There's no doubt that things must be pretty hectic over at Sirius XM Radio Inc., but Wednesday's channel switchover was wrought with confusion and miscommunication, and I'm amazed the company even let this happen.
If I was management, I would be fuming right now. Heads would be rolling.
The fact is, a small percentage of the nearly 20 million subscribers read Orbitcast. But we were the only ones who knew the channel switchover was coming.
I received an email notification of the new Sirius XM channel lineup on the day of the switchover. But for a majority of subscribers, that was one day too late. Heck, it was one week too late.
Sure, there was some on-air discussion about the switchover, but that's assuming that everyone was listening. A mighty big assumption. Just like it's a big assumption that your subscribers will check their personal emails before jumping in the cars to go to work on Wednesday.
The result? Confusion.
Countless subscribers turned on the radio for the first time only to learn that their presets were messed up. Confused customers turned the dial only to find that the service they were used to (and paying for) is completely different now. Confusion leads to dissatisfaction - not exactly the end result the company was aiming for.
This is Satellite Radio. This isn't Internet Radio. The communications with the customer shouldn't be relegated to an email and a homepage update.
The least the company could have done was to send out a mailer a week ahead of time. A simple direct mail piece notifying that there will be a major restructuring of channels. It didn't need to be specific (though, that would be nice), but at least the channel changes wouldn't have been a surprise.
"But Ryan, budgets are tight, and a mailer to millions of subscribers costs money!"
True, but call center calls cost money too. Forrester Research estimates that a customer call for service to a call center costs an average of $5.50 per call. If one post gets 400+ comments on this subject, something tells me that there was a large increase in activity to the call centers as well. For every unhappy customer who calls, there's hundreds more who don't bother, but are equally unhappy.
The bottom line:
Sirius XM Radio have two revenue-generating "clients" - the subscriber, and the advertiser. If the company was going to do a major overhaul to the ad sales system, I'm sure they would have notified each and every advertiser well ahead of time. I'm sure every advertiser would be aware of a change occuring, even if they didn't know the full details.
The same logic - and respect - should apply to subscribers.
Yes This is on target for sure.I remember back in 05 Sirius sent out a mailer on the big channel changes that were going to happen on Sept 29.Some of I know more than likely still have that brochure hyping up Martha Stewart.This too should have been done with advance notice considering the magnatude of the channel swapping.I read Orbitcast 12 times daily and thats how I found out.The rest of this article spoke for it self on all the rest who by any means didn't know.This was handled badly. Dish Network sometime pulls this sort of stunt as even the CSR"S do not have the info which makes them all look stupid.Same situation here,Just to save a buck and tick every one off. For the cost of the USA Today ad, a mailer to all subscribers would have sufficed.
Right on the money with this commentary!
I remember about 5 years ago when Directv realigned the channel structure and thus moved many channels around. We received a letter and flyer and Directv ran a constant infomercial on a channel to explain the changes.
This has been a shocking move for non-Orbitcast readers. Yesterday, I heard Scott Van Pelt on ESPN Radio discuss how he turned on his Sirius only to find out Backspin was gone!
Hopefully the bad PR will blow over. We need zero customer issues right now in Satrad.
I would have appreciated if XM and Sirius web-pages might have put up a notice of the change over a few days earlier. But NOTHING was posted on EITHER site that anything was going to happen. More notice should have been sent. Keeping the subscribers in the loop and happy should be the no. 1 goal.
Thanks to O-cast & others I knew, but some friends did not. I got some screaming calls asking me what happened.
I have not gotten a XM Signal mail since Jan 28th, no matter how many times I reapplied.
Yet Wensday they sent me 4 e-mails. 1 for each radio I canceled.
Not only was the conversion bungled by not announcing it, but the quality of the Sirius substitute for my favorite XM station, On Broadway, is so vastly inferior to the XM product that I am seriously thinking of cancelling when my multi-year subscription expires. Sirius is going to cost-reduce themselves out of business!
It's their fault, if they lose subscribers because the heads of the company failed to make an effort to notify their customers because of the change, tough shit.
I agree that they really botched this switchover. How are you going to do that to your subs without even givng them adequate notice. What about the promise they made that XM and Sirius would continue to operate as two distinct services for some time into the future? I guess that was a lie. XM and Sirius now have virtually identical channel lists. I understand that some changes needed to be made to reduce redundancy, however, who made the decision to increase the number of rock channels while deleting other unique channels like The Ryhme, Beyond Jazz and Fine Tuning? As far as I know, this music can no longer be found on either service. Needless to say, I am pretty pissed off!
Well Said Ryan!!
You are absolutely right. This was all done in a very poor manner. The people who have had XM or Sirus for years, like me, their bread and butter, should have had better communication.
If it wasn't for Orbitcast, I would have not known about it coming. I have not heard anything on any of the channels about it. Granted I knew because of the merger that it was coming at some point. But oh well, I am going to try and find something good in the changes and see what happens.
Thanks Ryan-Oritcast is still my first choice for Sat news!!
This is how XM did it sometimes.. of course they never had the wholesale changes that happened Wednesday.. and yes I would not have known at all about it if I hadn't heard the "rumor" from a month ago on to when it actually happened.. I can imagine how baffled people would have been waking up Wednesday morning and finding that some of their favs were now gone.. all the favs are now Sirius branded.. and for that matter everything is Sirius branded or Sirius approved..
Call centers were swamped. I have both, called Sirius to cancel theirs and call was intercepted saying to call back in an hour. Called Thursday about 10am Eastern.
"Respect for the subscriber?" is that phrase even in Mel's vocabulary?
To Ryan:
You were a big fan of this merger. You got what I expected - Mel Karmazin with his his FM attitude. This is the way they do it where he comes from - no announcement, your station is simply replaced the next day. You'll also get less specialty stations (like my beloved XCountry) in favor of more generic ones with shorter, more well known, playlists. If you don't get enough listeners, you are gone. Welcome to the New Sirius XM.
On a more positive note: I got some great news from Jon Zellner regarding Meg Griffin. She'll be back in a few weeks and will have spots on the Spectrum and the Loft.
