Orbitcast

Howard Stern's contract negotiations with Sirus XM still continue

2010-11-04T13:42:38Z

Howard Stern's contract with Sirius XM Radio Inc. expires at the end of this year, but the satellite radio provider still has not come to an agreement with it's star talk radio personality.

"We do not have any updates today," said CEO Mel Karmazin to investors today.

]]> originally indicated that the contract renewal negotiations with Howard Stern would be resolved by now, but apparently those negotiations are still ongoing.

That said, Karmazin didn't sound like the prospects of Howard Stern's renewal are in any way diminished.

"The discussions continue," Karmazin added.

When asked about Stern's contribution to subscriber growth, Karmazin said Stern has been "a great partner." He added that Stern has helped drive a significant number of subscribers as part of the content offering.

Karmazin also said that given Sirius XM's improved financial position they "can buy whatever content we believe can drive listener satisfaction."

And that sounds like a pretty positive indication that Sirius XM will be willing to pay Stern enough to keep him on satellite radio.

New Sirius XM Sound Dock works with both Sirius and XM radios

2010-10-05T23:51:08Z

The new XM Snap! isn't the only new device that Sirius XM Radio Inc. will be releasing this year. The satellite radio provider will be introducing the first ever dual-service dock / boombox which will work with both Sirius and XM radios.

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Dubbed the Sirius XM Sound Dock, the new satellite radio docking speaker system will be shipping later this year with a sticker price of $129.

The Sirius XM Sound Dock comes with dual antenna to pick up both XM and Sirius satellite radio signals and features a single connector that connects with all XM and Sirius Dock and Player tuners offered in the past three years.

It also mates with the wearable XMP3 portable XM satellite radio player.

According to TWICE, the Sirius XM Sound Dock will replace current XM-only and Sirius-only docking speaker systems.

You can either plug in the Sound Dock with an AC power adapter, or it runs on "C" batteries (eight of them, actually) making for maximum mobility for the boombox. A built-in handle let's you carry it conveniently along.

With the detachable antenna (pictured below), you can conveniently go from indoors to outdoors while ensuring maximum signal. The Sound Dock also features includes an AUX input for playing your other digital audio devices and of course a headphone output.

I definitely like it's sleek design, and that's further accentuated by the touch-sensitive controls located on the top of the Sound Dock. It also comes with a remote.

Compared with its predecessors, the dock boosts audio performance while occupying a lot less space, aftermarket product marketing VP Sean Gibbons told TWICE.

The Sirius XM Sound Dock features a built-in 30 watt amplifier and dual 2-way speakers. A setup, Gibbons claims, that compares in sound quality with iPod-docking speaker systems at two to three times the price.

There's no hard release date yet, all we know is that it's coming "later this year" - so hopefully in time for the holiday season. Either way, initially I think it looks impressive but will reserve judgement until I can actually hear it. What do you think? Is the Sound Dock a winner?

Is this the new Sirius XM logo? (if so, what do you think?)

2010-10-01T15:44:36Z

In a recent SEC filing made by Sirius XM Radio Inc. it appears that we've gotten a first glimpse at the company's new logo.

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Compared to the old logo, we can see that Sirius XM has carried over one key element - the XM "sound waves" - and apparently has dropped the dog. That might be disappointing to many Sirius fans.

Font treatments have been modified to no longer make the "Sirius" in all caps (finally) and the typeface has been made common between both Sirius and XM brands. It looks like they're going after a more "softer" look than before.

There had been rumors that a new brand identity was being explored, and while the websites and other properties have yet to be updated, the presentation that CEO Mel Karmazin used for the Liberty Media investment analyst meeting appears to show off their stuff.

Personally, I would have liked to see the new look breakout and be a bit bolder, similar to how Thomson Reuters rebranded itself with their redesigned logo. But maybe I just need time for it to sink in.

What do you think of the new Sirius XM logo?

Satellite Radio Subscribers expected to beat 20 million by year end

2010-10-01T14:28:31Z

Sirius XM Radio Inc. has just announced that they are upping their guidance for subscriber additions and are now predicting to reach approximately 20.1 million subscribers by the end of 2010.

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At that projected growth, that means that Sirius XM is predicting to add on 1.3 million new subscribers in 2010 alone. That's some mighty healthy growth, and if reached, that would be an all-time record high of net subscribers for the company.

Full subscriber and financial results for the third quarter of 2010 will be released by early November.

