Orbitcast will be live blogging the Sirius-XM Radio conference call today which will be discussing the standalone results for Sirius Satellite Radio Inc.
I'll be posting updates as fast as I can, so keep refreshing the site for the updates.
- Currently on hold. Trying to place the name of the song...
- Ok, we a go now. Turning over to Paul Blalock.
- "Welcome to our first post merger Sirius XM Radio conference call" (yay!)
- Now over to Mel Karmazin
- "The second largest pure-play radio company"
- "The only group who should not be pleased so far, should be the shareholders"
- Over to David Frear
- Frear notes that everyone wants to hear want will be possible as a combined company, but is pointing to Sirius' stand alone results as an illustration as to what's possible
- Notes that there's growth, without increasing operating expenses
- "If the merger had been approved earlier..." we would have seen better results
- Continue to expect all-in churn to be 1.6-1.8 range
- SAC benefited from integration improvements in the OEM channel
- ARPU is down slightly, as subs grew faster than advertising revenues
- If you add it all up "18.6 million votes are all in, and they're all favorable" - you get a clear path to positive cash flow
- Back over to Mel
- "Sirius is the best positioned radio company in the US" with the fastest growing top line growth
- Mel expects to be the largest radio company in the US
- As we begin the work of moving the two companies together, let's take a look where we are:
- The combined Sirius-XM company has 18.6 million subscribers
- Compound annual growth rate of 90% - faster than cellular, satellite tv, and even CD players in their first 5 years
- Mel sees a large market opportunity for penetration into homes (which currently has a 90% penetration for pay-TV)
- The 400 million in synergy represents roughly 15% of annual costs - that "very reasonable" says Mel
- "We've already begun to see synergies"
- Frear is now talking about debt and their plans for settling up that debt
- Back to Mel, says their "highly confident" about the company's liquidity
- "Regulatory approval took too long, and we didn't want to add to the delay the merger even further"
- Says
that they needed to act soon, because they had "reason to believe" that
those who oppose the merger would try to issue a stay and keep it from
happening, so they needed to act soon in closing, regardless of the
poor market
- "We have no plans for a reverse split"
- "We are an important 'cool factor' to help them [automakers] sell cars." (this is a very key statement)
- Talking about the OEM conversion rate, says Sirius
is a little bit higherthan XM's (apparently I heard wrong, penetration is higher for Sirius, but conversion rate is lower) "but let's use 50%" as an assumption - "I promise to keep you updated with what's happening with the merger"
- Now talking about the Executive Team
- Announced a new "world class" board of directors
- You should also expect that we will be "very active" in our communication with shareholders
- In the coming months, you should expect new content announcements and new radios, and the integration of both companies
- While the FCC approval took longer than usual, the "billions" synergies are real
- Mel usually says, "getting the deal done is the easy part" and the combining is the hard part - now "the hard part is done" and providing value is the easy part
- On to Q&A
- Q: Asking about the big three automakers and the deals
A: Mel says he intends to honor those deals. Prior to the merger, Sirius didn't have the opportunity to review ANY of the XM deals. They reviewed the key contracts. He specifically talked about the GM deal with XM, and Mel called Rick Wagoner to discuss the upcoming agreement - Q: What percentage of XM subs would want Howard?
A: Mel thinks it will be a little bit of both services who want combined content. Said he was in Washington to discuss what their retail packages will be in the fall, and thinks they are very exciting. - Q: Is the 400M in synergies factoring in the additional XM revenue?
A: He's sticking to the $400M and isn't going to expand upon what was already discussed. The information they've found after closing the merger is very positive. - Q: Regarding the confusion in retail
regarding the merger - is that analysis applicable to the OEM side? Is
that partly a function of conversion ratios coming down or merger
confusion? Also wants to know about amending of XM's OEM contracts to
follow more along like Sirius' longer terms?
