We are at a crossroads right now. Satellite Radio has grown from a fledgling media to the single largest subscription service in existence, that is, second only to Comcast.This is a defining moment for the company.
The future of satellite radio is being dictated in the coming months as Sirius and XM combine two different programming philosophies and strive to cut costs at the same time.
Some would argue that the signing of Howard Stern was the tipping point for the industry - when a struggling Sirius found its mojo and dramatically grew despite the dominance of its larger rival XM. Whether XM blundered in its (non)response to Stern is a moot point now, the two companies are now one, and the "old days" are over.
And while the signing of Stern was indeed an inflection point in terms of phenomenal growth, those days are over now as well. The industry has matured, and growth rate has flattened.
But it's not over, it's just beginning.
Satellite radio now has to redefine itself. It has to find that sweet spot between the "aggregation of niches" and simply seeking out "the hits." Even with nearly 20 million subscribers, the company is still the underdog (by a significant margin) when compared to terrestrial radio.
Sirius XM Radio Inc. need to find mass appeal, because, well, they are now appealing the masses. But it still needs to present a significant value proposition over terrestrial radio as well.
If satellite radio is simply going to be "FM without commercials" then the company will lose. Period. The advertising model historically beats the subscription model, just ask the New York Times. There needs to be a compelling reason for people to pay money (every month, without a contract, in an economy where consumers are reevaluating their "luxury" expenditures) for the service.
Satellite Radio needs to appeal to the enthusiasts, while still satisfying the casuals (or maybe, it's the other way around?).
And then, if that wasn't complicated enough, there's the specter of new technology and new innovative forms of "radio" that are growing at an exponential pace.
There's no doubt that Apple has affected how the masses consume music, but Internet Radio is here to stay as well - and both will only continue to evolve their offerings. The last bastion of hope for radio (both satellite and terrestrial) has always been the vehicle. It's simply a matter of time before audio alternatives are commonplace - and (most importantly) easy to use - in your car.
So, let's discuss. Where does satellite radio go from here? What ways would you like to see satellite radio change? Or, even, not to change? If you had the unwieldy responsibility of having to remove channels, in favor of others, what would they be? What are the strengths, and what are the weaknesses of the service? In short, what is the future of satellite radio in the years to come?
Sound off in the comments below.
I look forward to the comments on this and hopefully I will find some time to write what I think.
I agree than satradio is at a tipping point. Unfortunately everything I have read here suggests it will be on its way out. I know it will be for me.
Why? I originally listened to both XM and Sirius before making s decision to subscribe to XM. As a music lover, it was clear that XM provided deeper playlists and genres such as Americana that are poorly served on Sirius. Now Karmazin is in charge and is obviously planning to go the tight playlist(Sirius)way.
I know he will argue that he is looking for a wider audience. The net result will be something that you pay for but is only minimally better than FM.
I think satradio will be dead in a few years. By the time it happens, noone will miss it.
I know you'd like to think this is just the beginning, but in reality, it's not.
I predict the new company will be mis-managed to such a degree that it's going to be very hard to survive another 1-2 years.
Once reliable in-car broadband is widely available, satellite radio becomes a non-entity. Why settle for 50 mainstream-focused music channels when you can have an infinite amount of prgramming?
#1. Make the service - ALL the Service - available on more platforms that do not require the purchase of satellite radio hardware. The iPhone and the iPod Touch are great examples. Make it as easy to use as it is to pull up an app like Pandora or Flycast on an iPhone, and make it listenable.
Satellite radio needs to lose the 'satellite' as all radio will soon be digital and available through the Internet. And with more 'in-car' internet service becoming available.
We still to this day have not seen the promised iPhone app, and we still don't know if it will be available as a stand-alone subscription service. To new and current subscribers.
They need to realize that in the next two quarters, if the rumors of the combining are true, that churn is going to be horrific as most dual subs cancel their duplicate accounts. I wouldn't be surprised to see an overall loss in sub count between the beginning of Q4 08 and the end of Q1 09.
We forget it is not just a Radio with no commercials. It is much more then that it's FREEDOM OF SPEECH RADIO! Music with all the words the artist wanted you to hear. Talk radio that speaks the truth. To hear interviews that you would never hear on terror estrial radio. Once you have it for a couple of months you will know what I mean. Satetllite radio will change your life. Don't believe me go buy it find out for yourself, spend that money you been saving because your going to lose it all in the stock market anyways. I would like to see microsoft joining with sirius and making there own version of a ipod touch with internet and satellite radio.
What follows is my plan that will not only save Sirius XM from disaster, but will grow and strengthen them if they exact it to the order. It goes against traditional business sense, but at this point, they seem to have nothing else to lose. Like John McCain, they must enact drastic change in order to win. Business as usual doesn't work in unusual times.
First, in consolidating channels, you just don't ax all personal and programming from one side, you take the best of both worlds, and start anew. Sirius Hits 1 asked in their most recent e-mail what their new name should be, leading me to believe that at least that channel, it starting anew. In this way, you keep beloved Dj's and programming, keeping longtime fans and listeners happy.
Secondly, music programming must play second-fiddle in advertising. So much in fact, you don't even talk about it. While music plays a very important role, if you're going to attract people who could easily play their I-Pod or listen to net radio, you must attract them to getting every game of the NFL, Stern, O&A, Oprah. And get your people to go out there and sell it! How often do you hear Oprah screaming about her Soul Series, or XM Radio?
Thirdly, bombard the public with targeted advertising, and keep it up. Target the NFL and MLB channels to Sports Illustrated magazine, and take out commercials during games, and even major sporting events, such as the SuperBowl. Target Oprah and Martha Stewart to Women's magazines. XM's last major campaign was good, but it was too a broad audience, that didn't target anybody, and after a month or two, it completely died.
Lastly, and most importantly, a wise man once said that before you make new friends, you must strengthen and keep the ones you already have. This means that you don't tick off your subscribers; you find compromises and implement them.
Of course, if the whole medium dies, then they can always blame the FCC for keeping them in a chokehold till this economic crisis and pocket pinchold. Sales are going to be very ugly, but they'll be ugly in other markets also. If Sat Rad can still be moving upwards with at least 15 mil subscribers in total by the end of the decade, then they'll be around to stay.
Ryan, you're wrong. This merger will mark the end of satelite radio, we just haven't seen it yet. Sure, there are competitors, I am checking one of them out now. But to go out and want Satelite radio, it has to be more than just the celebrity talent. Most of the "talent" either has already hit it's prime and we are watching the death of (Howard Stern) or just simply doesn't translate well to radio (Martha).
To STAY you have to pull people in with great music, and knowledgable hosts. I can get a wacky morning zoo on any local station, but I PAID for XM because of the knowledge behind the music. To date, ALL of the knowledge I have come to expect is either gone or busy packing their offices.
Radio needs to be fun, engaging, and LIVE. This is something Mel has never gotten. He banks his entire station on advertising and appealing to the lowest common denominator.
I'm not saying the audience doesn't exist for this programming, but how many average, lowest common denominator people would go out of their way to pay for and keep Satelite radio?
And without the direct competition, what we will have is slightly better than FM in some cases, and slightly worse in most. How many will pay for FM without commercials?
Axing the talent that made XM's music channels was a dumb, dumb move. Sirius listeners have two channels they tune to, and the rest fall off VERY quickly, as poven time and time again via arb numbers.