Definitely agree with you. They did this very poorly and, like many of the above posters, I would never have known this was going to happen if not for Orbitcast.
Also, KC is exactly right. The two services are piratically identical now. Is there any point at all for someone to have subscriptions to both services at this point, especially now that the best Of packages are available? I gotta figure that'll cost them a few (but not that many) subscribers.
Yep...This must be a Sirius thing. I say this because in the past, when XM was going to make a change, I don't know about print mailers, but they always made on-air announcements weeks in advance, let us know where to go online to read about the changes, and sent out emails. When clear channel was getting ready to add commercials to its stations, they let us know about a month in advance that new replacement channels (US Country, Flight 26, etc.) were coming. They let The Torch and Music Lab and some others say goodbye. Yeah, they pissed us off by eliminating some channels that many people liked, but at least they gave us some notice...It wasn't here one second, and gone the next. If it wasn't for Orbitcast, everyone would've been in the dark. Of the satellite radio subscribers I work with and that I know, I'm the only one who reads this site, so I was able to give a few friends the heads-up, but when we got into work Wednesday morning after the Tuesday holiday, there were a few disappointed people here at my office. The Sirius execs Mel brought in to run the new "merged" company really bungled this one.
I agree with you on this one. They should have started announcing the changes on the radio at least a month ago. And they sent out the email on the day of the change?? What was that about? Why not at least two weeks ahead of time? I had to inform my two friends who are XM subs about the changes! My 72 year old mother goes to sleep to XM radio and I had to call her just to tell her that her stations were changing. She rarely checks the computer for anything. And why couldn't this information have also been a tape loop on the traffic channels, along with the traffic and weather? Why didn't all of the live DJ's on the decades channels clue us in? Very poorly done, I agree. However, getting past that, I don't think the changes were disastrous. I like what I am getting.
Could they have picked a worse time to piss off existing subscribers? How are they going to replace those that are canceling? Car sales are down, thus less radios going out for potential subscribers. Those that do have new radios are going to be less likely to subscribe because the content quality is now less and the monthly fee is less attractive in this economy. Yikes.
After the change a woman called the Opie & Anthony show who said that she worked in an XM call center and said that the phones were slammed with pissed off customers who were ready to cancel.
I think the reason they did this the way they did is because when terrestrial stations switch over they literally cut off the song and switch to the new format. There's ZERO discussion, it just happens. Sometimes people stay and sometimes people go. At XM, there was a partnership between the listener/subscriber and XM, so they would always keep you in the loop. In the beginning it was the same with Sirius.
I think they calculated that all of the calls they would receive (if the $5.50 per call is accurate), and then the subsidizing of a one month subscription to keep people hooked, and then figured it's still cheaper to randomly change the stations.
For the vast majority, I don't think they'll really care. They listen for 30 minutes at a time, if they catch a Bob Dylan or other specialty show it's a rarity. The only thing they really care about is redoing their presets.
Just remember, what you read on here is not an indication of satellite radio as a whole. Just like when CNN/Fox political pundits talk about candidates- they live in a microcosm of society and so they are typically surrounded by one type of thought.
I'm positive about this merger. I'd rather have a slightly watered down service than none at all. Although I will say that Lithium, and a few other stations, needs personality.
Mel f'ed up big time. the announcements on the air were few and far between and when they said them they were cryptic. a little commercial between commercial breaks would of been nice.
thanks to orbitcast for the heads up.
and if they keep messing up like this and people cancel , the is going to become o-bit cast :)
My mom has Sirius, and still has yet to hear anything from them about the change. I got an email from XM about the new lineup at 3am Wednesday morning. One of my coworkers that has XM was irate when I talked to her Wednesday morning, as she had no idea it was coming.
If it wasn't for orbitcast I wouldn't have had a clue what was going on.
Sounds like a possible class action suit?
I can't believe they did this to me after I sent them an e-mail and told them specifically what NOT to do. They did it anyway. XM ch 12 was Cross Country and it was replaced with this really stupid faint imitation of Cross Country with an idiot talking all the time. I paid to get away from those idiots and he is back. And why do the people who talk on country stations sound like the offspring of brother and sister might sound? I don't know but people who like country flavored music are not inbred stupid so get rid of that guy. Too add insult to injury they got rid of XM ch 72 which was Beyond Jazz and left me with no alternative. Their suggestions to listen to Real Jazz and Watercolors is stupid and insulting. I listened to Beyond Jazz because I couldn't hear that music any place else. And Fridays was devoted to Fusion. Not any more. I think I may be going to the lowest level of a la carte.
I wish I could blame the merger supporters, but it's not like they had any pull. I just want to say... WE TOLD YOU SO!
Sounds like a possible class action suit?
-------------------------------------------
Now that's funny. What are you going to
sue them for - For the time it took you
to change all you're pre-sets ???
Give me a break !!!! It's no big friggin
deal , ya mean all you folks suffered mental
anguish because Sirius/XM flipped some
channels around ?? .40 cents per day
spent on SATRAD is that important in the
grand scheme of things ???
Geez , I hope nobody had a heartattack fretting
over their favorite music channel
The "squeeze blood from a turnip" cliche comes to mind here...
I was one of those caught completely off-guard. Now I've got all these shi++y Sirius channels where before I had a perfect XM routine. I want my warm blanket back! I know it'll take an adjustment, but I'm leaning towards canceling.
And when retail sales are already off a clif. Right before the hoilday selling season.
Mel fired all XM's people so he can tell Wall st, look at all the money we saved this quarter since we merged.
Cancel! The more we cancel the sooner they'll get it through their skulls that they need to bring back the quality
What really irritates me, as a Sirius subscriber, is that everything I read said that there was a new lineup coming on XM. There was no concrete indication that the Sirius lineup was going to undergo such a dramatic overhaul at the same time.
I'm not going to cancel my subscription or anything, at least until Howard Stern's contract ends. After that, all bets are off.
This article was dead-on. I am enjoying most of the added channels to my XM, but it would have been nice to have had a "heads up" with what was being replaced and what was completely going away from the old list. Good luck to the subscribers who contacted Listener Care and got the off-shore call centers! At least I have more comedy stations to help me laugh through all of this.