A: Mel says the confusion at retail was "tremendously problematic for us" making the analogy of HD-DVD and Blu-Ray. Doesn't think there was much confusion on the OEM side of things. Frear is now addressing the "bundled" part of the OEM contract question. The "neat thing" about the fact that both companies have addressed the OEM contracts different is that they're live tests, and they can examine which one performed better in different areas, and then adjust accordingly. - Q: How will the marketing plans change? How will the used car market affect growth:
A: The DOJ has prevented us from addressing marketing until after the merger closed, so there's a team down in Washington right now working it out. Said that there's significant synergies in the Marketing & Advertising area. They'll first be talking to the retailer with plans, and then to the investor community. As for the Used Card Marketing, it doesn't have a significant impact this year, but will in the years ahead. They're getting the CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) programs in place, and will have more news as we come into the next year. - Q: Can you tell us at this point if there are merger related charges as we go into the quarter?
A: "As smart as we are" I think 10 days into operating the combined company we don't really have much granularity. As we get deeper into the implementation, we will get back to you with regular progress. - Q:
What happens to your OEM deals when a manufacturer goes through a
meaningful changes? Such as selling off a line of models to a different
manufacturer?
A: The deals are based on the models, so you should expect that they transfer with the models. - Q: (Mark Weinkes) Could you revise your cash balance today?
A: Frear is rattling off some numbers. - Q: Is there any clarity on OEM conversion? Is there a different definition in how either company looks at them?
A: Both companies have their own reporting systems, and the companies have just started looking at them (DOJ prevented them from doign them ahead of time). Mel is stepping in now, saying that they've made it "very clear" about the projections. He sounds slightly annoyed right now. - Q: Back to conversion rate, Sirius' is lower? Why?
A: Penetration rate is higher for Sirius. Mel went into a long explanation about how there are various factors as to why XM's conversion performance is better and will examine everything. - Q: Wondering about Interoperable Radios? When?
A: We have an FCC deadline, but we want to get them out sooner. As for the OEM, it's up to the automakers - Q: Will moving to Interoperable temporarily increase SAC? Are there any "tech" issues for integrating the two systems?
A: Some of the automakers are moving rapidly to the lower-cost headunits from the "black box" units in the trucks. That drove SAC below internal expectations, and that's a trend that's likely to continue. In terms of major technical feats, engineering and IT integrations are a time/money issue. They will continue to operate both systems separately because of the "tens of millions" of people who depend on each separate system. But they're putting together plans as they move ahead. - Q: David Bank wants to know about how the A La Carte products will work from both sides? Adding Howard Stern, etc
A: Mel reiterates that A La Carte will require a new radio, and that it's up to the OEM's to integrate A La Carte into their systems. That may very well be available in years. Mel has stated that they will have the "first ever A La Carte radio available this fall" (woohoo!) - Q: Asking about synergies
A: Mel is talking about the combining of both 70s channels to include "the best of" each programming. Also talking about the Marketing and Advertising synergies and how both companies spend alot on advertising, and this will result in immediate saving.
(...and we're out!)
When you buy a new car, you should be able to negotiate a lifetime sub for the vehicle, as opposed to the owner. Then when the owner sells the car, the service is another perk to use to market it on the open market.
Sirius-XM is by far the coolest technology out there today. My wife and I love it. This company is going to skyrocket once they come out with new receivers for the home. I think they should market lifetime subs - could be an iPod killer.
I wouldn't be surprised if 5% to 10% OF XM Subs upgrade just for Stern. There's a lot of folks who got XM with their cars and would have gotten Stern if given a choice.
:)
I wouldn't be one of them, Mike. I am satisfied with my choices on XM now.
I don't want stern either
STREET.COM NO WHERE TO BE FOUND.......INTERESTING........WE BEAT THE STREET AND JIM CRAMERS ASSHOLES ARE NOT BLOGGING THEIR ASSES OFF.....SO LETS SEE HOW CRAMER AND THE GANG WILL TRY TO DISTORT THIS WHOLE CONTRUCT.....