That was the wrong business model for CBS radio, and it's the wrong business model for Sirius. 1-2 years is generous. The glory days are over, more layoffs, more churn, and bankrupcy are the end to this company.
The following need to happen in my mind:
1- Institute a few levels of programming to cater to as many genre's interest as possible. Maybe not a channel for EVERY niche out there but certainly a channel that offers programming that captures as many niche sounds (music) as possible.
2- For get the "Satellite TV" model for a moment and focus on the "Satellite Radio" model.
3- Give radios away for free with "contract" based subscriptions.
4- Offer a few captivating "advertising" based "free" channels that would give consumers a reason to buy the service. Channels that would compete with what Terrestrial is offering for free.
5-Remember who the "adopters" are and ask them what they think the company should focus on regularly. Afterall, you wouldn't want to lose a percentage of the base that you have. Ask them what they like and give them what they request.
I would like to see them stop with these single artist channels that run for months and months. What they could do is take one or two channels and rotate a different artist every few weeks or even every month. It would certainly give enough time to get all the songs of that artist played (more than once as well). Another thing which would be cool to have is live concerts aired. I don't mean replays either. As a concert is going on, it would be cool to hear it on the radio. If they want to charge a little extra to hear that particular concert, I might pay to hear it. I know people don't like paying more but in this case, it would be worth a few dollars more considering the great expense it takes to actually going to a concert these days. Finally, I think that Sirius XM needs a "wow" factor device ala the Iphone. Something that will really get people to sit up and take notice of the technology. "If you build it, he will come."
I for one do think this is a new beginning.I remember when my satellite tv service started in the mid 90's. It was small and grew then as trends changed so did the channel lineup. I still remained a subscriber and dealt with it.The offerings in Dish Network could then and still do surpass whats offered on Comcast.Though Dish Network & Direct TV did not merge Sirius and Xm did.Im still a subscriber and will always be till I decide not to be.The merge is less than 6 months old and I want to see where all the chips fall before I start to rant on to them, about channel changes. I want to see what the offerings will be in a month down the road.To me I agree once you hear it you are hooked.To hear BBC Radio 1 here in the USA was unheard of way back when in the 60's.It was an internal channel for the Brits intended to be heard in the UK. The world service was for the rest of us, my God ,on shortwave.How far we have come with the advent of the most powerful radio medium to come along in the history of man. Crystal clear radio coast to coast with channels from around the world. Music to suit every taste without 45 minutes of some idiot trying to sell you something.I just cant sit here and believe this will just go belly up and disappear.I believe it here to stay.What I do like is the fact you can talk to them and I know they are listening,acting on what we say may be a differnt story but all the promises I was told about have come to pass, sooner or later they did happen..So I will wait it out and then make more suggestions I believe when the dust settles I will still be pleased with what the offerings are. As a Sirius subscriber I have never been disstisfied with any stream offered.I will not give up on it.19 million people invested big bux in equipment to listen in and they cant forget that fact.
Get retail going again !!! by getting a 'sexy' IPOD-like dual XM/Sirius radio - in the BIG BOX stores - NOW!
Fix signal dropouts with better antennas, sharing satellite bandwidths and putting streams on both systems.
Create IPOD like displays that display album art and cool ADs (COKE/PEPSI jpgs) - collect AD revenue in the cars.
Crossover more of the cool channels like, XM Cafe, The Loft, Margaritaville, Disorder, Fine Tunings to both services.
Get the sexy back. Create viral ADs, create big news, get the word out. Convince Oprah and Howard to work plugging and demoing the greatness of these radios - with big free giveaways. Put Howard on the road - hit all 50 states.
Put testimonials on the XM/Sirius webpage (there are a few million that are being ignored). Add a suggestion box to the webpage so you can hear directly from your customer base. Combine the webpages into ONE cooler one.
Play more unsigned bands with cool music. Where are the new bands going to emerge ? Seek them out and play them. Provide a service for new bands. Sign them up. Make Money in new creative ways.
Provide cool car decals for free - everywhere.
Allow car dealers to enable the showroom cars for 1 month at a time for free. Let these cool radios be heard !!! It will help them sell cars - and help you at the same time.
Fill Best Buy with complete carry away/package radios (boombox,radio everything you need) for cheap.
Huge World Series/Superbowl/NBA giveaways.
Add a Poetry/Story telling channel.
Replay games on late night empty sport channels.
Use YouTube to show how easy it is to take a radio out of the box and get it running in a car in 5 minutes (yeah - dress up the wiring later).
That's enough for now ...
I'm concerned about the upcoming channel changes. I find XM's music much better. I hope to keep XM, but it's up to Mel.
Of course, I bought a Slacker tonight and am loading channels as I type....
I'm a lifetime subscriber to sirius satellite and I bought sirius to get howard and for my sister's business to have background music(jazz). I was really hoping that they would integrate XM's music channels(most of, if not totally) because even though I like sirius, it doesn't hold a candle to xm's playlist. XM's music playlist is intelligent and unique. I've rarely heard stations play the deep tracks that XM does(sometimes on internet radio where the broadcasters are avid music lovers themselves).
Understandably, people want to listen to the songs they're used to and love hearing but it only takes a handful of stations to play songs like that. Sirius has countless stations that play pop songs in the pop, rock, classical, jazz and rap genres. Every music station outside of satellite radio has that same formula, but it's not unique, it's not special, and it's not something a casual listener that might want to hear something different would want to pay for.
Just my 2 cents.
Satellite Radio is awesome. However, they need a vast network of repeaters to guarantee a signal. Mel should approach AT & T/ Cingular (which has cell phone towers) and see if the engineers can adapt them to the satellite signal.
I agree wholeheartedly with the post by mnxmfan. Programming is paramount.
As sad as it is to say, I see Sirius XM running itself into the ground financially trying to juggle the combined debt load of the new company with the current market conditions & driving away it's sole source of revenue by compromising quality versus "out of the box" generic programming.
With the current stock price, and promises of reverse stock splits followed directly by huge stock offerings in attempt to salvage it's listing & generate capital at the same time - the company will be setting itself open for a another takeover by another entity.
Just an exampe - Apple has BILLIONS of capital reserve available. It would make sense for them to sit back & allow the dirty work of downsizing the new entity in cost saving measures while watching the stock price dwindle to peanuts. It could then step in & start acquiring stock at it's own discretion or wait for the company to slip into reorganization before making a move. Effectively it would give them a fully implemented media delivery system for a fraction of the cost of a startup.
Now I use Apple, but it could me Microsoft, Google or any other goliath with deep cash reserves & aspirations.
One last note - everyone blames Karmazin (including me to a certain point), but he is just doing what he has always done in the past. If you want to assign blame it begins with the shareholders of the companies that allowed him into their organizations with open arms & dreams of huge returns. They are suffering horribly now, but not as much as the subscribers.
I know this sounds melodramatic & over the top. I'm not sure if I will be remaining with Sirius XM since my original subscription choice was in the favour of XM, and I doubt very little the coming months.
Once broad band is available in cars Sat radio service will go bye bye.
If the PANDORA service was to have a portable version, like sat radio, I woul dbe all over that. I am not talking about the iPhone app but true portable service.
