Sirius founder Martine Rothblatt profiled
The founder of Sirius Satellite Radio, Martine Rothblatt, was profiled recently by the Associated Press in a rare interview.Martine Rothblatt explained to the AP that her 1980 MBA thesis at UCLA was essentially the blueprint for her first company, PanAmSat, which created a satellite-based vehicle tracking system.
Rothblatt then wanted to create the radio equivalent to cable television, a "cable on wheels." Most of the technology was already in existence, Rothblatt said.
Still, engineers told her there were too many technological impediments; others said the business model was flawed.
Undaunted, Rothblatt
eventually convinced the FCC to devote a slice spectrum to satellite radio. But the FCC insisted a
competing company, which eventually became XM, be given some of
the bandwidth so that Rothblatt's company would not enjoy a monopoly.
[Newsvine via RWOnline]

Comments
What's this, ANOTHER Danica photo?
Posted by: Mr. Magoo | May 2, 2008 3:54 PM
What Ryan forgotten to mention is that Martine is actual Martin but decided to become a transgendered freak show.
RAMONE! COME OVER HERE AND CUT OFF MY JUNK!
Posted by: Matthew O'Ryan | May 2, 2008 4:03 PM
Its true:
And she accomplished much of this during a time of personal transformation, undergoing a sex change in the early '90s.
God, I'm bored today ;).
Posted by: MNXMFan | May 2, 2008 4:09 PM
excellent -- this is why I read orbitcast -- great info!!!
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | May 2, 2008 4:27 PM
[in Borat voice]
"verr naice"
Posted by: waitwhat | May 2, 2008 4:31 PM
Martine (Martin) Rothblatt is a very intelligent and fascinating person. Far from being a "freakshow", she succeeded in saving her daughter's life through her research and application and her drive to accomplish what she envisions, against all the odds and naysayers, is amazing.
Those of you that can't see beyond the sex change aspect are short-sighted and bigoted, to say the least. Congratulations on your ignorance.
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | May 2, 2008 4:52 PM
Ohhhhhhh that's right ...everything is accepted in this world we live in and morals nor laws have any bearing....Well...hit me in the face with a bucket o nails....gimme a black t-shirt and some home-made tatoos....and call me ditto!...Gotta run...I'm on probation...my employer...well, the one I used to have said never be late to court....I wish I could convince my 15 year old pregnant girlfriend to be on time...she's always late when we meet to go buy our weekly stash of crack....Wonder if that old employer of mine will hire me back...again?
Naw...we don't need no rules, morals, or laws...MARTINE ...Indeed....I live by my rules....
LMAO
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | May 2, 2008 5:16 PM
Is that a guy or a girl?
The same can be asked for most Stern pictures
FACE!
Posted by: Scott | May 2, 2008 5:32 PM
I didn't know there were so many skin heads that posted here. Ignoring a person's accomplishments because they have had a sex change is pretty low. Jealousy perhaps?
Robert D Young Jr
33 S Main St, #2B
Millbury, MA
KB1OKL
Posted by: bobyoung | May 2, 2008 6:00 PM
"But the FCC insisted a competing company, which eventually became XM, be given some of the bandwidth so that Rothblatt's company would not enjoy a monopoly."
Oh, boy!
Posted by: 0.0 | May 2, 2008 6:22 PM
The only thing the bigoted losers can create are poorly articulated blog postings.
Certainly not a satellite company or medical research advances. So if Martine could create a cure for cancer, are you saying your "morals" would prohibit you from accepting the treatment? Yea, didn't think so.
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | May 2, 2008 6:34 PM
Still, engineers told her there were too many technological impediments; others said the business model was flawed.
And now that it works we have those that want to PUSH their way in now that others took the risk.
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | May 2, 2008 6:50 PM
Yeah, no offense, I know myself get a little freaked out about the entire transgender thing. However, there is something that can be said about a guy, er... girl, who gives up an entire career to start a company which just happens to save his own daughters terminal disease.
Thats impressive beyond anything I think I have ever seen. The guy can do whatever he wants with his dick... He's more of a value to humanity than half the f*ckstick religious right idiots who do nothing but breed hate of non Christians, gays, or people who believe the world is older than 3000yrs.
Posted by: Pack Stointer | May 2, 2008 6:52 PM
Is Opie still crying on the air from the hard dicking his girlfriend received from the Bam Margerra sex tape?