It's official: Opie & Anthony re-sign with Sirius XM

2010-10-01T10:18:26Z

It's official, Opie & Anthony have re-signed with Sirius XM Radio Inc. for a two-year deal, it was announced on the air today. The value of the deal were described as being "about the same" as their original contract with XM.

]]> To understand why there was confusion yesterday between Opie's and Anthony's individual online statements - Anthony had signed first, while Opie didn't finalize his contract with Sirius XM until earlier this morning, it was announced on the air.

The duo expressed frustration with the contract terms, though said they were happy to continue on satellite radio. While money was obviously an issue in the negotiations, there were other non-financial aspects of the contract that Opie & Anthony expressed frustration with not getting agreement on (such as studio size).

"They made us really happy at XM with a lot of extra things," said Opie, comparing the conditions at Sirius XM headquarters to their previous studios with XM Satellite Radio.

Either way, it looks like fans will continue to get Opie & Anthony on their satellite radios for another two-years.

Developing... Chat reveals that Opie & Anthony sign new contract with Sirius XM (UPDATED)

2010-09-30T15:37:09Z

It's not officially official yet, but according to Anthony in the show's PalTalk room, Opie & Anthony have re-signed with Sirius XM Radio Inc.

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But if we're to take the quick mention in the chatroom as evidence, it looks like we have a deal between Sirius XM and Opie & Anthony. View a screen capture of the full chat here.

We're still awaiting an official statement, but Orbitcast has reached out to Sirius XM to see if we can confirm or deny this. They have yet to respond.

Thanks to @billlehecka for the tip!

UPDATE: Following this article, Opie tweeted that they are "closer to signing a new deal with Sirius XM" but have "NOT signed anything as I tweet this."

Obviously a frustrating situation. More on this as it develops...

UPDATE 2: Looks like Opie is trying to do some damage control due to this post (sorry man). Following an article from FMQB referencing Orbitcast, Opie reached out directly to FMQB to say, "Closer to signing a deal but we haven't signed anything yet!"

We're still not clear whether or not the post from "opant" (which is Anthony Cumia's PalTalk nickname) was fake or not. It appears to have been real. More likely Anthony could have been jumping the gun slightly. Many times there is a verbal agreement on the terms of contracts before the ink is on the paper - so there might have been a verbal at the time of Anthony's posting, with the finer points getting worked out with lawyers.

Either way, it's pointing in a positive direction for now.

Still developing, stay tuned...

XM Snap unveiled: It's a snap to install, not so snappy in terms of tech

2010-09-30T15:02:30Z

Sirius XM Radio Inc. has just unveiled their new XM Snap device, and (sadly) it has nothing to do with Android devices at all. I had a feeling that my theory was wrong, and it looks like I was.

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Bob Law, Group VP and General Manager, of Sirius XM's After Market Division described the XM Snap as such: "Offering amazing value, the new XM Snap! also gives customers the opportunity to discover what makes Sirius XM the ultimate destination for the best in audio entertainment."

Employing similar technology like the XM Skydock, there's a stem that is attached to the radio for an easy DIY installation. And while I'm slightly disappointed that it's not anything crazy in terms of technology, having a simple DIY install is very important for satellite radios.

And at a price point of $59.99 - it's a damn good value.

There's also simple controls to "make it a snap to use" - essentially making sure consumers keep their eyes on the road while operating the radio. Complete with large arrow keys navigate through categories, the XM Snap also has rotary knob changes channels, and the preset keys store favorite channels for one-touch access.

Accessories are the standard issue: a Magnetic Mount Antenna and an Aux-In Cable for vehicles with aux-in capabilities.

Here's another photo of the XM Snap:

Greg Giraldo tribute all day today on Raw Dog Comedy

2010-09-30T08:20:59Z

Comedian Greg Giraldo died yesterday at the age of 44 after a lethal overdose of prescription drugs. In remembrance to Giraldo's life and legacy, Sirius XM Radio's Raw Dog Comedy will air a day-long tribute to the popular comedian.

]]> The new of Giraldo's death was first made public by friend Jim Norton on his Twitter, and shortly afterwards on TMZ.

A regular on The Howard Stern Show and The Opie & Anthony Show, Giraldo was hospitalized five days ago after overdosing on yet-to-be identified prescription drugs during a party following his performance at The Stress Factory comedy club Friday night. He was found in his hotel room Saturday after failing to show for a scheduled appearance the next evening.