To quote John Mccain..."That, my friends, would be FUCKING AWESOME"
well said mnxmfan!!!!....
To compare Sat radio to NYT is silly. The NYT failed because it became an opinion paper not a newspaper. Sat Radio is comparable to ESPN. Content is very expensive but its the best content so if you want it you pay for it. Once you have critical mass you can pay the most. Once you have the best you can charge the most. If you get to 40 million subs you have a cash machine and great dual revenue streams. Anyone think ESPN is dying...I don't either. I still believe.
I first bought XM for the music, and Sirius came for a year free with my car. I agree XM has the deepest playlist, and my favorite programming on XM is the annual "It", which has not run in 2008 and I fear, with the merger, may have seen its last airing. The "It" website has been removed, where it always stood from year to year with the previous year's song list. I also enjoy hearing the old Casey Kasem countdowns. I hope the new company keeps those. I also like the variety of Christmas music on the multiple holiday channels. The only music channel I really enjoyed on Sirius was Sirius Shuffle which they have seen fit to remove in their "wisdom". No It, no Shuffle. If Casey goes, I go.
First off I'm not buying into this broadband in cars, it's taken us how long to barely start adopting 3G...enough said...
I would prefer to see Dish or DirecTV take over or partner with SiriusXM. The fact is these Satellite TV services already have contract's with the NFL, NBA, NHL, Nascar, etc.. That their ability to renegotiate the current contracts with SiriusXM would help with the SiriusXM balance sheet.
Secondly, the content that SiriusXM produce's, yes, produce that it can be rebroadcast through Dish or DirecTV with the ability to add additional commercial sponsorship. IE, the entire Stern show on satellite and not just pieces, including special musical guests that show up on the other channels. There is quite a bit of content that can be repackaged and broadcast for viewing.
Third, roll out video in car, this is another area that Dish/DirecTV would be better at negotiating.
Forth, consolidate, consolidate, consolidate
Mr. Karmazin was brought out of retirement by Mr. Leon Black from Apollo for the purpose of consolidating and gaining control of all of the satellite radio spectrum. He has made it clear that his own self interests and the interest of the other board members, including Mr. Leon Black, is opposed to that of the individual shareholders. Mr. Karmazin should have walked away from this merger many many months ago and should have commercially introduced interoperable radios into the market place. This would have given consumers the choice the FCC Federal Licensing Mandate required as well as Sirius XM's Joint Development Agreement.
If Mr. Karmazin would have been able to put his ego and self interest aside he would not have held his shareholders hostage during the longest delay in merger history and wait till the last minute to obtain the necessary financing for XM's debt. How does a CEO of Mr.. Karmazin's stature not have back up plans A, B and C and be forced into financing terms in the 11th hour that causes his company shareholders to lose 80% of their value in a matter of days following consummation of this merger?
Mr. Karmazin has not done anything to enhance shareholder value. On the contrary, he destroyed it. He's damaged his shareholders to the tune of billions of dollars.
The final chapter in this multi-year conspiracy will be to steal the combined company from its shareholders. The table has been set. Mr. Karmazin has publicly stated to Sarah McBride of the Wall street Journal, not more than three weeks ago, that he would "love to take the company private at these levels". Mr. Karmazin publicly admits that he would steal this company from its true owners at pennies a share if given the opportunity. Now, the Board of Directors are suggesting a 1 for 50 reverse split and massive amounts of dilution to a number of shares totaling 8 billion in the fully diluted float. I predict that after a say 1 for 40 reverse split that will give the 20cent share price a post reverse split price of $8 a share. Then what will happen the executives will pay themselves hundreds of millions of dollars in new shares, capital will be raised by issuance of these shares and then at some point in the not so distant future an offer will be made at a substantial premium to take this company private. What people will forget is that $8 a share is really 20cents to the current owners of this company (ie: the shareholders) and even at a 100%premium at $16 a share they would be stealing the company from it shareholders for a mere 40 cents a share. I and other shareholders will not stand for this. We intend to prevent this from happening by any means possible. We are going to demand Mr. Karmazin and other board members be held accountable.
savesirius@gmail.com
http://groups.google.com/group/sirius-satellite-radio-investors
the future and success of sirius xm lies is in the other services that the satellites can perform and generate revenue streams besides radio.
To me, there are two keys: getting the service available outside of the car as much as possible and making it more personality-driven rather than music-driven or even technology-driven.
I can and do listen in my car and my home, but not while I'm walking the dog, and I'd like to. The Inno and Stiletto are still too expensive, and like others I'd love to see the stations available via iPhone. Some of the stations actually are available on cell phones (I can get Sirius music on Sprint) and that is the right direction. Radio used to be ubiquitous and everywhere; if satellite radio wants full survivability it needs to keep going in that direction. The easier it is for people to listen, the more likely it will find its level
As for the other option, I'm not a huge fan of Internet radio because there's no personality. DJs and personalities make radio, and the fact that Jack FM is now floundering proves that, IMHO. The stations I love the most on each services are the services that have personality -- Mojo Nixon on Outlaw Country, Lars on Squizz, the recreations of classic radio sounds on the 60s on 6, the entire lineup on the Underground Garage, Vin Scelesa on Disorder - I listen to those voices and those stories and it gives me a flavor for what the station is going to play for me. THAT'S radio, and that's where I think the programming needs to go and needs to be marketed down the road.
Accessibility and uniqueness. Do that and they'll find their niche well enough to either survive or allow another company to get them and continue the programming.
I have never met anyone that had SATRAD that did not like it. The variety and content all in one box. I think it can get much better and grow substantially. I can see retail growing. You can listen and do other things. For simplicity, when you buy an auto, it should be good for the life of the auto. How that is done I am not sure. But SIRIUS XM has had the worst of luck: first the long merger and now a possible deep recession. If they can survive 2009 I believe they will be a strong company. It is hard to believe that none of the great minds out there warned us of the disaster with the bonds after the merger. The whole world thought there would be a huge spike after the merger.
In response to Board Room Jimmy, Pandora is already making inroads toward going portable. I used to be an XM subscriber (still am technically as I have a lifetime account), but I am currently using my iPhone 3g with Pandora installed. The quality is better than what I've heard on XM in years. All you need is an ipod jack in your car (many cars come with this as an option or as an aftermarket purchase) and you're good to go.
Pandora isn't the only enemy to sat. radio. You have to also look at other mobile apps out there such as SimplifyMedia which allows you to tap into your home music collection on the go, no need for 160gb iPods when you can leave your music at home and access it from the road.
I believe we'll start seeing a huge influx of users taking ever more powerful mobile platforms on the go as their main entertainment source. With the BlackBerry Storm, iPhone 3g, and Google's G1 out why would you want a seperate device for listening to music when you can have it all in one package?
I don't even see XM's Navtraffic service being able to save it as most of the previously mentioned mobile platforms also support maps and navigation. Mobile platforms are going to be the delivery method of the future. XM/Serius will end up relegated to truckers and long distance travelers who frequently end up out of the range of 3G/Edge/EVDO connectivity.
I give the business model maybe a year, two at the most. Then it's game over with cell phone providers laughing it up all the way to the bank.
Sirius classic vinyl (CH 14) has a lame play list. They're playing CCR Proud Mary twice a day, Down on the Corner, Hey Jude, Whole Lotta Love, Born to be Wild, Taking Care of Business, Lady Madonna, Sunshine of Your Love, and other overplayed hits, the same ones over and over, day in and day out. You'd think they would shake it up, but they don't.