Posted by: 75.1glide | May 2, 2008 8:33 PM
Damn, that bitch ugly.
God sure didn't spend much time on her, did he?
Posted by: Flap Jackson | May 2, 2008 8:34 PM
Well said, Pack Stointer
And if you are a little freaked out by the transgender thing, at least you are intelligently honest about it withtout being a bigoted a**hole.
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | May 2, 2008 8:51 PM
hey Flap Jackson
why don't you post your "mug" up and let's take a gander. I bet you aren't much prettier than your nasty attitude.
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | May 2, 2008 8:57 PM
Anonymous Coward, how about you show your true identity you anonymous bastard?
Posted by: Flap Jackson | May 2, 2008 10:11 PM
hey Flap Jackson
my true identity? you mean like, "flap jackson"?
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | May 2, 2008 11:01 PM
Flap Jackson,
Name: (will show as "Anonymous Coward" if empty)
.....never mind
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | May 2, 2008 11:41 PM
You wouldn't be from XMFan would you? Because you sure are annoying the crap out of me, just like those god-forsaken bastards.
Posted by: Flap Jackson | May 2, 2008 11:57 PM
Her and her partner are going to be frozen, "so that they can live together forever" They both think it will happen in our life time.....in addition.... there is something said about transfering the human concenious in to a machine.
Posted by: God | May 3, 2008 1:06 AM
Howard did a good interview of Him/Her a year ago.
SIRIUS Satellite Radio Inventor Martine Rothblatt Visits. 03/01/07. 8:15am
http://www.marksfriggin.com/news07/2-26.htm#thu
Posted by: me_rubin | May 3, 2008 1:37 AM
jesus it's a good thing I wasn't jackin off when I read this.. that is one ugly chick.
Posted by: lillys bike seat | May 3, 2008 4:17 AM
And God said: let there be sex changes, queers, and lesbians....NOT!...and let there be those that ignore my guidance and in their own little minds change my laws and permit such behavior and praise it....I'll see them later...LOL
Thanks for all your comments....LOL...are there a lot of gays here?...cuz there sure are a lot of sympathizers for that lifestyle...maybe just a lot of fudge lovers?
Not a bigot....nor an immigrant...red blooded American that has no "little mix-ups" in my head of idenity...LMAO
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | May 3, 2008 9:05 AM
I don't find her person as scary as some of her ideas.
Posted by: Dracula | May 3, 2008 10:04 AM
I'd only respect her if she tries to cure taxes too. She might as well tackle both of the only certain things in life; death and taxes.
Seriously, I love the back and forth banter. I don't know who's funnier, the people slamming Martine or the people who are getting offended and think what they say matters to the "ignorant".
In 2004, Rothblatt launched the “Terasem Movement”, a transhumanist subculture focused on promoting joy, diversity, and the prospect of technological immortality. Through a philanthropic foundation, members of this movement convene publicly accessible symposia, publish explanatory analyses, conduct demonstration projects, issue grants, and encourage public awareness and adherence to Terasem values and goals.
Cookoo, cookoo....wikipedia turns up some interesting stuff on her.
Death-o-phobia, lol.
Posted by: Anonymous Hero | May 3, 2008 10:40 AM
Maybe thats what happend to Sirius....a split personality women invented it ....LOL...One thing I do agree with her on is ditching the Sirius name and keeping XM.
Posted by: gower2352 | May 3, 2008 10:47 AM
Thanks for the reality check guys.
I thought we (as the human race) were starting to evolve beyond your way of thinking and I had no idea there were so many bigots left in the world. At the very least I expected better from people who are living in countries that are advanced enough to have affordable access to the internet.
Posted by: Sam | May 3, 2008 11:18 AM
hey Flap Jackson
XMFan? i'll never tell. And you're easily annoyed. Maybe switch to decaf, aye?
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | May 3, 2008 1:12 PM
How come when someone tries to kill or hurt themselves we say they need "help" and send them to the nut hut? But when someone cuts of their junk, and wants to mutilate themselves through surgery and we say they need "help" we are bigoted?
Posted by: NorCalMurph | May 3, 2008 10:31 PM
Get this fucking shim off the front page. I think I'd rather look at creepy child molestor Anthony Cumia on your underage daughter than this fucking monster.