Well if they keep pissing off the masses, then the masses will massively leave.
I was smart to call the day before the switch to get them to reduce my subscription cost. Thanks to Ryan and XMFan for posting the new lineup a day early.
The thing about this that gets to me is not so much the lack of notice, but the duplication of several chans while eliminating others without *any* replacement. (boombox comes to mind) Its almost like people with zero understanding of music planned all of this.
Yes, but don't you see? It was a "Suprise!" Happy early Christmas!
Spoken like a true douche!
Say what you will, but this was a cluster-fuck any way you slice it. It must be nice going through life without feeling passionate about anything.
I'm very glad I had notice of the changes via Orbitcast and xmfan.com. I wondered if mass chaos would ensue those who had no idea. I mean, at least we were told to some degree here.
I agree with so many others who spoke about FM format changes. When I lived in DFW, formats were never announced, for fear of the competition. In this case, there was no reason for the lack of information. Who are they competing with?
Most of the changes did not affect me, although I really enjoyed Catfish on Willie's Place, and the music of X-Country (as well as 60's, UPOP, and BBCWS).
They could have simply gave notice over the air on all of the stations.
Customers could then go to the website to see whats going on.
Would have cost practically nothing.
What a bunch of D-bags, totally dropped the bomb, and they wonder why their stock is @ $0.25.
Iphone + Pandora + Aux In... I'm done
"Geez , I hope nobody had a heartattack fretting
over their favorite music channel"
Yea...how dare people comment on a pay service suddenly ceasing to carry the programming they have been listening to for years....
Got a quarter? Buy SIRI stock.
Finance gurus Motley Fool responds the same way most of us do.
And also Mel doubled the number of listeners that Howard brought in and so there's the reason Howard will get a big bonus.. what's he gonna do next years to deliver Howard his big bonus, blow him??
Furthermore, their response to subscribers' concerns is automated and formulaic. I complained that the wrong BBC feed was being used on XM 131. (I had checked with contacts at the BBC and they confirmed that the feed for XM should not be changed as per contract.)
We are now in day three of the changeover and all efforts to bring this to Sirius/XM's attention have met with frustration and an inability to reach anyone who can actually address the situation.
The company is run by morons. The service sells itself but this company constantly shoots itself in its vital organs with its brain dead customer service and idiotic (some investors might say criminal) talent compensation contracts.
The only way listeners are going to get anything like the old XM playlists is if they reorganize and Mel hits the bricks with his millions and his cronies. Then it can be refinanced, new contracts can be let, and maybe it comes back as it should be. But thats the only way I see it happening because Mel is in a cost cutting mood and deep playlists are not on his agenda.
Sirius does it again. Ruins a good thing. XM music is/was far far better than Sirius. What is up with that screaming idiot on Outlaw Country ? They should rename it White Trash Country. Mojo gotta go ! (after Mel)
Jim Beam, your comments regarding Cross Country and Outlaw radio are so right on.
It was simple and smart. Get over it.
Mel Quote on the topic: "What are they [subscribers] going to do? Quit??" --- uh yeah... A$$H@LE
Oh come on. This isn't like your favorite radio station is changing formats. The tech guys are trying to program and merge hundreds of channels, without any real interuption in service. I'm actually very pleased with the outcome - I even learned that Jay Thomas (which he announced during his show today) that his regular show will be on XM 139, a channel that isn't even on-air right now - so the "switch" is ongoing. Jay's show is kinda Howard Sternish, I can see him becoming a lot more prominent if Stern ever leaves. They both seem to have the same sense of victimization, which is very amusing if handled properly, and they both pull it off. They both have a female and male sidekick, and other in-studio characters, to round out their shows.
I switched from Sirius to XM because I had reception problems with Sirius, but which I could only do now that Stern is on XM, but am very pleased that other Sirius channels have also been moved to XM (other than the "best of Sirius" bundle) like Spa and now Jay Thomas's regular daily show. Sidenote: I discovered my Sirius antenna can be used for XM reception. In fact my reception is perfect without moving the Sirius antenna, other than to adjust the tilt of the dish. This made my transition from Sirius to XM a lot more pleasant.
So for me there was absolutely no downside in switching to XM - it was a no brainer.
I can't see a scenario where someone would cancel their sub, as some have suggested. Both services have Spa, chill music, political left and right, and Stern. People have figured out how to browse the categories. Sat rad is so much better than local FM and AM stations, regardless of the content. How can you argue with commercial free music stations?
You just don't get it, the Ipod in shuffle mode has now become even more competitive. Just wait umtil wireless internet is available everywhere.
I totally agree that Sirius-XM dropped the ball on this one. Prior notification of the major channel lineup changes should have been sent to ALL subscribers. I realize not all subscribers have computers or computer access, but why couldn't Sirius-XM ran a continuous loop outlining the changes on their Preview Channels Tuesday beginning at Midnight Eastern. That way even people without computers would have at least been made aware of the upcoming changes.
Briefly, I see good and bad in the lineup changes, but plan to remain an XM subscriber. I do hope they will do some tweaking of the channels as time passes. The only departing channel I will miss from XM is The Weather Channel Radio Network. I enjoyed their weather coverage a lot.
I know of several people who already have cancelled their subscriptions. A lot feel that this new version of satellite radio is no better than FM (and I've heard from people who'd had both Sirius and XM and felt that pre-merger Sirius was basically commercial-free FM), especially to musicphiles who subscribed to hear music that they can't hear on regular FM.
For some people, $12.95 is too much to pay for a music station that doesn't have commercials. And just because both services have those channels doesn't mean they can't be programmed better. Your argument is like saying you don't need any restaurants in town that serve really great burgers because there's McDonald's pretty much everywhere, so who wants local burger joints when they can score a McHockeyPuck?
I know of several people who already have cancelled their subscriptions. A lot feel that this new version of satellite radio is no better than FM (and I've heard from people who'd had both Sirius and XM and felt that pre-merger Sirius was basically commercial-free FM), especially to musicphiles who subscribed to hear music that they can't hear on regular FM.