This is no different from what FM does.
And they ignore classic vinyl from groups like the Mothers of Invention or Big Brother and the Holding Company. What are you paying for?
I just bought a slacker portable radio and after a week with it I have to wonder if I am going to keep my two XM subscriptions going. If Slacker can give me some news and talk, I won't be able to justify XM anymore.
XM's hardware is outdated. The new inno should have had Wi-fi. Every satrad should have the program guide. XM should think about the slacker and pandora model - listener tweaked programming - and begin using it.
It's beyond me how a business with 20 million customers can't turn a profit.
They could always ditch the average user and concentrate on elites (the way the Wall Street Journal has given up on the average reader with average income and headed for the suburb reader). Give them more of what they want, get rid of the country, hip hop, Latino stations and focus on the upper middle and upper user.
XM can't be all things to all people and make a profit. How many customers does that Mexican music channel bring in? I'd end that one immediately.
I really don't get it. For $12.99, or better yet, $6.99 (the new, "best of" rate) satellite radio represents the best,and most value, dollar for dollar, for the vehicle today. It really makes am/fm or "hd" radio actually insignificant. You can save money by eliminating purchasing CD's, and can greatly reduce ipod "music purchases" and get a unique entertainment experieince unavailable elsewhere, all for the less than than .25 a day. I think terrestrial radio made a terrible blunder by not buying their satellite competition, instead of wasting millions of their shareholders dollars trying, and eventually failing to stop the future evolution of their own medium. Satellite radio has a lot of enemies, BECAUSE of this unique nature, as witnessed by the first several comments left here, but in the log run, as 20 million have already discovered... it's hard to stop a truly great idea.
\There is no advertising on music channels (yet, don’t rule it out) so it doesn’t matter how many people are listening. Just because something only has a niche following doesn’t mean it should be eliminated for another hit station. Ratings on music channels are irrelevant. Personally I’m sick of hearing the same rotation of artists and tracks over and over again. Both companies are guilty of it but Sirius has made it there model. Satellite radio’s goal in music should be providing genres, artists, and tracks you never hear on terrestrial radio. I have no reason to pay a subscription for 50 hit music orientated stations. If the combined line up is going to resemble Sirius that is what I’m getting. Cutting the amount of music channels to 50 is disgusting. If anything the amount of music channels should increase. At least 75 music channels total on the combined channel line up. If there is not a reduction in price I’ll cancel on that basis alone. It’s nonsense. They are likely seeking more stations with adverting but if Sirius XM are going to provide garbage programming no will be listening to any of there advertisements. Personally I never hear an advertisement at all on XM or Sirius because when there is commercial say on XM Home Plate I just switch it to the Boneyard or Squizz. With the hits oriented model, satellite radio will fail sooner then later because there is no reason to pay for it. I can turn on my local FM station and hear the same music. Eliminate niche programming is welcoming the FM dial. If the plan is as rumored the best days of satellite radio are in the rearview mirror.
I really didn't subscribe exclusively for music, and I don't think more than 50% do either.
I like the idea of an artist-only channel - that's ALWAYS artist-only - and always on the same channel. So when U2 drops a new album, it's part of their marketing campaign to outbid competitors for Sirius 12 - then they play the album in it's entirety twice a day (once starting at 8am, then again at 5pm). Interspersed throughout are live performances and other band favorites from their catalog.
The thing Satellite Radio has going for it is the fact that they have noone telling them what the rules of engagement are. Can you imagine - an entire channel dedicated to just live performances that are recorded at Sirius? Or a karaoke channel that simulcasts with lyrics you can follow on the web? A holiday channel that's always in the same spot, playing holiday favorites year-round? I really hope they get imaginative.
Sirius XM, in my opinion, desperately needs customizable music that allows for personalized content that will go well beyond the same tired old hits that have been played on terrestrial radio for years and years. When on my computer, rather than listening to XM (which I am a subscriber in my car), I choose Slacker and Pandora because I can choose the artists that I favor and get music deep into their playlists, as well as request specific songs (Slacker) to bel played, and others to never be played again. After listening to XM for a couple of years, it is clear that I will never get anything except the same shallow playlists that have plagued terrestrial radio forever.
Edgewater, I paid (at a major retailer) $20 for an XM Sportscaster and $20 more for a kit with charger, headphone antenna, belt clip and battery, and can go anywhere with my XM, getting great reception.
I see the service slipping away. I listened to Sirius in a rental car and had decided sat rad wasn't worth it. Then my wife gave me XM as a gift and I've had it for several years. Without the depth of the XM playlists, it's just FM and not worth a subscription.
For example, how can you replace XM10, America, with Sirius Roadhouse and expect it to be taken seriously when Olivia Newton-John is played as "country"?
If I want to hear the same crap over and over, I can get that for free on the local FM station.
Excellent post, Ryan.
It's challenging to weed out all the sour grapes and haters here (especially the losers from the XM side) from those who actually have something positive to offer, but there are some good suggestions...
1) Forget broadband in cars anytime soon. The telecoms are far too greedy to make it affordable yet and as a poster mentioned before, 3G is barely getting rolled out. And don't forget how glacially slow auto companies are to adapt new technology. I think that's the least of Sirius' worries. Services like Pandora and internet radio are still very niche players. They could become the next big thing or they could collapse tomorrow. Time will tell. Right now, they're mostly the province of technophiles and geeks (i.e.: a majority of the folks who post to message boards). Besides, the greedy assholes at the RIAA might drive them out of business before long.
2) Content matters, but only so far as not having commercials and keeping exclusive talent that matters (Stern, The NFL, etc). The whole concept of "deeper playlists" really only matters to the fanatics on this board (and other boards like it). Most users don't give a shit. They just want their music genre of choice without commercials (or Stern. the NFL, etc...).
3) Terrestrial Radio still sucks. It will always suck. It will continue to hemorrhage audience. The greedy suits running it aren't smart enough to staunch the bleeding. That being said, it's still not going anywhere, but every day it gets less and less important. Sirius needs to advertise the difference between them and terrestrial. Explain to people that there is indeed an alternative.
4) The iPod is here to stay, though it's obviously morphing into a more all-purpose phone/media player/internet convergence device. Once again, Apple is succeeding where all the other pretenders in this space have failed (and will continue to, btw.). That being said, a Sirius XM iPhone app is imperative. And it must work flawlessly. Some one above smartly mentioned separating the service from the hardware. The hardware will never be cool enough compared to what a company like Apple can offer and the real money is in the subs. Sirius should concentrate on 3 models that get the combined service. A low, middle and high-end model. All should be plug and play as well as walkable. But that's it. Concentrate on pushing that content everywhere and make it easy for people to access it. And lower the prices on hardware. $400 for a Stiletto is ridiculous.
5) Simplify. Simplify. Simplify. All the plans coming out need to be defined and combined. Best of XM, Best of Sirius, Best of whatever. You've got 3 main categories: Music, Entertainment/Talk, Sports. Offer each individually for $6 per month or everything for $15. Make it easy for people. Make it easy to sign up.
6) Advertise. Gotta get the word out. Come on, Mel. Let's cut some deals. Plaster that logo on every shitkicking race car out there. Stick it on the side of Brett Favre's helmet. Make it ubiquitous.
