XMU says goodbye

As a Sirius listener I don't have a lot of experence listening to XMU, but I can assure you Left of Center is a great channel. Hopefully Sirius is wise enough to merge the playlists with the combined channels to make even better stations.

As a listener to both, I can say that LoC has a smaller playlist.

Who knows what will change IF this rumor is true. (the part about LoC replacing XMU).

We could be in for an entirely new channel, new name, new programming, etc.

As a loyal member of XMU, I can say it's truly changed the way I listen to music. I'm a better listener because of it. I've discovered so many amazing songs and artists on this channel I never would have heard otherwise.

I've heard Left of Center, and although Jake Fogle is good and all, he will never be the same as Billy Zero and Tobi. Thanks guys, sorry to see this semester end. It's been one heckuva ride.

And with the sad news that George Taylor Morris has cancer, and will be at least be leaving Deep Tracks for awile, it seems to be the end of an era. The day XM died.

Here's the link for the news on George Taylor Morris.

http://www.xmradio.com/onxm/channelbio.xmc?ch=40

Damn, sorry about that. Didn't see you already posted the news on GTM.

Sad to see them go, maybe punishment for putting the Kooks on A.I.R time this month?

Who knows what this will bring? It all reminds me of the days when we would get new channels pretty regularly and they would keep adding content. Those days were exciting.

I think the reality is that I would rather have this mixed radio, with the "best of both" (even though it will likely be sirius' content, then not have satellite radio at all.

A monopoly sucks, but having nothing sucks more. At least that's my theory. I feel bad for the people that are going to be canned though. Best of luck to them.

thoughts and prayers to everyone @ XMU

Left of Center is a much better channel. I always found XMU to be all over the place and sometimes is almost unlistenable. The LOC DJs are better too. Matt Pinfield - a legend. Jake Fogelenest. Liquid Todd has a show on the weekend which I enjoy when I remember to listen. This is a good thing. So far.

This is just sad. XMU was my primary station and I feel bad for Tobi and Billy for loosing their jobs. As stupid as this does sound I can remember the first song played once I activated the radio 4+ years ago (Helio Sequence - Don't look away). Sure there were times that I changed over to Chill (XM84), The Rhyme (XM 65) or Country (when the wife is in the car) but I always came back to XMU.

I'll give Left of Center a try (what other SDARS choice to I have) but it will be a hard hill to climb.

It is on now dogs, this just pretty much verifies that many of these rumors are more than likely true.

LOC is a great channel in my opinion. Then again those that like XMU probably won't think so.

Another great channel getting the axe.

Great! (/sarcasm off)

So much for MORE choice!

I saw this coming from miles away, I have a gut feeling that the surface is barely scratched.

XM, as I've once known it, is dead.

Long Live Slacker.

Well, if this is true there is quite a good chance they will be losing another one of my subs.

Looking at the playlist on dogstarradio, it might be ok, but I still have my worries. I just feel like left of center plays extremely popular indie songs that could easily go on other stations, or they play stuff that is waaay to obscure to try to make up for it. I dont need to hear modest mouse followed by white denim, theres a healthy middle here...

This is disappointing, XMU is by far my favorite channel on XM. I'll give Left of Center a chance, but to be honest my satellite radio days were already on the edge of being over.

Like some others have said, I feared this was coming. XMU was my most-listened-to music channel. I definitely favored it over LOC back when I tried Sirius, but I'll give them a listen before I get too depressed.

It's getting harder and harder to justify keeping XM, especially with the likes of Pandora (on the iPhone and on my computer) and Slacker around.

Thank you Billy Zero--you are a true artist. We wish you well...

This sucks, but the writing has been on the wall for a while ever since Lee Abrams left the company...Jon Zellner doesn't do WOW. He is a corporate foot soldier armed with old ideas.

No one should forget that Tobi ran this channel forevvver -- Billy Zero was only brought in after Unsigned got cut from the XM lineup.

IMHO everyone should say thank you to Tobi for all her years and dedication to this channel. YOU, girl, are a true artist and your love for music is infectious. We will miss you dearly.