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | May 4, 2008 1:15 AM
O&A fans show their frustration at failing to garner any ratings again in both sat & FM by going on the web & posting like children
Give it up, you tried to be Stern & failed miserably
Posted by: Tom | May 4, 2008 3:53 AM
You'd think someone that believes in an invisible man in the sky would be more understanding of weird shit.
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | May 4, 2008 5:25 AM
As bad as GWB has been for America...a liberal or ultra liberal such that is running will be worse...Keep the Democrats out of the White House!...Typical democrat picturedabove...no doubt norcal murph is a bleeding heart also! ...poor liberals....
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | May 4, 2008 7:21 AM
I guess this explains why the company was named after a neutered dog.
Posted by: iband | May 4, 2008 9:58 AM
Ahhhhhhhhhh...the wisest comment from iband...LOL Indeed!
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | May 4, 2008 10:32 AM
Hey, if we can judge a person for what they did to themselves , can I say God's an asshole for giving me a tumor in my brainstem and making it undetectable until I was 19? and then sue the catholic church because they breech his SH*T and have money?
Posted by: mitchman79k | May 4, 2008 11:07 AM
Why do you think God gave you the tumor...why not blame it on your lifestyle, eating habits, insecticides, plastics, second hand shit, second hand smoke...industrial by products, polluted water, polluted air...lead paint on your toys...lead paint on your wife's toys...the Devil!..sitting to close to the TV...sitting on uncle Alvin's lap...your priest....or how about a flaw in your grnome structure that YOU caused by sucking your thumb for too long?
God created perfection...man has fucked it up.
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | May 4, 2008 6:05 PM
i just wonder what goes on in the mind of a person so smart that she feels the need to cut her penis off. kinda odd dont ya think? hope shes happy now. stern should have her back on.
Posted by: jan | May 4, 2008 8:40 PM
I am not sure if I blame for the tumor,even though it was there since birth. But I would blame him for letting the scar tissue settle over my ventricle drain, blocking my CSF from leaving my brain or for letting a cyst on the tumor develop underneath the tumor, thus deeper in the brainstem. And Ac are you really AC or just a fuckin Pussy/ Asshole?
Posted by: mitchman79k | May 4, 2008 8:52 PM
plus you could look at it this way, out of everyone who has sugery on their brainstem, for some odd reason 20% of them don't have scar tissue forming over the ventricle drain .now, one could say well maybe the scar tisssue formed there because you were lying down on a bed, but so was that 20%.
ps: I'm not married I was 19 and in college at the time.
Posted by: mitchman79k | May 4, 2008 9:04 PM
hey Obama
why don't you go first and then we'll see how it goes?
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | May 4, 2008 10:01 PM
Ignoring the rather insipid banter about his/her sexuality and assorted things that IMHO are private matters and don't deserve public comment and ridicule -
Without this person's contributions to society, we wouldn't be enjoying hundreds of channels of content nationwide. Whether you are a Sirius or XM listener, a Howie fan or listen to the B-B-B-Boys, you owe what you're listening to to their business sense and intuition to accomplish something no one thought possible.
Thank you Martine for your contribution to my and 16 million other lives - it would not be the same without SatRad.
Posted by: Libb | May 5, 2008 12:49 AM
Move past the sex change stuff -This person is to be admired for her accomplishments. Whether you are man or woman, the love for a daughter does not change. I applaud her for her determination.
Posted by: Heavy | May 5, 2008 9:43 AM
Ron and Fez noon to three xm 202
Posted by: earl | May 5, 2008 9:47 AM
^Speaking of fucking shims, you can catch one on Xm right there.
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | May 5, 2008 10:01 AM
Mitchman79k
God is your best hope for physical liberation! Remember that we are SPIRITS having a human body experience. Unfortunately, yours doesn't work 100% as it should and this has broken your heart and your dreams. But take cheer because in the big picture, you are to someday have an incorruptible body and will be free. I know it is hard to see that now. But you aren't the only one. Your mind is sharp. Be a warrior and keep up the good fight.
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | May 5, 2008 12:30 PM
By the way, Mitchman79k, Multiple Sclerosis took my father from us when he was only 48. So i am aquainted with the pain of loving someone with a debilitating disease or infirmity. And i wondered before why God took my mother when i was only 8 years old. I think we blame God first because deep down, we know him and expect him to fix everything the way we want it and when we want it. What doesn't kill us will only make us stronger. Have faith and keep up the good fight.
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | May 5, 2008 12:40 PM