I sincerely hope Sirius emerges from these difficult times as a healthy, powerful media company. I think Mel is smart enough to listen to the people around him and make the correct decisions regarding the future of the company. Time will tell.
"In short, what is the future of satellite radio in the years to come?" "tipping point?" Melvin Alan "Mel" Karmazin with his "merge" MONOPOLY scheme has tipped satradio right into the ground. Watch not only is the stock in to crapper, the subscriber churn away from satradio is going to be mind blowing. FM and HD Radio are the ones who will benefit from Melvin Alan "Mel" Karmazin's failed scheme. The only ones left subscribing to satradio is the blind and the ignorant suckers who still refuse to comprehend they are supporting a MONOPOLY. The DOD will soon have some more useless satellites to practice target practice with.
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
I agree that broadband in cars is not going to be a factor in the near future. Aside from a limited service footprint, all major providers limit data transfer. You burn through megabytes quickly when you stream high quality audio.
But as far as "sour grapes," and "haters and losers" from the XM side, that's hyperbole not supported by facts. XM with its music philosophy captured far more listeners than Sirius did, and XM's ratings to date are spread somewhat evenly throughout the service, while with Sirius you have a lot resting on Howard Stern, who essentially saved that company from collapse (but at an insanely high cost).
So, it's false that deeper playlists matter only to "fanatics on this board." But it's correct that they don't matter to typical radio listeners -- the people who have no interest in paying for satellite radio -- the people who are not this company's customers. The big mistake they could make, and appear to be on the verge of making, is to assume they're programming for people who do not now and will never pay for radio.
Yes this company is at a tipping point and I fear that this is the beginning of the end.
The excellent comments here are a wonderful example of the problem. You people are wise and full of enthusiasm. I won't add any suggestions as the ones already presented are just what I would have said. Why is it that the good ideas come from internet blog commenters and not from management? Sadly I can only assume that management has something else on their minds other than the success of the company.
I will add one gripe.....
How many times have you heard an analyst say that the fundamentals of the company are poor but they have a great product? Well, since they are taking apart the product (the content) there isn't anything left.
So sad. This was wonderful experiment. I have really enjoyed the last 7 years but it is almost over now.
They must WIN the race to provide wi-fi hotspots in the car. PERIOD
Mike is on the money here.
Also, leverage podcasts as a talent/show recruitment tool. This will give some good unknown talent the ability to take things to the next level. This will give you more of a community feel to grow on.
I subscribe because I want things I can't hear on regular radio.
xcountry wrote:
But as far as "sour grapes," and "haters and losers" from the XM side, that's hyperbole not supported by facts. XM with its music philosophy captured far more listeners than Sirius did, and XM's ratings to date are spread somewhat evenly throughout the service, while with Sirius you have a lot resting on Howard Stern, who essentially saved that company from collapse (but at an insanely high cost).
So, it's false that deeper playlists matter only to "fanatics on this board." But it's correct that they don't matter to typical radio listeners -- the people who have no interest in paying for satellite radio -- the people who are not this company's customers.
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BINGO! Well said!
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1)SDARS needs to improve upon its business model by keeping what was great about it to begin with. Great content, both music and talk/sports, as well as a great distribution model.
2)In order for retail to come back, they need to give the equipment away with a year+ of service. Let's face facts, people are not running into Best Buy/Circuit City buying them. Auto companies are still making it too hard to get SDARS....this is 2008, it should be standard equipment in ALL cars by now. Make it so.
3)Sports teams and games should be promoting the service at each of the games. There should be huge banners hanging on the walls with XM/SIRI names on them. Every game. Every time. Everywhere. No exceptions
4) SDARS need to partner with every phone maker or have a app available for every phone included in a "media" package. Make it available to every phone possible, and make it inexpensive. Nobody will pay over $10 a month if they can get internet radio over their phones for free.
I'm sure there's more, but this is a start.
I would argue that XM captured far more listeners simply because they were first to market by more than a year. The fact that they lost this huge lead speaks more to their arrogant and stupid leadership underestimating Stern and his popularity more than anything else.
As far as my "haters and sour grapes" comments, I stand by that. A good portion of the comments here are unfairly negative simply because their side didn't "win" in the merger. Half of them come off as disgruntled former XM employees.
And I would agree with you that casual listeners are not the people who will normally pay for radio. The challenge is convincing them to. I suspect the same this was said of most TV viewers 35 years ago.
[edit]
"...I suspect the same was said of most TV viewers 35 years ago."
[/edit]
Sigh. I have to remember to preview more often...
MikeHunt wrote:
"I would argue that XM captured far more listeners simply because they were first to market by more than a year."
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Sorry Mike, that is not supported by facts either.
SIRI started 7 months after XM, not "over a year".
XM only had about 30,000 subscribers when SIRI started....how do you account for XM's massive growth the first three years over SIRI at the same time period...because they came out first? That's a bold assumption. SIRI simply could have outdone XM with the content they had at the time...but they didn't. XM's music philosophy was both superior and reviewed by several publications as superior in attracting subscribers. This is a fact that cannot be disputed.
There are far less "disgruntled XM'ers" on here than you give credit to. And for the record, I've been a dual-sub for over 4 years, so I enjoyed content from both that may be merged into inferior content in the near future. Time will tell.
I am afraid that satellite radio will start pandering to the masses in order to get subscribers, and all the wonderful music, talent, and variety will all go away. A previous writer said that it will turn out to be "minimally better than FM." Unfortunately, I agree. Now, having said that, the main reason I subscribed was to get away from mindless morning jocks and endless commercials. As long as that is preserved, well, I will be listening. But, if you REALLY want to keep me, let me choose what I want and pay only for that: there are only about 15 channels I listen to with any regularity. Let me pick the 20 I want for $10 a month and I will stay a subscriber.
Satellite radio needs to be needed.. and what I mean by that is when the shit hits the fan and even satellite tv gets it wrong, or gets royally fuqed some way, that satellite radio is turned to for the info.. that the twenty million or so subs get the answer long before the terrestrial idiots do..
Mike, you can characterize XM listeners however you choose, but we represent the majority of satellite listeners, we listen to our radios more than Sirius listeners do, and we spread our listening among the many different channels XM offers. Having said that, I readily acknowledge that there are many people who actively choose Sirius because they prefer the content they offer -- but the ratings say Sirius is heard by fewer people for fewer hours, and Sirius listening is more heavily tilted toward Howard Stern.
This is why merging channels is a poor way to save money. You have two services here that both need to exist to serve different market segments. Kmart bought Sears, but you didn't see them replacing Sears signs with ones saying Kmart in malls around the country. They knew which brand was stronger and better, and they kept it. You can now buy Craftsman tools at Kmart.
This company, whomever owns it or runs it, needs to realize that XM is its stronger brand name and has its better programming. Howard Stern gave Sirius a boost, but you can't run a service like this on one person -- especially one with declining appeal and an increasingly-boring, formulaic show. Had it not been for the poor management decision to shore up a failing service with one overpaid shock jock, Sirius could have been sold to someone who gave a damn about programming so they'd have subscribers who had signed up for more than one voice -- the type of subscribers XM has, in other words.
