Speaking the National Press Club in Washington, DC, NAB President and CEO David Rehr felt that it was appropriate to attack the satellite radio industry again. Further solidifying that the NAB is not all threatened by the growth potential of satellite radio, Rehr deferred to the numbers in hopes to prove his point:
"...let’s look at the facts. Satellite radio says it has at most 12 million subscribers. By contrast, 260 million people listened to local radio last week."
The difference here is that satellite radio isn't saying they have 12 million subscribers (12.2 thankyouverymuch). This is fact. This number isn't based off of any extrapolated numbers based on a written diary, but on actual paying subscriptions.
If we want to compare extrapolated numbers, there are on average ~2 listeners per satellite radio subscriber, meaning the true number of comparison is over 24 Million listeners. That's roughly 10% of terrestrial radio's audience. Not bad when you compare an industry that's been around for 5 years, versus one that's been around for 80+ years.
Rehr goes on to bring up the "upwards of 500,000" satellite radio subscribers that "are in empty cars that sit in dealer parking lots." This is the same old song that Rehr has been singing. It's funny that an industry that dominated the 20th century and holds the ear of the majority of the U.S. population, is so concerned with such a relatively small number. It's in fact, very telling. Threatened? No, not at all.
You can read his speech here, or if you're so daring watch the video (RealPlayer) but honestly, it's not really worth it.
What this fool doesn't realize is that he is in fact insulting people who happen to LOVE RADIO. And I mean love it as a medium, not HOW it's transmitted.
This man is a fool.
Maybe D. Rehr & his buddies should have taken the threat of SAT RAD seriously when it was in its infancy.
TIME and TIME again, corperations do not take the threat of a business model seriously--until it is too late, then they do everything they can once they realize the new business model threatens their entire existance...
IBM & DELL
BLOCKBUSTER & NETFLIX
SEARS & WALMART
AMERICAN & SOUTHWEST
NAB & SAT RADIO
Westfall
I know I am not the only one thinking this but if they were not concerned they shouldn't even bother talking about it unless and only if they are asked a question about the sat industry at a conference. I can not believe they actually waste their time on preparing a speech/defense on the subject.
If your competitor talks about you that just shows that they care, and in this case they care way too much.
For every sat radio sitting in an unsold car, there is also a terrestrial radio sitting in a an unsold car.
Good thing that NAB is not worried about sat radio. Ha ha. They are consumed and scared.
I'll bet this guy had no toys as a child.
work the numbers he quoted you will quickly find that when you divide 304 satrad channels in the sub total of 12.2 million you find a per channel weekly total of only 40k but still twice that of earthly at only 20k per station ouch
I'll bet this guy had no toys as a child.
No, he's still playing with his pocket transistor radio. "You'll never leave me, will you?"
Welcome back to the 20th century.
You just know that Rehr is going to caught in some Mark Foley like broo-haha.
he is a tool.
good post westfall, iband. this little shit is just talking out his ass. anyone can come up with outrageous bullshit.
The ironic thing is that the terrestrial folks were throwing content at Satellite Radio cheaply when they figured no-one would pay for it. The tide has changed since they found out they were COMPLETELY wrong. Their new method is to become a thorn.