Personally and financially I am happy to hear that Billy Zero and Tobi will no longer be programming XMU. I haven't spent so much money on iTunes buying all the fantastic never heard before tracks since the olden days of WHFS (circa 1980s).

All in all, the new company has lost a serious asset. I look forward to hearing what's new on some fantastic new Internet Radio service streamed to my iPhone.

Left of Center is a damn good station, I don't know what you are crying about.

Oh for God sakes we all will be getting many changes. The combination of both companies will probably be better anyway, if it is not... just cancel. You guys act like your favorite uncle died. What drama.....

While I listen to Ethel more than XMU, I only recently became more in tune with what XMU was playing so this will suck. On an unrelated note...Seeing Erik from Ethel getting the boot is not helping me settle in to these "better times". Better times for me is paying less and one way to achieve that is to cancel 1-2 of my radios.

After having XM for four years now, I just last week started listening to XMU and now find out that it's being replaced. If LoC is playing the same type of music, that's cool. At least that corny motherf*cker Billy Zero will be gone.

All the channels will be "merged".. in the same way that XM and Sirius merged.. a total takeover.. "a merger of equals", remember that one?? back when the merger was announced that was quite the promise (read LIE).. they say Mel ruined regular radio and now he has a chance to make satellite radio be the next great medium.. but likely he will ruin this too... oh well Slacker here we come... oh hell, Mel will buy that next.. we're all screwed.. money talks..

boo hoo, xmu stinks and i'm glad some of the better siriua channels are coming to take over. now when will outlaw country come take over x country or america.

XMU was the best station on satellite, bar none.

Tobi and Billy, you will be missed.

I've listened to both channels and XMU is better by FAR. Tobi and Billy are much better DJs.

And I've heard songs repeated the SAME DAY on LoC! XMU? Never! This is a great loss to XM and I may very well cancel my subscription because of this. The best Indie channel ever!

I was afraid this would happen. Not a big fan of LOC, although I liked the fact that they played more older stuff than xmu. For some reason I can't stand the "blog radio" show they do. I guess we'll have to see what happens. hopefully they do combine the playlists and make a better station, but for some reason, i doubt it.

Check out The Verge as an alternative. I like it better than XMU.
Still there, but moving from 52 to 87

Having been lost in the ether for a while musically, XMU helped me re-build an enviable music collection, and I owe it all to Tobi. I'm afraid that Sirius will put too much of a New York spin on it. So long indie, hello corporate...

Both XM and Sirius have a load of stations that are complete crap. Even though XMU and Left of Center are similar was it really impossible to survive both stations. Do we really need forty-seven rap stations? Do we really need nine Howard Stern stations? Not happy with this decision. Satellite radio was supposed to revolutionize radio. This is a step back toward the status quo. XMU was the best. Bring back Tobi if you know what's good for you.

I am a loyal listener of XMU. Billy and Tobi were awesome. When I turned on the radio today I was horrified to hear two a-holes gabbing on and on. One even said his favorite band was Pearl Jam. Gag. Plus, they sound like Djs from 1995 and they play those "morning zoo" kind of sound effects while they talk. I can get that kind of crap on regular free radio.

I tried to give the rest of the day a shot, but the music they play isn't even close to being as new and cool as the stuff Billy and Tobi played.

I was laid off from my job earlier this year and have only been able to get freelance work since. But I loved my XMU so much that I found ways to cut back in other areas so I could continue to pay for my XM.

Now I have no reason to keep my account going. You've lost a customer. Poorly done. Poorly done, XM and Sirius.

P.S. I hate you.

Sirus XMU’s subheading claims “Indie, Underground, Imports.” With bands like Radiohead, Arcade Fire, Shins, Strokes, White Stripes, Vampire Weekend, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sonic Youth, Pavement, Decemberists, which are what is listed under the station’s “What you’ll hear,” I think most indie fans will agree that “Underground” verges on false advertising.

Just another decision made by businessmen that aren't in any way paying attention to their product. If I wanted generic, I'd listen to FM.