To become more successful, S.XM must become more different than AM & FM; Mel is clearly making it less so. I pay to minimize the wasting of my time by ads. I don't often listen to the ad-supported stations and when I do I switch away when the ads come on. Most of the ad breaks are very predictably scheduled. Talk shows I get by (often paid) podcast. If more ads come up on S.XM then I have no reason to continue to pay for it.
Karmazin-style "brilliance" has run terrestrial radio into the dirt and I expect will ruin satrad. The cinders will be scooped up by a large media conglomerate and turned into more Clear Channel sorts of stations. And I will put my radio on eBay.
Let me predict the future for all you dumb asses still holding on to this POS stock. After Mel is done stealing your money, he will declare chapter 7, the creditors will get what little is left, you the dumb ass will get nothing but a tax write off. Should have gave up when you saw them constantly dilute the shares, it's like post WWI Germany printing money when they ran out
Keep Stern and other talk shows, but lose the speciality shows. Focus on genres that terrestrial radio deemphasizes, like deep tracks, smooth jazz (Watercolors), etc.
Simplify the pricing schedule. For example,
I envision a 2-tier price plan: Basic service could be $15/mo and provides for 2 radios with (at least) 50 channels, including Stern and all the other shock jocks, all music, all sports, a sampling of other talk shows, but not localized news/weather. People can opt out of channels (but no $ credit). The 2nd tier (for $18/mo) provides for any number of additional radios, plus all content not in tier 1, which would include localized news/weather and other specialty talk/news shows. If someone wanted all content, they would choose tier 2 even if they had only 1 radio. A variation of this would allow for a max charge of $2/mo for additional radios. Frankly I don't like the idea of paying more for each additional radio, but capitalism is what it is.
How Sirius XM is not on the iPhone, boggles my mind. As an iphone user, umm lover, and someone who's xpress rc wont turn on in the office, I find myself using AOL radio. A much cheaper alternative...
There has been a bunch of talk here suggesting that XM listeners are the "losers" in this deal. Let's set a few things straight:
1. XM listeners are indeed going to lose. Many likely chose XM for its music - just as most users came to Sirius for Stern. Most anyone will agree that the XM playlists are deeper and the channels more diverse.
2. The true winners here are Karmazin, Howard Stern, etc. They will walk away with millions regardless of the merged company's fate. The losers will be ALL satradio subscribers who will see their choices dwindle as he pares away non-performing channels.
3. The idea that Karmazin - from terrestrial radio - was going to save satradio has always been ludicrous. He is looking to make it more friendly to the masses. This means tighter playlists and eliminating stations with lower scores. In other words, he will make satradio more like terrestrial except you will pay.
4. Here is what Karmazin does not understand. Satradio is a niche market. The average radio listener will stay with free radio, their iPods and iPhones, Pandora, etc. The satradio listener came there and was willing to pay for something lacking on terrestrial radio - whether it is Howard Stern, more sports or music not played elsewhere. I fall into the last category as an Americana fan.
5. I am sure that there are a lot of folks that subscribed to XM for one or two music channels and do not care about more sports or Howard Stern. When their channels are replaced or simply eliminated as is the case with XCountry, they will leave. Each channel may not represent many listeners but, when combined, will lead to a loss of a lot of subscribers.
6. A glimpse into the future with Karmazin: I have seen a lot mentioned regarding a radio to support both Sirius and XM channels. I think Karmazin has different plans. After replacing/consolidating music channels, he will do the same with talk, etc. At that point the only difference will be the premiums: Howard Stern, etc. There will be no need for these radios.
I think Karmazin represents the death of satradio. I felt this way before the merger and still do. My contract expires in May. At that time, I will have a good idea of the damage he has done and will likely be gone.
I am sitting here listening to Cinemagic's Halloween Horror Fest, something I look forward to each year. I am wondering if I'll be listening to it next year. I have no idea what the fate of this unique XM channel will be. I am guessing that Dave and Chris, the guys running the channel feel the same way. Over the years Cinemagic has had a very "self-managed" feel. I've sent a few emails to them in the past and never once received a response. Over the last couple of months it seems they've decided to incorporate the listeners into the programming. They suddenly started responding to emails, taking requests from listeners and dedicating segments to them on the air. I wasn't sure how to perceive this. Is this their way of thanking the listeners for their the years of support before the channel gets dropped, or is this a last ditch effort to try get the folks over at Sirius to see them as a unique channel worth keeping on the XM platform? I am sure that there are a lot of XM subscribers that have similar feelings about their favorite channel. A lot already know the fate of their favorite channel due to the publicity given to the XM lay-offs. One of my favorite channels on XM for the last few years was the 70's on 7. John Clay did an excellent job of brining that channel together. He was one of the many that was let go. For me that was a “huge” loss. The 70s channel on XM consistently ranked higher then any Sirius music channel in the Arbitron ratings.
I guess I am one of the XM "losers". It's unfortunate because for the last four years I've come to love the service and now I feel like am watching it slowly die. Who knows, we may all be wrong. This drawn out "down" period may inspire these guys to get their shit together and make satellite better than it ever was. But reading these posts, it seems most just fear that Sirus XM (blech - I hate saying that) has become a lawn dart that is plummeting to the ground. Ever since the merger was announced, it’s been a shitty ride just sitting back waiting to see what the final outcome will be. We’ll all see where this going soon enough.
It would be much better to see elements of both services blended rather than a "this or that" approach. For instance, it would be cool to see Fangoria Radio on Sirius be incorporated into Cinemagic on XM. It would be much easier to handle changes like that rather than seeing a channel completely eliminated in favor of another one simply because they are deemed to be similar. If Totally 70s on Sirius is going to be the 70s channel for both platforms (the far weaker of the two, but I digress), I would hope elements such as the Casey Kasem countdowns would be incorporated into their programming.
It would have been nice to see the best people from XM and Sirus put together to provide the strongest programming possible rather than just getting rid of the XM people. It's decisions like that that make me believe that subscriber satisfaction is not the top priority in this merger.
JG_NYC, you have apparently heard that XCountry is going to be dropped? I hope that's still speculation at this point, for I would probably dump XM if that channel goes. Can you provide any more info?
Simple. Give a few of the advertising supported channels for free and keep the subscriptions premium. The advertising could possibly even subsidize a price cut on premium content.
My family and I travelled to NY City this weekend. For the first time, we did not listen to either the built in Sirius or the XM p&p, except for the Sunday morning talk show replays on C-Span. I should correct that - we did turn on the traffic stations because there was an unexplained 1 hour backup on 9E by the Bear Mountain Bridge, which remained unexplained after neither service's reporters told us what was going on.
Slacker ruled the radio. My wife asked me whether I'd renew the Sirius service. I didn't have an answer, but it got me to thinking why I needed it. I have the 25 station Slacker unit and it gave us all the music we needed - it didn't cut out in the tunnels or the heavily wooded and rocky areas on 9E or 9W; we heard no idiotic chatter from the DJ's; except for two Slacker radio id's all we heard was music.
As for me - sat rad may be a nicety, but its benefit was not noticed;
The Sirius is gone, I'm afraid because it does not carry C-Span. The XM, well, let's say it may thank God it has the news - otherwise - so long subscription radio.
So, being one of the biggest believers in satellite radio, I do believe its time and its relevancy is seriously in question.