STREET.COM NO WHERE TO BE FOUND.......INTERESTING........WE BEAT THE STREET AND JIM CRAMERS ASSHOLES ARE NOT BLOGGING THEIR ASSES OFF.....SO LETS SEE HOW CRAMER AND THE GANG WILL TRY TO DISTORT THIS WHOLE CONTRUCT.....
STREET.COM NO WHERE TO BE FOUND.......INTERESTING........WE BEAT THE STREET AND JIM CRAMERS ASSHOLES ARE NOT BLOGGING THEIR ASSES OFF.....SO LETS SEE HOW CRAMER AND THE GANG WILL TRY TO DISTORT THIS WHOLE CONTRUCT.....
You continue to amaze me Ryan. Great job.
People who post all in caps are generally considered retards. Just saying...
Oh PATRICK your funny teeheee
WHAT DID YOU SAY PATRICK?
Cramer's commentary is still great, it makes sense that he is saying buy the debt, as its the lowest risk to highest reward option in the near term. In my mind this stock will take a while to hit as Sirius has to be growth and begin repaying this debt they have accumulated.
Once SiriusXM proves it can be profitable and gets rid of the saddles of debt and dilution, the stock will absolutely move, there is no question to that. So if you are into short term, AVOID SIRI/XM shares and buy the bonds. If you are into long term, BUY SIRI/XM at this level because it is tremendously underpriced based on the targets Mel is projecting into FY2009..
Cramer is both bipolar, a showman, a manulipulator, a jew in the worst sense, and a liar. I go to great lengths to contact ANY program that he is on, advising the management of that venue, that if he is on... their programming is off.
I invite others to do the same.
At least 25% of XM subs will upgrade to Sirius and vice versa. This works out to .25 * 19million * $48 = extra $228 million. That's above and beyond the $400 million in synergies, which according to Mel was being very conservative.
Thanks Ryan.
I'd like to know more about what to expect for changes on my XM music stations. I'm not looking forward to hearing Barry Williams on ch. 7, the MTV VJs on ch. 8, or Spider Harrison on 20. Actually, the only Sirius music channel I'd like to get is "Left of Center".
"AVOID SIRI/XM" this company is losing value faster than Melvin Alan "Mel" Karmazin can say "merge" MONOPOLY scheme. The best is since Melvin Alan "Mel" Karmazin and Howard Allan Stern joined Sirius the value has been cut more than half.
Wonder how long it will take before SIRI/XM gets de-listed.
Tim,
Its funny you say that. In the 3-month trial of XM on my Infiniti, I couldnt stand XM 7 or 8, and it was because the XM DJs were awful in my opinion and I loved the MTV VJs, I guess its because I grew up with them.
XM in general was not anything that I would buy, except a few of the Rock stations. The remainder was really not interesting to me at all.
But again, i guess its all preference.
-M
Plowboy-
You are an anti-Semitic pig. Keep your prejudicial sentiments to yourself. This is America in the year 2008.
Me as an XM Subscriber to Howard Stern: So you want breakfast, or are you going to chew on your own ass as usual? By the way, could you retire so Jason Ellis can take your place?
Ryan....thanks for the hard work transcribing the CC. Tim.... hope all the camels are doing fine. TV
TV... I don't get it.
Murph,
That's all the more reason for XM & Sirius not to merge their music channels. They have two very different styles. Whether or not one is better than the other is just a matter of opinion and taste.
Tim,
Thats fine by me, as there will be plenty of synergies to realize in all of the talk channels, and probably combining the playlists of XM and SIRI for the decades channels.
But regardless of what we say, you will probably have the VJs on and I will probably have the XM DJs on at some point..
Just dont touch Hair Nation...
Sorry, not a big jew fan. My right too.
Someone please let me know when we've reached the narrowest part of the vortex.