For some people, $12.95 is too much to pay for a music station that doesn't have commercials. And just because both services have those channels doesn't mean they can't be programmed better. Your argument is like saying you don't need any restaurants in town that serve really great burgers because there's McDonald's pretty much everywhere, so who wants local burger joints when they can score a McHockeyPuck?
In the wonderful world of terrestrial radio, you get no notice. Things happen overnight, and millions of people are screwed as a result.
So does it come as a surprise to me that this happens on a major programming changeover orchestrated by former terrestrial radio executives? Absolutely not.
And the content? Probably just as much like FM as the executives in charge. But I can't say that for certain since I cancelled my radios already.
it's so much better than free radio. this is day three of the switchover and i like it. classic rewind is one of my favorite channels and they improved it. a bigger play list. you don't hear whitesnake every 4 hours. willies place is great. i don't know how it was before but i love it. you can't find that kind of country music on free FM or am. i switch around a lot so I'm not on a specific channel for hours except for Howard 100. got to try out the virus and get the xm part.
It's bad business not to let subscribers know what is going on before it happens. We are paying for the service, after all.
Having said that, I like what I'm hearing. Almost every channel, except for hair nation, seem to have a broader playlist. They're not playing the same old hits, but they're also not playing obscure tracks nobody's heard of. That's pretty cool IMO. If they keep this up I will remain a subscriber. It does suck that there's only one spanish channel and fewer jazz options though.
Not the end of the world, but one has to wonder; why do these people treat their subscribers so rudely? It's almost as if they have contempt for the very people who support the company! Very strange.
I really believe, after all the turmoil that the subscribers and shareholders have been through, that Mel and his fellow ill-mannered band of compassionless executives should be kissing our asses- not kicking our asses!!! I have to admit that they do seem commited to the subscribers in one respect, with unwavering conviction........ NEVER GIVING US WHAT WE WANT !!!!!
mel k. definately became a wanted man overnight...if i was that dummy i would hire 100 bodyguards with all the pissed off subscribers he has to hide from!!!!!
Some good changes, but more BAD ones. One of the biggest things that piss me off PEOPLE TALKING AFTER THE SONGS!!!!! Come on!! That's why I got XM so I wouldn't have to listen to commercials or lame DJs!!!
I've had an iPod for over a year now and haven't used it that much. I think I am going to start...
Bad move!
I love sat radio but this is pissing a lot of people off! hope it goes back to the way it was@!
Wednesday morning I was not too upset with the changes as I slowly discovered that my 12 Sirius presets were almost all different names than normal but played similar music. The more I have listened, the more frustrated I get. Of my 12 favorite stations, 3 stayed the same. 75% of my favorite stations are completely different and the music is nowhere near as good. The merger has made me question my upcoming yearly subscription renewal... If most are feeling the same as I am (going off of the other comments I read) I have a feeling that there is going to be a decline in renewed subscriptions and an increase in sales of FM transmitters for MP3 players...
I completely agree. But what about some subscriber feedback before the switch? Not only did they cancel my favorite channel - BoomBox, but they "suggest" that I would like an alternative rock station instead. It was dance music!
That just shows how much they really don't care. I'm giving them a week to start having some discussions with customers or say something before I cancel my subscription. The replacement stations suck.
"EVERYTHING WORTH LISTENING TO IS NOW CANCELLED ON SIRIUS"
I completely agree. But what about some subscriber feedback before the switch? Not only did they cancel my favorite channel - BoomBox, but they "suggest" that I would like an alternative rock station instead. It was dance music!
That just shows how much they really don't care. I'm giving them a week to start having some discussions with customers or say something before I cancel my subscription. The replacement stations suck.
"EVERYTHING WORTH LISTENING TO IS NOW CANCELED ON SIRIUS"
If it wasn't for the web, most people would have no idea about the change over etc. The least they could've done was maybe to take out full page newspaper ad's with the new line ups.
But something I found after the change was that the sound quality went from being excellent on XM, to a overly compressed, muffled sound on Sirius. I noticed this on #46, which used to be Xm's Top Tracks, to Sirius Classic Vinyl.
I called XM tech, and they had no clue what I was talking about. I also called Sirius, and they tried to blame the poor sound quality on XM. As if they were seperate companies. Now, I wish they were.
Anyone else notice a differnce in sound quality issues?
Hey Mel - Do you really believe that subscribers are going to tolerate the destruction and desecration of the channels? Are you out of your mind? What you are doing is BULLSHIT. Now I hear that every 3 minutes a voice comes on reminding the listener what they are listening to! Don't you realize that this sort of crap is the reason people left terrestrial? Your biggest problem isn't the refinancing of debt; you've created an even bigger one - thousands of pissed off subscribers CANCELLING !!!
All I am going to say again is: thank you Orbitcast for providing us with the information that Sirius XM didn't. I still think that they really dropped the ball on this one, and it is going to have serious repercussions. Hopefully they won't lose too many customers over it. Once again I will reiterate the fact that I understand that combining stations was cost effective and necessary for the company, but that's no excuse for not telling their subscribers that it was going to happen before hand.
Orbitcast, keep up the good work!!!!!
David,
Thanks for the post! I thought the sound quality was my imagination. Maybe once they get the bugs worked out, we'll have the XM quality we are used to hearing. Of course, they have to get the programming merge sorted first. I believe they played "Free Bird" about 3 times in a row on Wednesday before someone with Classic Vinyl realized there was a problem. Again, the extra comedy stations help!
You people really have WAAAAYYYY too much time on your hands to be whining about channel name changes. Give me a break!
In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter. Either way, it was gonna piss some of the subscriber base off whether it was told in advance or not. Period. I for one, love the merger and love the changes. Among the changes, I love BBC Radio 1 and I really don't notice much difference from the DJ's on XM to the ones on Sirius. Music selection hasn't changed. I still change the channel when I hear something I don't like....simple as that.
Beyond Jazz SUCKED, and i'm glad they took that crapheap of a channel off the air....so did a lot of XM channels to be very honest.