You can be sure I'm telling everyone I know and even those who I don't but see at BB that Slacker is it.
Good luck SIRIUS XM.
Not taking sides...but would like to point out one thing about how the companies reported subscriber numbers pre-merger:
Sirius reported the number of active subs + the number of unique radios that have been activated, even if they don't currently have paid service + factory units in new cars - even if they've never been activated.
XM reported current paying subs
To the earlier poster who said their service contract wasn't going to end until next year - two things you can do
1) Call them up and explain your dissatisfaction - they'll usually knock 60% off your monthly. so around $5.50 a month
2) Contact your credit card company and explain the failure to render paid-for services..
There isn't a single court out there that would uphold a contract for a subscription service if the service changed for the worse. The best comparison I can think of is..say you signed a one-year contract on a cell phone, but suddenly Sprint cut the call quality, increased dropouts, and got rid of half of their towers..
Sure, you have a contract on paper, but the service being provided isn't what you signed up for, and you have a path out.
The problem with satrad isn’t content, or the cost of the monthly subscription, or even highly paid celebrity artists. Satrad’s surge in popularity due to Stern is misleading, because Stern is a fleeting phenomenon. People don’t listen to satrad because of Stern, they listen to Stern DESPITE of satrad. The fact that satrad isn’t a success even with Stern suggests that existing business models simply don’t, and won’t, work.
One major problem with satrad is antenna and reception issues. A majority of the population are simply facing the wrong direction, or don’t have the incentive to figure out how to improve reception because more traditional sources of music are just easier to use. Satrad is not plug and play! Satrad is, in fact, a lot of work, a lot of effort.
Is it even possible to talk about satrad without talking about Stern? A critique of satrad must include a critique of the Stern show. Here’s my issue: Why can’t Stern just go back to FM? He was funnier on FM. Non-stop scatology is not funny. This obviously puts a limit on how successful satrad can be, and may be the cause of it’s ultimate demise: it’s reliance on “infantile humor” and other decadent themes…maybe the majority of us have grown past that. Have you heard the show recently? They’re weighing the feces of show cast members. This isn’t juvenile, it’s infantile. It’s anal. It’s only because I record the shows in advance and can fast forward through this nonsense that I can even listen to the show at all. I could never listen to this crap in real time. (His “mature” side is actually quite entertaining.)
It’s a shame that satrad is relying on gimmicks such as porn and infantile preoccupations in order to succeed. The disguise of “respectability” provided by Martha Stewart and Oprah Winfrey sure aren’t working.
PORTABILITY!!
It's pretty much already been said - they need to make it 'too easy' for subscribers to get their fix. Sat Rad should have an app on every smarthpone. Iphone, blackberry, and on down the list. If Pandora and AOL can crank it out - it should be child's play to get it done.
Out of the box ideas - partner with gyms to co-brand the service as being available on Wifi! Set up a kiosk or something at say - Bally's (name the gym chain of your choice) where people can borrow a Stiletto or XMp3 and try it out.
We need access!!
To xcountry:
While there has been nothing official about the demise of XCountry, there are two things that lead to this conclusion.
1. It has been widely reported that Jessie Scott - the program director - has been terminated. I know she is still on air but some folks are being kept on until the changes are completed.
2. A more recent post here has The Pulse moving to Channel 12 on XM.
I am in the same boat as you. I listen almost exclusively to two stations on XM: XCountry and The Loft. The Loft is supposedly staying - but I listen to it less than XCountry.
I do not think there is station on Sirius comparable to either of the above. Xcountry will be missed unless one settles for the vastly inferior Outlaw Country on Sirius.
Since my primary reason for keeping XM was XCountry, I will be canceling upon its demise.
I just hope they dont make the sound any worse than it is or IM GONE!They are already stretched the bandwidth.Im actually listeing to mp3s more now sadly.
This is for the moron with the HD radio comment!
HD radio DOESNT WORK even if you are 5 miles from a big city.(i am close to a big city and it doesnt work RELIABLY..It has to LOCK into the signal to decode HD RADIO.Just like all DIGITAL signals if its WEAK its NOT THERE!
So Sattelite is the better choice,it usualy never goes out unless you hooked it up wrong.
HD radio has commercials,sattelite doesnt.
Chow.
Sirocco, perhaps you should actually listen to Stern before you make broad, sweeping comments. It's pretty obvious you have no idea what you're talking about.
Mikehunt, are you saying that the current "feces weighing" contest broadcast on the Stern show is not infantile? Is there a medical/clinical value that I'm not getting? (Obviously I listen to the show. It's a truism that people who listen to satrad listen to Stern, they're one and the same thing, practically.)
I've been recording his show for over 20 years, and have all his Sirius shows archived on DVD. I may therefore be (one of) the most qualified persons in the world to comment on his show.
The fact is, parts of his show are mind-numbingly stupid, while other parts are radio gold. Because I "time-shift" it, I can fast forward thru the former - I"m able to distill the good parts. I couldn't listen to it in real-time. Like when Artie rambles on about sports, even interrupting Howard to do so. This gives the show a schizoid nature, since Howard disdains all sports, which was more clear in his FM shows. Plus Arti's stories are always pointless and not funny. His one-liners are funny, but not his stories. In fact, I've found that the longer Artie's stories are, the less funny and more pointless they are. Howards neurotic sentiments were the source of much humor, but they've been sublimated, so his sentiments are more mainstream, far less edgy and funny. Artie is more normal, which puts peer pressure on Howard to act more normal. Artie ruined Howard, and has put a lid on Howard. Whenever Artie is out sick, the show is better.
What particular thing did I say that you disagree with?
JG_NYC - thank you for the reply. Other things I have read now lead me to the same unfortunate conclusion.
Both of these companies issued "post-merger channel lineups" and included these lineups in material submitted to the FCC to support this merger. These lineups are still available to be viewed on the Orbitcast website. Included are such channels as Fungus -- classified as a "premium" channel, no less, yet it's already gone, as well as several other channels that are probably doomed.
Does this not represent blatant lying to customers and the FCC? What's the point of offering "a la carte" channel selection when there isn't any difference between what's on one service versus the other? Sounds like they said what they needed to say to get what they wanted, and now they're going to do whatever they please.
I wish someone at the FCC would hold their feet to the fire on this and make them stick to the post merger channel lineups they submitted. These were part of the deal, and no doubt influenced the decision to approve this merger.
xcountry:
I think you summed things up nicely regarding the merger. I think Karmazin lied his a** off to get what he wanted. I hate to say it but I knew this would happen. Mergers inevitably lead to mass firings and usually the acquirer (Sirius) keeps most - if not all - of its folks. This should have been clear to all who thought that they would get everything on both services.
As I stated earlier, I sampled both services before choosing XM. If you excluded sports, there was a clear choice: if you wanted Stern you picked Sirius, if you wanted great music, you picked XM. I belong to the latter group.
I think Sirius XM will be surprised by the number of music listeners canceling their subs if what has been published comes true. They will try to fight this - as they do already - by offering reduced rates to folks willing to stay with an inferior product.
I think Karmazin is missing an important point: folks came to satrad for things they could not get elsewhere. Xcountry probably does not have a significant audience but many of them may have satrad solely for Xcountry. When it goes, they go. If you carry this forward over other niche channels, this can represent a signicant group.