Sirius XM Radio's Raw Dog Comedy channel posted this on their Facebook Page following the news of Greg Giraldo's death:

We here at Raw Dog are very sad to learn of the passing of Greg Giraldo.
We're taking our time this evening to remember our friend, and invite you to share your love for Greg with us and the comedy community beginning tomorrow morning at 6am eastern with Sonny and continuing all day.
Tonight we mourn.

All day today, tune in to Raw Dog Comedy (Sirius channel 104, XM channel 150) to hear comedy and interview clips of Greg Giraldo, as well as join other callers in sharing memories with hosts Sonny Fox, Mark Says Hi and Steve. Additionally, you'll hear from fellow comics who knew and loved him.

R.I.P. Greg Giraldo

Opie & Anthony contract talks don't look hopeful

2010-09-28T17:14:33Z

Your mom's box? Talks between Sirius XM Radio Inc. and Opie & Anthony on their pending contract renewal don't seem to be going anywhere, and the clock is running out.

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This past weekend, Opie tweeted that the two parties are "still talking" and "trying to work something out" - a possible hopeful sign for some fans. But those discussions may not be all positive, unfortunately.

Opie & Anthony's contract is set to expire on October 1st.

Additionally, Jim Norton hinted towards possibly moving to the Los Angeles area. If that's not telling, I don't know what is.

Last we heard, the offer on the table to re-sign Opie & Anthony to Sirius XM was "significantly less" than the amount originally offered when they first signed on to XM Satellite Radio. And as far as we can tell, not much has changed.

Artie Lange makes a comeback

2010-09-28T09:55:14Z

Artie Lange, longtime sidekick on The Howard Stern Show, has staged a comeback to the comedy circles after a terrifying suicide attempt nearly 10 months ago.

Fellow comic Craig Gass appeared on Howard Stern yesterday and said he caught up with Lange at the Comedy Cellar where he made a surprise appearance over the weekend.

]]> E! Online.

"He had a great line when he opened the show," Craig Gass told The New York Post. "He said, 'Well, folks, I gotta say I am so glad that Fashion Week is over because I am %#&@ing exhausted.'"

Gass posted a photo (below) of Artie Lange on his Facebook fan page, where Lange looks noticeably thinner and clean shaven.

At the Comedy Cellar, Artie only lightly touched upon the demons he was battling earlier this year. During the holidays, Lange had attempted suicide, stabbing himself 9 times in the abdomen. Still, in great comic style, he was able to make jokes about it.

"He had a good line about how a year ago he was going through withdrawal from heroin, and his agent came up with the great idea -- 'Hey . . . you should start Twittering!' " Gass said.

Comic Dan Naturman related, "He mentioned the fact that he had been in a psych ward for the past eight months and that he was playing Scrabble with one of the other patients. But the guy was so scary that whatever [dubious] word he spelled, Artie would say: [long pause] 'OK . . . let's count it up.' "

The Comedy Cellar crowd had no idea that Artie was going to show up.

"You could see he looked like how he did when he first came on the Stern show in 2001. He's lost a lot of weight," Gass said. "Everyone is really cheering for him, as am I."

Welcome back Artie!

BTLS Contract: Bubba seems bleak about re-signing with Sirius XM

2010-09-25T15:47:41Z

With three major talk radio personalities currently in negotiations with Sirius XM Radio Inc. it seems that Bubba The Love Sponge is the most negative in his prospects of re-signing with the satellite radio provider.

Oh sure, Howard Stern says he's "pretty sure" he's leaving the satcaster, and Opie called Sirius XM's offer "an insult" - but Bubba is giving more definitive hints, including a countdown clock (pictured above) featured on the homepage of his website.

]]> Bubba The Love Sponge also isn't just "hinting" at leaving satellite radio. He's being downright blatant about it, just look at his Twitter:

Being "forced" out of satellite radio could mean that Sirius XM is doing the same to Bubba The Love Sponge as they are doing to Opie & Anthony: offering "significantly less" money.

As for what the "next evolution in the next revolution" would be for Bubba? The the not-so-secret possible relationship with internet radio provider Radioio comes immediately to mind.

If Sirius XM is indeed low-balling their star talent like it seems they are, the company could be betting on the fact that the number of fans lost doesn't outpace the amount of money needed to re-sign them. And if that is the plan, do you think it's a smart one?

[via EgisChat]

Thanks @egiscodr!

Bed Bugs at Sirius XM headquarters?

2010-09-24T19:33:09Z

New York City's bed bug investation appears to have affected the Sirius XM Radio Inc. headquarters, according to employees at the company.