And i'm sorry if this sounds cruel, but I care more about the teacher or the banker getting laid off than some DJ who pushes buttons and talks in a microphone all day in between songs. Sorry, there's just way more important jobs in the world for me to care about than someone who's slightly higher on the totem pole than a cashier.
As for you guys whining and complaining, do us all a favor and CANCEL....go back to your iPod and FM radio and be my guest. You have plenty of choices out there. Satellite radio is STILL the best bang for your buck.
After all my favorite XM channels were taken away
I decided my $$$$$$ will no longer be given too you Sirius radio. I cancelled my long time service today.
What a stupid way to run a business in this current economy. I guess stuipid people in high places is in full swing at the new SiriusXM.
I wonder who thought it would be a good idea to piss off your happy customers. This sounds like the same bunch of idiots who were in charge of Tower records. Oh that's right their gone now.
Bring back XM with the original hosts and channels and my money will come back to XM.
Sirius your first smart move would be to dump your worthless CEO and then return the respect back to XM subscribers and do a complete 180.
And admit your failings to XM customers and beg for them to return. That would be a start.
And DON'T wait to long. I might just get used to my Ipod and never want to return.
bc
I don't know what all this fuss is about...when I got in my car, the update process was immediate and smooth.
all my presets updated to the correct new channel. e.g., my preset for the Led Zeppelin channel on channel 12 automatically moved to channel 33. likewise for all my other channels that moved.
Perfectly said!
Hey BC, don't let the door hit you on the way out. I'm sure they really care about losing your $12 a month because you wanna make your cute little statement. I guess stupid people in low places like yourself feel like you can "demand" something for your $12 a month. I guess you feel like people have to bow down to you because you're something special, right?
I love how people act like they can "demand" stuff to get what they want. You're paying $12 a month for a ton of channels and a variety of programming....and being the spoiled brats that some of you are, you act like you push people around to get what you want....but guess what, it doesn't work that way! Layoffs are occurring across the board, not just in satellite radio. And don't worry, these people will find work somewhere else. It's just amazing and funny to me how some of you guys think....as if you can't live without your bad music channels.
Look, things change and people change....sometimes for the worse or for the better. Like most format changes, there's always a bunch of complaints but people get used to the changes and often begin to enjoy the programming. Stop getting so attached and just enjoy it for what it is. A great service, with a great value for your money. If you were paying $30/month, that would be one thing....but you're not! Deal with it!
Wow - this was on a par with the sudden annihilation of WCBSFM in NYC a few years ago - about 5 minutes notice before the whole station flipped. Hey XM/S - subscribers pay your salaries - why are we treated like bystanders? Most of us can hear this music other ways than satellite.
Whereas I used to sing the praises of satellite radio to everybody I knew and encouraged them to subscribe, I now tell everybody to save their money or spend it elsewhere. I canceled my sub when the punk channel died a steaming, payola-style death and I've gone to my iPod and Slacker Radio (I believe the internet holds the future of radio). It's a real shame that there are so many people that have gone into a prideful defense mode for Sirius-XM instead of looking at the current situation for what it's worth: A big, evil corporation is not listening to it's subscribers, doesn't care what it's subscribers think, doesn't feel the need to keep their subscribers informed on serious programming changes and is using brainwashed, loyalist fan-boys and a pile of very casual listeners (people who listen for an hour or less a day and don't notice a lot of the repeats or stick to only one or two channels) to keep their company afloat. Yes, satellite radio CAN be better than terrestrial radio but with so many other even better options out there, I can't see why you'd stick with a company that is not willing to embrace what they really could be and sells off precious bandwidth to the highest bidder (i.e. your single artist channels). If you think that Sirius-XM can run a company this way and get themselves out of the FIVE BILLION DOLLAR mess they're in right now, you are insane. I'm sure Mel has no complaints about you throwing your hard-earned money into the burning rubble of the company he's helped destroy.
Then cancel.. Geez people...
Let's see how long you can listen to testacle radio before you rip the head unit out of the dash and throw it out the window!
It ain't the end of the world!
Change is good! Don't let it scare ya!
I was in the business for years, what they're doing is exactly what corporate, terrestrial radio does: when they suck up a company they stock it with their own people, the ones they know. They also inject their philosophy, even if they know it doesn't work.
Incapable of change, they continue to butt their heads against a stone wall thinking the wall will actually crack. It never does.
I feel sad for those who are losing their jobs, and what they love doing. I've been there; it's no fun.
"It's a real shame that there are so many people that have gone into a prideful defense mode for Sirius-XM instead of looking at the current situation for what it's worth: A big, evil corporation is not listening to it's subscribers, doesn't care what it's subscribers think, doesn't feel the need to keep their subscribers informed on serious programming changes and is using brainwashed, loyalist fan-boys and a pile of very casual listeners".
Well guess what, THEN CANCEL YOUR GODDAMN SUBSCRIPTION! WHY ARE YOU BITCHING ABOUT IT?!!! Man! You guys just don't get it....they don't care what you think! XM was a "big evil corporation" too, that's why it merged with Sirius because they were LOSING MONEY. Figure it out!
I'll tell you this, I listen to XM primarily because my local radio stations are a pile of crap and CD's can only keep me entertained for so long. I'm sorry i'm not acting like the rest of spoiled SHEEP and bitching about channels being changed. Get a life and get with it!
I think it is time for people to settle down a bit.
Was this all handled in a sh*tty way - absolutely. However, Mel comes from terrestrial radio where they do it this way and handle the consequences later.
To all the folks who already decided to leave - in some cases after listening to a new channel for a few hours - I think you acted emotionally rather than really checking things out.
I was really disappointed to see XCountry go. However, there are a number of stations I am looking forward to. I have also heard from Sirius XM management that several stations are still evolving - including Outlaw Country. A number of DJs are not in place on some stations. For instance, I was told that Meg Griffin will be on air on both The Spectrum and The Loft.
I am amazed at folks on this board who say they were subscribers for over 5 years and dumped their subscriptions a day or two after the consolidation. Can you really throw something away that quickly?