The stock tanking on good news is getting old fast.
Any chance inter-operable radios will be ut before Christmas? Though I was somewhat opposed to the merger at first, as time went by, I became more for it. I still don't care about Stern so much, but wouldn't mind having access to the NFL, Blue Collar Comedy (if they keep it) and even though I'm sure The Boneyard is superior, checking out some of Sirius's hard rock programming.
>>> "The only group who should not be pleased so far, should be the shareholders"
Oh, well, they don't matter anyway, right?
I have XM and I really would like to have Howard. I hope they just make it available on all XM radios.
All you number crunchers out there think of this:
Today I have 1 XM sub & 1 Sirius sub (Howard and a Baseball fan)
When they come together I will only have 1 sub!! In this case they LOOSE a sub.
So how many people are in my position?
Not everything is green in Numbersville...
Not many have both
"AVOID SIRI/XM" this company is losing value faster than Melvin Alan "Mel" Karmazin can say "merge" MONOPOLY scheme. The best is since Melvin Alan "Mel" Karmazin and Howard Allan Stern joined Sirius the value has been cut more than half.
Wonder how long it will take before SIRI/XM gets de-listed.
Ryan -
Surely you have the ability to track IP addresses and block this spammer, right?
If Ryan had the ability to do it, he woild have.
If he doesn't have the ability to block him, and using him to pump up the click count, shame on him.
Tim....thought you were TankedSecondChance. Inside joke. TV
JB, Max,
what the blind and ignorant think is "spam" to others is truth and reality. You would do better to worry about yourselves and what you each post which is in need of serious helping of reality.
Sorry, not a big jew fan. My right too.
Posted by: Plowboy | August 7, 2008 11:39 AM
That's ok loser, most of us are not a fan of yours.
You complain about Cramer, but he's been right far more often than you about these stocks for the last two years.
What does that tell you?
Most of us are investors not day traders, always is a risk as a day trader, if you invest in Sirius with the only idea of making money fast, you are risking too much. Cramer called this investment a Lottery ticket, don't sell the ticket before it plays.
Did someone say "Spam"?? I sure am hungry!!
I've heard Mel has already laid off over 1000 XM employees and GM is backing out of the contract talks.
Bye-Bye Sirius XM
NAB will triumph in the end...
AC,
Actually, on TMF Caps, my score is about 95.... six points above Jimbo.
What are you getting pissed at me for not being a fan of the jews... hell, they don't like themselves ... and it's not like their the only ethnic group I'd skip dinner with. I feel the same way about the Irish... But I do have fond appreciations for the Dutch, English, Germans, Arabs, and about 95% of ROW.
Trusting a jew with a dollar, or in business, just about as safe as trusting a pedophile with your seven year old..... you're going to be disappointed in the end.
Plowgirl, Now that just doesn't make sense!
Anonymous Cocksucker:
"what the blind and ignorant think is "spam" to others is truth and reality. You would do better to worry about yourselves and what you each post which is in need of serious helping of reality."
You're an obnoxious troll who knows less than nothing about this subject.
RYAN- FOR THE LAST TIME- GET RID OF THIS ASSHOLE BEFORE HE DESTROYS ORBITCAST.
I've heard Mel has already laid off over 1000 XM employees and GM is backing out of the contract talks.
Bye-Bye Sirius XM
NAB will triumph in the end...
Posted by: Plowboy | August 7, 2008 2:49 PM
Source??
Also, Ryan, you will note that there is no forum I know of that tolerates race hatred. I would block Plowboy as well from coming to this site.
If you tolerate that, you'll let him destroy your reputation. You can't be that stupid. Or can you?
AC,
Actually, on TMF Caps, my score is about 95.... six points above Jimbo.
Posted by: Plowboy | August 7, 2008 2:51 PM
I call bullshit on that.
I'm with plowboy, screw the jews.... especially the nyc ones!