I think this "consolidation" was Karmazin's plan all along. By the time he is done, I expect no need for radios capable of getting both XM and Sirius since all channels will fit in existing bands.
I think Karmazin is still a terrrestrial radio guy by heart. The new Sirius XM will have shorter playlists to appeal to mass audiences. He will also cut more non-performing (niche) channels as time goes on. In the end, satrad will only be minimally better than terrestrial. Folks will then have little reason to pay for it.
I do not expect it to survive.
The proposed programmming was a suggestion only, and not final. The channel lineup is, as always, "subject to change".
Obviously.
No, I don't find it "obvious" that a channel lineup issued just a few months ago would be subject to a massive overhaul, and there is no verbiage stating it's only a suggestion. From which statements made by the company do you draw that conclusion? I see specific channels, specific pricing plans, an "a la carte" list of channels all classified by type. In both letter and by implication, nothing looks to be just a suggestion.
Modest changes and adjustments are reasonable, but too many of the company's other statements turn into pure B.S. if that channel lineup is completely bastardized.
to xcountry:
I saw on another site that the replacement for XCountry will be Sirius's "Outlaw Country". Apparently they feel XCountry and that station are duplicates.
If you look at what is on "Outlaw Country", you will see that it barely scratches the surface of what XCountry offers.
I find it despicable that Karmazin is waiting until the very last minute to announce the changes if the date is truly November 12.
I also agree that the proposals he made to the FCC, etc. were a sham.
That's pretty much what I figured. I agree that Outlaw Country is not a substitute for XCountry. My only hope is that the channels truly will be merged, and Outlaw will not simply replace the X.
Back when I thought this merger might have some positive aspects, I had looked forward to the a la carte pricing so I could get both XCountry and Outlaw Country, but as you said in an earlier post, in choosing between the two services, I definitely preferred XM's offerings in almost every case, especially with the comparison of X to Outlaw.
A sham, truly. Someone could argue that management is free to manage, and as a result everything is subject to change; XM changed, dropped, and added channels on its own before the merger, after all. Of course, but the difference here is that a la carte pricing was sold as a key benefit of the merger -- "more choice for consumers, lower cost options," and so on. Hardly.
I would like to see better selection in portable,sports related carry along hand held units. They also must have better reception. I have a satellite stiletto, with boom box docking station, works great till you strap it on your arm and hit the bike trail, just sucks, can not even take to gym. Also promote the mp3 part of the unit, not sure what is so attractive to the masses of downloading music,, but give it to them. I love my Sirius and look froward to the future of programing and new portable units!
I'm a recent, first time subscriber to sat. radio. I was going with XM, but then bought a new car that had Sirius already configured.
I'm one of the deep 'niche' folks; I'm 52, a journalist and an avid, avid music fan.
I like sat. radio a whole lot, though I'm mindful of shortcomings for people like me.
My general push would be to make it more elitist, rather than broader, as an earlier poster mentioned in connection with the Wall Street Journal.
Someone like me wants more jazz, more classical, deeper country, more world music, more blues - maybe more everything except the thiner and thinner slices of modern and classic rock.
And more original talk programming - I'm real happy that I've been able to listen to CNBC and Fox simulcasts in my car, but I'm disappointed that the talk channels ran a lot of repeats on the weekends, even close to the election.
I would pay slightly more for a service that was realigned this way, and even though there can't be all that many of 'me,' we represent the group that can and will pay.
Scott Atkinson
Waterton NY
xcountry et al:
Don't knoiw if you aware of it - there is another site xmfan.com. They appear to have the scheduled changes along with many pages of comments.Click on "Official Merged-Channel Information Now Available" at that site. I am not sure why Orbitcast has not picked up on this. Apparently an ad was run in USA Today that confirmed some things. A copy appears in the discussion there.
Needless to say, Xcountry has indeed been replaced by Outlaw Country. There were some interesting offerings that may keep me around for awhile.
I did find it interesting that there were some duplicative channels, e.g. The Loft/Coffee House/The Spectrum. I am not sure why they couldn't have kept XCountry AND Outlaw Country. There are plenty of differences between them IMHO.
xcountry et al:
Well it looks like you can turn off the lights as anticipated for the X. I always listen to XChecking to see the latest adds to their playlist. Today Jessie is doing it and it is the Top 50 of 2008.
I went in with the idea that the change might be a good thing...WRONG. As a matter of fact the other night Shooter was making fun of the old X Country as the "mild and tame Austin sound". Good entry into more crummy 70's country rock that is found on about 4 other stations on XM and about every lousy FM classic station on FM.
What do you think the chances are to get a refund for my subscription? I'd take close to nothing...at least I'd sell at the price it is worth to me.
With all that has been going on. I don't see increase, either. I predict that unless we focus on programs that get you in the door fast and push you without costing a leg / arm, it'll be hard to succeed. I also predict we'll see more of Radio Connection getting the job done or the likes thereof. OR they'll at least keep pushing students with a career coordinator to get the job. Just after they apprentice under a professional on the job. http://www.radioconnection.com The good news is you can plan ahead. And this will help.
I would like to see quality improved.
I got XM in October of 2008 and the sound quality is sub par in my opinion. It is definitely not CD quality and when i had my ipod on in the car its not even comparable in quality.
Quality needs to be CD quality or better. Content is great but i want to enjoy the content to the fullest extent! Especially when Im paying for it.
The other improvement is that when I am listening to sports games which I do daily I want my home town announcers for every game not just for home games. Again I am paying for a service and when the Yankees are playing in Boston I have to listen to Boston announcers? Thats ridiculous.
The other thing is prices are too expensive. $14 a month is alot in a bad economy especially. It should be more like $5 a month.
Make it $5 and I Guarantee you triple your subscribers.
Here we are a few months into the big merge and I have to question why they offer best of packages. If they really want to draw more people in and boost there numbers they would be better served merging the channels and letting the listeners here they best they have to offer without having the pay additonal fees. I have a lifetime subscription to Sirius and at this point I'm not going to fork over more money to here what XM has to offer. My one hope is that they survive a another year and a half so I can at least cover what I paid for my lifetime subscription.
I may be an idiot, but I believe Sirius XM will pull through and become profitable. I for one, love the Sinatra Channel, as well as quite a few others. Another big plus is the ability to drive on trips and never have to change your station or hunt for acceptable music! Can't do that with terrestrial radio! And the absence of those annoying commercials is just icing on the cake. Sound quality is also quite good. OK, so it isn't "CD quality", but I challenge anyone to find me an "audiophile sounding" automobile sound system at 70MPH. With the road/engine/wind noise and the metal and plastic interior, this just isn't the place to do critical listening. Go home to your Magnapan's for that!
YOU ARE SO RIGHT, SIRIUS ISBAD NEWS, AND I WISH THEY NEVER MERGED. LISTENING TO TALK SHOWS IS INTERUPTED BY CONSTANT LONG BORING COMMERCIALS AND MORE COMMERCIALS. DOWN WITH SIRIUS, UP WITH XM
STEARNS IS A PIG, AND SIRIUS SUCKS
COMMERCIALS ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE SINCE DUMB STUPID SIRIUS TOOK OVER, SIRIUS SUCKS
If they lower their prices, subscriptions will go up. They should not raise prices at all. The goal is to stay in business and become profitable. If they lowered their prices, they would achieve both.