Give it a week or two at least. Check out some of the new stations. Then make a more intelligent decision. That's what I plan to do.
Outlaw is no match for XCountry
Well said JG!!!Dont fly of the handle.Thats also what I would tell everyone. The change was handled bad and now its done. Hopefully I think all the calls and e-mails to the CSR's and the head honcho's, made that quite clear.When Dish Network changed a few channels around I didnt tear the satellite dish off my deck and go back to cable, I dealt with it and stayed with the satellite company for 12 years now.I have 4 radios that I have invested good hard earned money in and I am keeping them active.Yes you are right when a terrestrial radio station changes formats they too do not consult anybody, they just go ahead and do what they want in 5 minutes without a notice to any one and let the listener deal with it.And if you call them out on it, they will say its their bottom line that they care about.They have bills to pay too.And paying the bills is their #1 priority.A commercial radio station wants to earn a profit. Or its shut down the xmitter and go bust.Satellite radio is no different and in this case ,they have to do it right quick.LOL.Or they will be SOL right quick..Again satellite radio offers not just me ,but everyone more choice than anywhere else.Its not all about music channels here.Thats only half of whats offered. I rarely listen to them and if I do the decade channels still work for me.I got hooked on all the non music programming.When I used to listen to FM it was nothing but the music that I cared about.Satellite radio completely changed me on how and what I listen to on the radio.To me personally it was a change for the better.I too will give it time to let the dust settle and see if all that they promised comes to pass.I know there was a clause in there for minority programming when the merger was granted.Has any one seen any yet? I guess it too has to evolve. When one really thinks about it Where did all of the exec's from Sirius and Xm come from? The University of Satellite Broadcasting? No I dont think so.More like the College of AM&FM.15 years ago satellite broadcasting was just getting started on TV. XM & Sirius wern't even heard of widespread in 2000.Its really just getting started.Now sit back and think about it.
I just started a Facebook campaign to bring old school hip hop back to Sirius XM. For more go to:
http://keepersoftheart.blogspot.com/2008/11/i-want-my-backspin-station-on-sirius-xm.html
Both SIRIUS and XM have updated their channel line up a few times over the past 6 years without advance notice to subscribers. This time is no different. I can't believe this subject is being blown out of proportion like this. It'll be intersting to see how many people actually cancel over this. i think it will be way less than 1k. It's amazing how people can't except change. you can buy a radio now with every sport program, tons of talk, comedy, entertainment, news, plus 69 commercial free music channels. Sat radio rules!
I remember when Lou Brutus's alter ego, General (unsure of the first name) Ortega was talking up the demise of Special X for a week and then had a special program with cut-ins from the General leading right up to everyone's radios switching over to the new channel, "The Bland".
Special X truly went out with class.
Just wanted to elaborate on my previous post where I mentioned that a number of stations still are in transition.
I received a reply to an email I sent to Jeremy Tepper (PD Outlaw Country). In it he said
"We also hope to begin incorporating some of the shows from X Country, including Rogue Calls (first we need to integrate our listener request lines), the Armadillo Radio Hour, 9 Volt Radio with Dave Alvin, and possibly others as well."
Look - I know Outlaw Country will never be XCountry. I am not especially pleased with all the (unnecessary) bad language and it is clearly more rough around the edges. However, it does play a lot of the XCountry artists and may play more in the future. It also has some great artists that I heard less on XCountry. I do not think it is as bad ad folks are saying here.
I have signed the petition for XCountry; I have called XM to voice my displeasure; I have sent an email to Jon Zellner. I do not expect any of these to bring back The X. However, they may lead to modifications to Outlaw Country.
I think this is a transitional period for a number of stations. Some DJs are not fully in place (e.g. Meg Griffin). Some are still in the process of adjusting programming.
I think folks need to lighten up. As I said before, give your station's replacement a longer look, send the PD an email about your likes and dislikes. I know I have always received replies from Jon Zellner (SVP Music Programming jon.zellner@xmradio) and now Jeremy Tepper (PD Outlaw Country jtepper#siriusradio). Also, look at added stations where you might find some new favorites.
If you are a long-time subscriber to satrad, give it a couple of weeks rather than making a hasty decision.
It's so amazing that people need to slam other people who are not enjoying the massive change which fans occurred. Maybe they don't understand the diversity that XM supported since Day 1. However, in recent years the competition with Sirius has reduced the diversity of XM as shown before the merger. First, the removal of XM Music Lab, and now by cutting Fine Tuning and Beyond Jazz, the cutting edge of music has been cut. Of course the cutting edge of music isn't instantly filling the pockets of wall street, but represents the laboratory for the future success of music which crossed the genres of rock, jazz and classical. I will let things settle to see if the merged programming understands, but I, like most see a Sirius dominance in the programming direction. And Sirius is not the company who got us into space, it was XM with 2 satellites, named rock and roll.
Seems like everybody wants something new and exciting as long as nothing changes!
I doubt anyone paid a monthly sub just for one favorite channel. If you did, then you needed to cancel and get yourself into some extensive money management counseling.
We've become so used to instant gratification that we have no patience for change. Let them work some of the bugs out of this channel merge. It may take a few weeks, but you could actually find some new channels you like (of course, I don't imagine any of you punkers switching over to the Elvis or Sinatra stations, but one never knows).
Meanwhile, avoid contacting Listener Care, they are a typical call center with scripted step-by-step procedures, especially the off-shore centers.
The best way to voice your concerns is to contact management via e-mail or phone.
How this was handled demonstrates the place subscribers have in the Karmazin mind-set, vs. advertisers. He's a radio salesman; he takes care of advertisers.
If we the subscribers don't scream and holler at this switcheroo - channels we paid for (your sub is paid in advance) were removed without notice or recourse - then Sirius XM will feel free to treat us like sheep and we will deserve it.
I think we have under-reacted, aside from those of us moaning on Orbitcast and XMFan (which I'm sure Sirius XM could care less about).
"I know I have always received replies from Jon Zellner (SVP Music Programming jon.zellner@xmradio)"
JG, that made me snort coffee out of my nose. If ol' Jonny would not do things to piss off people he wouldn't have to spend time writing such hollow notes to so many angry paying subscribers.