What are you getting pissed at me for not being a fan of the jews... hell, they don't like themselves ... and it's not like their the only ethnic group I'd skip dinner with. I feel the same way about the Irish... But I do have fond appreciations for the Dutch, English, Germans, Arabs, and about 95% of ROW.
Trusting a jew with a dollar, or in business, just about as safe as trusting a pedophile with your seven year old..... you're going to be disappointed in the end.
Posted by: Plowboy | August 7, 2008 2:51 PM
Poor plowboy, probably got raped by a jew or an irish man.
I bet you never run a business. With the way you post and the idiotic assumptions you made about SIRI in the past, I bet you are a real classy guy eh? Who was it you used to get in heated debates with, Homer something? He owned you so many times I stopped counting. All you could do was come up with some lame insult to counter his arguements.
What a sad soul you must be in real life.
I don't get the difference, one is like the other and the other is endless. Its a free country so let it be as it be. The jest of of whole thing can be one not working against itself. So times thats the way it goes..
just my one cent
Q: Asking about synergies A: Mel is talking about the combining of both 70s channels to include "the best of" each programming.
There's that synergy of cutting duplicative programming again. I would hope they could get the best of both worlds in any combined channel but I'm just not sure that will be the reality. What is the likelihood then that they end up combining channels in such a way that neither side is happy and they lose both the XM and Sirius faithful in the process???
Q: Asking about synergies A: Mel is talking about the combining of both 70s channels to include "the best of" each programming.
There's that synergy of cutting duplicative programming again. I would hope they could get the best of both worlds in any combined channel but I'm just not sure that will be the reality. What is the likelihood then that they end up combining channels in such a way that neither side is happy and they lose both the XM and Sirius faithful in the process???
Posted by: Jeff | August 7, 2008 3:48 PM
That will probably be the reality. Think about it. Sirius was proven time and time again to have shallower playlists than XM. If they combine them and play only the best, that means any hope of some variety is out the window.
Say goodbye to good music diversity.
Well, I know the market was down, but is that any excuse for te haircut that happened again today? I mean down 3+% - AFTER THE CONFERENCE CALL. If this is what happens when the newa is released by the company - how good can it get? We're hearing that the interoperable radios wont be in the OEM market for at least 3 years. We're hearing that free cash flow positive in 2009, EXCEPT FOR SATELLITE PAYMENT, DEBT SERVICING . . ..
I can't help but hear this whenever SIRIUS XM management speak. We're doing OK. Revenue is great and if we didn't have all these costs like satellite payments, interest on debt, . . . we'd be in great shape.
Give me a break.
I have heard the MTV vj's will by and large get the axe; six figures a year for a couple hours of voicetracking a week?!?
Nice work if you can get it, I guess.
Watch... if SIRI gets bought by Warren Buffet, the stock will STILL plunge.
Thats the way SIRI works.
" Also, Ryan, you will note that there is no forum I know of that tolerates race hatred. I would block Plowboy as well from coming to this site. "
Like I said ... I don't hate em, I just don't like em. Oh that free country/speech thing must really piss you off. Give me an Arab anyday!
Keerist.... when did the comments section become a playground for 13 year old boys to fight over who's the bigger idiot?
As far as the liveblog goes: thank you, Ryan. I'm eagerly awaiting news on when there will be interop radios, and when I'll be able to add a Sirirus radio to my XM account for just the "family plan" price. Actually, I'm kind of hoping they add the few Sirius stations I do like to XM so I don't need to grab a new radio. As it is, I only listen to maybe 5 stations, so i'm starting to think a la carte.
Tyler/ Brandon,
Would someone address the very negative and misleading article in Fortune that doesn't seem to get the concept or they are totally biased.
