNN's Headline News anchor Renay San Miguel about the current state of the satellite radio industry.

We cover the XM-Sirius merger rumors, the importance of celebrity talent, the future of wearable devices, cellphone convergence, and even what both companies need to focus on in 2007.

A worthwhile listen if I do say so myself.

[Play Audio]

It's always interesting to see what things seem to take hold as buzzworthy news in this industry. One of the key items that seems to continue to have legs is XM's introduction of Radio Hanukkah.

First there's this terrific story on Radio Hanukkah by AP writer Matt Sedensky, who obviously (and refreshingly) did his homework. Obviously so because it's an article that has been republished in countless media outlets. One interesting thing pointed out is that XM is marketing Radio Hanukkah to Jewish organizations, rabbinical groups, etc - offering free access to XM during the eight nights of Hanukkah (available by going to xmradio.com/hanukkah and entering "TheChosen" as the XM promo code).

Another great article in The Mercury News highlights the fact that this is an effort to target niches.  Remember, the Jewish community "only" makes up about 6 million, not exactly a huge audience - especially by terrestrial radio's standards. But this is where satellite radio's strengths come in. It's all about serving hundreds of niches to smaller markets - and in aggregate making a large subscriber base.

Radio Hanukkah officially starts celebrating the Festival of Lights today at 5pm ET. Go here to get your free 8-days of XM. 

Check out video of Howard's appearance on Conan last night. It was definitely a funny and good showing. Even talked about Martha's interview (and her using a vibrator, fighting off lesbian sex in prison, wearing no panties, etc). A good plug for satellite radio in general, but of course great exposure for Sirius.

[Video 1] [Video 2]