These people (Zellner and the rest) are highly paid and are supposed to know how to do things right. There is no excuse for such epic mismanagement.
Right on KC!
Not only (imho) was Fine Tuning
one of the best "adult" channels, as was Beyond Jazz, but how about x-country as well?
Sure, outlaw country is similar in that the music is good, but what's with the near constant chatter from the (juvenile) jocks? It's so damn annoying, it isn't worth listening to hear the music!
They said if you liked FT, try the loft or deep tracks. BS! Neither of them is even close. And where is the Celtic music! Besides each of those sounds like 2 or 3 other stations out there already!
I didn't subscribe to satrad so I could hear more jock drivel geared towards the high school age group! That's why I went with xm in the beginning, I was out of the sirius target age group and xm was at the time, aimed at a more adult audience.
Yes, they really botched the change-over and yes, I'm pissed too! I may let my suscription lapse if they don't drop the crap and bring back some more adult oriented programming without all the TALKING!
PS
Emails don't work (never got one response), and phone calls don't seem to have any effect. So where are these petitions? Is it only for XC? or are ther others available
Seems like the sirius subscribers got the better of this deal, I know my fave xm channels are gone and I'm not finding any suitable replacements for them. So far ,the new sirius line up seems redundant, and the dj banter is annoying and insulting.
I don't think anyone "owes" me anything, but if I am paying for a service and that service gets worse, I'm gonna say something. I didn't mind paying 12.95 a mo to not be a sheep, but it looks like they are trying to herd us back to the pens anyhow.
PS
Emails don't work (never got one response), and phone calls don't seem to have any effect. So where are these petitions? Is it only for XC? or are ther others available
Seems like the sirius subscribers got the better of this deal, I know my fave xm channels are gone and I'm not finding any suitable replacements for them. So far ,the new sirius line up seems redundant, and the dj banter is annoying and insulting.
I don't think anyone "owes" me anything, but if I am paying for a service and that service gets worse, I'm gonna say something. I didn't mind paying 12.95 a mo to not be a sheep, but it looks like they are trying to herd us back to the pens anyhow.
PS
The more I listen the more I like the fresh lineup. Big fan of SXM U and the rock stations play better songs....so far.
Not sure why people think it's such a hassle to change some presets. I've already done mine. Took about a minute and a half. Nowhere near canceling...Iove me some satrad.
FineTuner, here's the best statement you can make....CANCEL! Screw the emails, screw the phone calls, screw the IDIOTIC petitions....you don't want to give the new channels a chance? Good, cancel your subscription.
Back on November 12th, I wonder what time that morning Mr. Karmazin decided he was going to fuck all his subscribers? You just gotta wonder.
Does anybody in this company, ANYBODY, have any empathy for the subscribers? I don't give a shit what they name the channels, and I am not going to obsess over the fact that they were incredibly insensitive by not notifying subs about the changes. What I do take issue with is ignoring the feelings( like the channel change debacle) and concerns of the listeners. They should be taking every step necessary to make the PAYING subscribers HAPPY. Happy subscribers spread the word, buy more radios, upgrade services and promote the service. Pissed off subscribers bash the product, and ultimately cancel. It seems that Sirius/XM managment doesn't get this equation. It is bad enough that subscriptions have slowed, but alienating existing subs seems insane to me. Nobody is asking for a miracle - we just want you to do the right thing; DON'T PISS OFF THE SUBSCRIBERS !!!
I think they did a good job picking the best out of both services. I subscribe to both, and as to why I pay for radio? For one thing I can escape those mind-numbing, annoying commercials that seem to drag on and on, as Sirius-XM has NO commercials on the music channels; also, I get a dizzying variety of programming choices, many having name-brand, marquee value converstation, talk and news, and specialty music channels, nearly all of which are quite intersting; also, when I travel out of town in my car (which I do very frequently) I can enjoy the same programming in near-CD quality audio.
It's radio for people who care about quality and choice. The phrase that sums it up for me: You get what you pay for.
To XCountry fans:
I have traded several messages with Jon Zellner and Jeremy Tepper as some of you have. I think both have been forthcoming and have made it clear that Outlaw Country will be undergoing changes. I agree with folks about some of the unnecessary language and, if it was either/or, would prefer The X back - or have both. Unfortunately, we all know this is not going to happen.
I am including the latest letter I received (with Jeremy Tepper's permission). This may make some of you feel a little better.
**
I appreciate your thoughtful comments John, and your willingness to give Outlaw a chance. what I’d like you and the folks that are posting on the message boards to understand is that Outlaw had a very different mission from the outset than X Country. please keep in mind that we didn’t have Willie’s Place and America on SIRIUS, so Outlaw needed to cover some of those bases. we also felt that if we could attract an audience with Willie and Waylon and Cash and other familiar songs/artists, both rock/country, we could actually increase the potential audience for Americana music, which is so often relegated to a niche ghetto. however, now that the two platforms have combined (and I too made the case to keep X Country), and I’m also programming Willie’s Place, I’m definitely considering ways the two channels can complement each other, and that will mean moving some of the older music over to Willie’s (that channel is also a work in progress, and I’m getting some great input from Willie himself to create a new music mix). in addition, we are in the process of merging Outlaw into the X Country data base, so that will mean deeper playlists on newer artists, as well as access to the numerous live sessions which I hope to resurrect in some form, along with many great performances that we’ve aired on Outlaw over the years. as I mentioned, I’m hoping to incorporate Rogue Calls, Armadillo Hour, and possibly Dave Alvin and Lee Rocker. so despite the great loss of Jessie, I do think that Outlaw can move more in the direction that you and others are clamoring for. there are some technical issues to overcome, so it’s not going to happen overnight, but please hang in there. I remain an advocate for the music you love, and I am open to the kind of input and feedback that will assure that Outlaw becomes a channel that all of us can claim ownership of. I haven’t been able to respond to each and every email (particularly the nasty, insulting ones), but you are welcome to post this online if you wish thanks.
10-4,
tepper
**
Maybe we should wait and see how this shakes out?