I'm thinking HD Radio, Melvin Alan "Mel" Karmazin has turned satradio into even more of a mess than it was. Most of the automotive OEM is upgrading to HD Radio, retail has gotten out of the satradio market, the "merge" MONOPOLY scheme has brought the value down to the lowest it ever has been. The management team has had chance after chance to get it right yet they still fail. Howard is on a 4 day work week, if that, and his show is not a 1/8th the quality it was on FM. There is more reason than ever that satradio is a niche service, thanks to Melvin Alan "Mel" Karmazin 1/2 the industry is GONE and the other 1/2 is going, going, GONE.
New radios for combined programming are nine months out, and there's a three-year wait for new car radios.
going, going GONE
500 days and they couldn't figure things out?
NEW YORK (Fortune) -- Sirius XM CEO Mel Karmazin finally got what he wished for with the merger of Sirius and XM last month. But for listeners hoping for a kaleidoscope of combined programming choices, the wait is on.
To be sure, today's radios will still get either XM broadcasts or Sirius broadcasts, depending on which service you pay for. But when the new Sirius XM (SIRI) channel lineup is determined, you will need a new radio to hear it.
And here's the kicker: Those new radios won't be available until sometime next year.
This is a bit of a shocker even to analysts who follow the industry. The companies did promise that the merger wouldn't mean subscribers needed new radios. And somehow it was implied that dual-mode radios would be available soon after the merger closed.
But Karmazin dashed those expectations on an earnings call with analysts Thursday.
"You'd probably think it would have been nice to have them before the Christmas season," says Cowen analyst Tom Watts, said of the missing dual-mode radio.
And if you were thinking of getting a new car with a radio that let you tune in Howard Stern's Sirius show and XM's Major League Baseball games or XM's Beyond Jazz channel, you've got a three-year wait.
"Car companies control the dashboard," Karmazin said on the call. And to make changes it "takes three years."
In the interim, Sirius XM will introduce in three months a special new a la carte radio that, while not dual mode, will offer packages that let XM users pick some "select" Sirius programming and vice versa. A Sirius representative says the company will also offer a "best of" option in three months to users with existing radios. That plan will cost an extra $4 a month and give XM subsribers a few popular channels of Sirius programming, and similarly Sirius user will get some popular XM channels.
The a la carte radio falls a bit short of the full radio buffet, but as analysts point out, having a dual mode radio in the wings might have been a bit difficult. Developing a new radio would have required manufacturers to make a big gamble on the merger's approval. But a nine month delay before a full fledged interoperable radio goes on sale could seem like a long time - an especially long time if you are a heavily unprofitable company that could desperately use some additional revenue to help contend with enormous costs and massive debt payments.
This is a bit more troublesome when you consider that most of Sirius XM's subscriber growth comes from new car sales. So the new radios that hit store shelves in May will not have a tremendous impact since the retail business has dropped to a small portion of the company's overall revenue. New retail customers made up 12% of the company's total new subscriber gains in the second quarter.
And in three years, a lot can happen in terms of innovations in car entertainment. And that process could be hard to get ahead of when you are starting from a dead stop. In other words, it's not like the merger took the two companies by surprise. There was that 18-month regulatory review that could have allowed some preliminary tinkering in the lab just in case the deal got the thumbs up.
Oddly, long before the merger, the Federal Communications Commission mandated that the two companies develop an interoperable radio. And in 2000, the companies said they put together a team to develop a dual mode radio. Progress on that front has been somewhat limited as the companies and the FCC spent years squabbling over the interpretation of the rule.
Melvin Alan "Mel" Karmazin and his crack management team have yet again screwed the industry and the consumer. This is complete BS.
Bremerton, Wash.: Thanks for having these chats. Will you be taking a vacation around the Olympics? With the Satellite Radio companies merging, do you anticipate the type of pricing and service that TV Cable companies currently use? Do you think they'll eventually raise prices because they have a de facto Monopoly?
Howard Kurtz: Well, neither Sirius nor XM can raise prices for three years under the deal approved by the FCC. After that, who knows, but I'd hardly be shocked. Although another part of the deal says they must offer smaller packages of selected channels rather than one price for everything.