XMU was by far my favorite radio station ever. Like the best college music station without the novice DJ's. I must have been under a rock not to know that this was happening, but was shocked when I turned on the radio in the morning in my car to hear some new Sirius person on there talking way too much. Billy Zero never talked unless he had something to say. And, he never repeated songs. What a huge disappointment. Is nothing sacred anymore for those of us who appreciate uniqueness?

This merge is crap IMO. It seems like all the XM rock stations were just replaced with the Sirius counterparts, DJs included. As much as I love commercial free radio, I'm upset enough I will likely not renew my sub once it's up at the end of the year. Let's see how well they do as a company when they start losing subscriptions.

Whoever took over this channel should shut the hell up when they're on the air and take Tobi and Billy's playlists from the trashcan and take note.

At the very least they need to stop playing the crap that they're calling indie college radio..... maybe it was indie college radio 15 years ago. Gee, I hope they play the new one from Nirvana soon, If can stomach it long enough perhaps I can hear some Pearl Jam, "Better Man".

Yes i was a fan of this channel and there was a reason I bought into XM over serius 6 years ago.. serius blew then and it blows now.

Subscription cancelled..

The new "Sirius XMU" has been awful. Just awful. The xmu vibe is gone. At least they didn't replace it with AC/DC radio.

I miss Tobi and the After School Special.

It was more of a takeover than a merger. I'd rather have quality programming and personalities than more choice of channels. I couldn't give a $#!t if we have more choice! What good is the right to choose when the choices are crap?!

Sirius XMU seriously blows, seriously! Listening to Billy Zero and Tobi actually helped me through the hell that is my cube and the "office space" like world which I sit through everyday. Thanks a lot, jerks!

What a shame... I am a loyal listener of XMU and the new change definitely is not for the better. I have never been a fan of Sirius radio (my mother has it) and think it is a shame what they have done to the station. I believe they will be losing customers because of this. Like I have said before... if I had wanted Sirius I would have paid for it.

I loved XMU and the new format is terrible, I really do not need to hear Vampire Weekend everyting I get into my car.

Sirius XMU is just not as good. The playlist is boring in comparison. I'd rather dislike songs than be bored by them. Tobi and Billy made you think. Also, Jake is not funny at all. Put him on clear channel.

Definately there has been a disappointing change made to XMU. Nowadays, I sadly hear the same artists and songs repeatedly. I can only take so much from Vampire Weekend, Chairlift, Franz Ferdinand, and Built to Spill in a span of a day. I seriously miss Billy Zero and Tobi as XMU's djs and their playlists. Current Sirius XMU djs should take a look at Billy Zero's and Tobi's myspace page to come up with artists they should program on their playlists. Also, who the $#%@ cares about blogradio. That one hour show depresses me. I am willing to stick with my subscription for a couple of more weeks to see if there is any change, but if no change is done, then farewell to my subscription. I have been e-mailing and calling xm radio to let them know of my opinions. Hopefully if they get enough of these opinions from fellow xmu die-hards they will listen to our petitions. Also, can anyone recommend an internet station that is similar to the original xmu?

I can't even bring myself to listen to the new XMU. I was never a huge fan of the music but Tobi's enthusiasm for it was so addicitive. They also took off the turntabalist show on Sundays with Shiels.Pitch Control and Joe Frank were my two favorite XM shows. Whoo-hoo a new girl from Rolling Stone! That's street cred!!! I like Howard Stern but would gladly give him up for Tobi. Yes, like all of us music nerds I wanted to bang Tobi.

My subscription ended in November and I decided to resubscribe because I missed listening to XMU while I was away from home at school. I was absolutely horrified when I heard the mediocre DJs with their recycled playlists today. I don't know why I'm paying to listen to this. I miss XMU so much.

I remember back in July when I just got my car I fell in love with XMU from the moment I turned it on. That month my car went in the shop so the dealership gave me a rental that had Sirius on it and I tried listening to Left of Center, but I just could not stand what they were playing. I swore off Sirius and appreciated XMU so much more for knowing what they were doing. But with everything that has happened I don't know what to do.

the new xmu sucks. i called them an manged to get 3 months free when i threaten to cancel. siruis sucks- even thou im white i got a big black dick and i would love for tobi to blow it.