JG_NYC, thanks for sharing your email from Jeremy Tepper regarding the changes to Outlaw Country. It's encouraging and I for one am willing to see how it shakes out. I also emailed Jeremy Tepper urging him to follow through with the contemplated changes. Maybe positive emails will work better than nasty, insulting ones.
I think the important thing is that Jeremy is willing to listen - if you show him simple courtesy.
The important part is that he programs both Willie's Place and Outlaw Country (borh of which I consider outlaw). There is an obvious overlap. Personally I would have loved it if Willie's Place had been dropped and replaced with Outlaw Country and the X had stayed.
However, that did not happen. I think if Jeremy follows up on his plans, Outlaw may become a little more X like. I've sent another email suggesting (nicely) that he ship a few of the Outlaw personalities over to Willie's along with the older music. I'll see what he says if he replies.
This weekend I cancelled 5 of the 6 radios I had with XM and Sirius. XM kept hanging up on me but I finally prevailed. I still haven't been able to get XM to refund my money the next 6 months of service, but Sirius did.
The XM rep, when I complained about the loss of Fred, Lucy, and Ethel told me to "listen to a combination of channels 7 and 8" to hear what I wanted. Um. Yeah. I know she was just reading what they gave her, but I told her her information was a borderline lie.
The new XMU sucks, as does whatever replaced Soul Street.
I'm only keeping the last radio for the NavTraffic service. iTunes and Pandora will have to suffice until XM gets its head out of it's ass.
if you're unhappy with the new channel changes, voice your opinion to Mel Karmazin: mkarmazin@siriusradio.com or Scott Greenstein: sgreenstein@siriusradio.com.
I am glad to hear that Outlaw is a work in progress. I too have sent emails and left a message on his voicemail. I truly loved my xm radio especially when I was able to add the NFL channel but man was I pissed when they took x country off and replaced it with this hee haw sounding outlaw channel. I tune in from time to time and to me it seems as if they are trying to please us ex cross country fans. I have heard more of the Americana artist and less of the hee haw sound in the last couple of days. I would love to have x country back as it was. X Country was truly unique and I will miss Jessie Scott's programming.
WTF?
Sirius Channel # = XM Channel #.
WTF is so hard about that Mel? For F sakes, get your bag o poo together idiot.
I was furious over the change, they got rid of my beloved backspin, the greatest channel ever. And left us with Shade 45, probably the crappiest hiphop channel ever. Not only that many music channels seem censored now. I think I wont renew my subscription.
I received a pretty similar email from Jeremy...Having given Outlaw more of a listen, it seems even in just the past couple days, I'm noticing slight changes to the playlist that sound more like what we're used to from X-Country. But yeah, I've found Jeremy to be very responsive; just like most people, as long as you send a well-thought-out email without being abusive or vulgar, you'll probably get a decent response back. I know a lot of us were pissed at first, but I say let's give Jeremy Tepper and his crew a chance and see what happens...Keep giving our input where needed, and see what happens. Don't know what to tell the hip-hop and disco and classic alternative fans; I guess do the same thing with the PDs of those channels and see what kind of response you get. I think the gal in the evenings (I want to say her name's Meredith) on Outlaw does a good job, but I really think Mojo Nixon sucks as a DJ, so hopefully one of the changes can be relegating him to the NASCAR channel or something.
On a sidenote, saw a decent article on USA Today's website about the confusion caused by the sudden mixing/deleting/merging of channels with a couple quotes from Ryan. Decent article. I saw it via FMQB's Links section for today for those who are interested.
After all, if Sirius XM is cocky enough to think it knows which channels are superior by giving others the boot, two can play that game as it pertains to my eardrums.
Why do this, Sirius XM? This is so terrestrial. I'll be surprised to see the monthly churn of self-pay subscribers hold steady at 1.7% after this move, which is likely to ruffle more than a few feathers.
As free Internet radio apps begin popping up on Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) and Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) smartphones with unlimited data plans, why stick around? As music subscription services like RealNetworks' (Nasdaq: RNWK) Rhapsody and Best Buy's (NYSE: BBY) Napster grow more portable, does Sirius XM really want to alienate a subscriber base that is already experiencing decelerating growth?
I've been a Sirius subscriber since 2004 and an XM member since 2006. I realize I'm not like most of the 18.9 million subscribers in having dual accounts, but the overlap today makes it less likely that I'll stick with both tomorrow.
I'm sure many listeners will love the changes. The problem is that many won't. With more than $1 billion in debt to pay back next year, does Sirius XM really want to ignite the venom, uproar, and online petitions that accompany forced changes?
I would say "no," but what do I know? I'm not the one trading for a quarter these days.
I'm with you there.
72 Beyond Jazz was a great station. Another example of them getting rid of programming you CAN'T hear on terrestrial radio, and adding more and more of what you CAN.....
I just discovered the change today. We're on vacation and have been listening to the Ipod as we drive for the most part. I'm a Loft listener and heard about the change today on that channel--and miss Fine Tuning. I can't find anything similar.
I'll stick with it for my several radios until my renewal comes up in February and see how it goes. I listen to just a few channels--some music and talk channels primarily--and was happy to see the NPR Now channel added.
I really miss the SIRIUS BLUES channel.Is ther any way that we can have both SIRIUS BLUES and XM's BLUESVILLE? Sure would be appreciated.
I have watched XM degrade in the last 4 years cutting 2 jazz stations I enjoyed listening to ( Beyond Jazz and the latin jazz station ). My local FM jazz station has better programing the Real Jazz. They only play a bunch of old stuff I've heard a million times. Watercolors plays a bunch of boring garbage that contains little or no jazz and sounds like a demo patch on a keyboard. The overall programing shows no variety at all. I guess it's time to stop wasting money on something I don't want to listen to anymore and dust off the Ipod again.
What sirius/xm did on 11/12/08 was very shady. Changing the lineup in the middle of the night like they did. Just figure we would get over it. Hell to the no. I call everyday and leave a message to bring The Beat back to channel 36 and drop that horrible bpm crapt. 212-584-5100 or 888-635-5142.