A sign (pictured above) posted by Opie on Twitter sparked speculation about the shock jocks contract negotiations, but from what we hear - it's about the bugs.

New York City has been dealing with a bed bugs problem, and recently everyone from President Bill Clinton to the New York Public Library has been dealing with the critters.

More on this soon as news becomes available.

Kevin Smith joins The Virus, show debuts this Saturday

2010-09-22T12:52:45Z

I know this may be "old news" to some folks - afterall Kevin Smith made the announcement on the air on The Opie & Anthony Show two days ago - but I figured some folks may not have seen it.

Kevin Smith will be bringing his popular SModcast program to The Virus, starting this Saturday.

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The SModcast show will air weekly, with an exclusive satellite radio only episode being produced for Sirius XM each month by Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier (Smith's longtime producing partner and co-host).

Extending a popular podcast to satellite radio is an interesting trend that we're starting to see - case in point: Gary Vaynerchuk was signed to Sirius XM Radio just last month.

"I'm ecstatic to be a part of the Sirius XM family and hope folks find our SModcast program as funny as we do," said Kevin Smith. "I loved when The Virus promoted SModcast, back when we first launched the show because, every now and then, I'd be driving around listening to XM and catch SModcast on satellite radio."

Kevin Smith's SModcast program debuts on Sirius XM this Saturday, September 25th at 1pm ET on The Virus (XM channel 202 and Sirius channel 197 as part of the "Best of XM" package), with an original, never before heard episode, and will air weekly during that timeslot.

To celebrate the launch, Sirius XM will also air a SModcast marathon on Sunday, September 26th from 7am - midnight ET. The SModcast marathon will feature a replay of the new show as well as episodes from Smith's archives.

Folks have questioned whether this is an indicator of the future of Opie & Anthony's contract, and I doubt it has any relation at all. Content deals like this generally are made independently of each other, despite the fact that Kevin Smith is an old friend and frequent guest on Opie & Anthony's show.

Source: Opie & Anthony contract negotiations still not resolved

2010-09-20T22:46:49Z

Contract negotiations between Opie & Anthony and Sirius XM Radio Inc. remain unresolved despite this Friday's a looming deadline and thousands of anxious fans, a source familiar with the matter tells Orbitcast.

And now there's new information that could be even more troubling for fans.

]]> Howard Stern's contract.

Indeed, according to Orbitcast sources, Sirius XM's current offer to Opie and Anthony is "significantly less" than what the duo was given when they first signed with XM Satellite Radio.

That's a problem.

Back when O&A were first signed to XM in 2004, they were essentially damaged goods. They were off the air for over two years, and while they had a loyal fan base to work with, it was a slight fraction of the levels they had when the show was canceled by Infinity.

Basically, Opie and Anthony had to start from scratch.

Today, we're faced with a far different situation. Opie and Anthony's show is extremely popular on Sirius XM, and they have an active loyal base. Not only that, but this base of subscribers actually pays for the product they're listening to.

Sirius XM is also a much healthier company now than XM Satellite Radio was back in 2004. We're seeing record subscriber numbers, and double-digit revenue growth. Yet they're offering a contract renewal that's a lower dollar amount than the original. It defies logic.

So here's a question:
What's to stop O&A from leaving, and starting from scratch again? Only this time, they won't be starting from scratch, they would bring with them hoards of influential listeners.

The problem that Sirius XM doesn't seem to understand is that internet radio isn't just a competitor, it's a full-on threat. You don't need a crystal ball to see this. Opie and Anthony - and, yes, Howard Stern - have always been at the cutting edge of broadcasting technologies. And they see this trend towards internet radio isn't going to stop. Pandora has over 60 million listeners and is growing faster than ever. Oh, and it's free.

Talk content is something that internet radio services like Pandora and Slacker desperately need. It's not like they're dying financially either - Pandora had its first profitable quarter in the end of 2009, and recently completed a 5th round of funding. If Opie and Anthony are going to take a pay cut, why would they stick around on a medium that artificially limits their audience with subscription fees?

Sirius XM updates Android 2.2 Froyo app

2010-09-17T17:58:47Z

Sirius XM Android App users rejoice! The satellite radio provider has just updated its app to include fixes for Android OS 2.2 (Froyo), and it's available now for download.

]]> many of audio apps suffered issues with the Froyo update.

After being released, Android 2.2 was rapidly installed and as of recently now covers over 28.7% of all active Google phones. So it was imperative that Sirius XM Radio Inc. update the app to address this growing userbase.

You can download the updated Android app here.