Can someone show how there could be any synergy with an asinine plan of keeping all those incompatible satellites (from both xm and sirius) maintained, backed-up, and in orbit? This is the foolish plan which is making all this radio changes and R&D necessary. Cost effective, OEM friendly, consumer friendly, bottom line friendly would be a merge of programming onto one or the other system while the other system is phased out. That's SYNERGY. Other than the overpriced contracts for "talent" which will have to be nipped substantially, the biggest expense after Melvin Alan "Mel" Karmazin's paycheck is keeping the satellites maintained and backed-up. WHY continue the great expense of keeping two incompatible systems up and running? That's NOT SYNERGY. That is also complete BS.
...so now what? a waiting game? do we have to wait for Q4 earnings to hope the stock rises? maybe it will go up a few pennies a day until then... :(
:Like I said ... I don't hate em, I just don't like em. Oh that free country/speech thing must really piss you off. Give me an Arab anyday!"
Posted by: Plowboy
Well, aren't YOU the clever guy for making a remark like that.
I'm outta here.
Mr. Saghir, you once had pretensions of making this site a decent source of information about satellite radio. I don't know what your personal goals are, but you have no future in online journalism as long as you let these lowlifes post this garbage on your site at will.
Too bad you threw this away. This might have amounted to something. Now, you just make XM Fan look intelligent. I didn't even think that was possible. 'Bye.
Another thing that's complete BS:
XM and Sirius have a rather large list of non-compliant radio's. Instead of dealing with their responsibilities, as typical Sirius is again trying to skirt the FCC rules. Instead of getting these non-compliant radios out of consumers hands with various methods (tried and true methods used by other corporations), Sirius is trying to "OPTIMIZE" these radio's by adding accessories which don't at all solve the interference problem of radio's made improperly. Sirius is also adding a $70 dollar install card to get the accessory installed. So $5-$10 dollar accessory + $70 dollar install cards, all to dance around what they should be doing which would be cheaper and put them in FCC compliance. Even better is the phone CS staff either has no clue or the ones that do are telling customers that "OPTIMIZING" is "optional". Never knew following FCC mandates and rules to be "optional"
Paying for satellite radio, buying improperly made radio's sure doesn't give anyone the right to be a poor citizen and interfere with others radio spectrum, even though the Sirius CS agents have been told to say it's optional. NOTHING gives Sirius/XM the right to skirt around FCC rules and cause interference to the radio spectrum.
PS they have known about these non-compliant radio's since 2006 when the FCC was getting major complaints. They have done nothing and continue to do nothing to solve the problems of the current non-compliant. (Radio's since have been redesigned to be compliant)
It's over, Johnny
The radio industry is pulling out all the stops to get you to buy something new ---- an HD radio. According to one estimate, HD radio was the second-most advertised product or company in all of American radio during one week in late July. Only Wal-Mart snapped up more ads. In case you haven't been paying attention to HD radio ---- join the club! ---- the technology allows radio stations to broadcast higher-quality signals. Stations can also broadcast alternative programming on substations, essentially allowing single stations to turn into two or three stations. In case you're keeping score at home, 12 San Diego stations are now broadcasting a total of 21 "channels" in HD. Mexican-based stations may join the club soon; Mexico has reportedly opened the door for them to go HD. HD radios used to cost $100 or more, but the cost of some has gone down in recent months.
i just hope they offer bubba's show.isn't that what everyone is waiting for with the merger going through.
bubba's going to FM, there is no money, and few listeners in satradio. Soon we'll be hearing Bubba coast to coast on HD Radio.
HD Digital Radio • IT’S TIME TO UPGRADE!
HD Digital Radio. It's here. It's local. It's free. DISCOVER IT!
www.hdradio.com/
"Soon we'll be hearing Bubba coast to coast on HD Radio."
Lol....another reason HD radio is useless