News Articles From Days Gone ByUgly looking satellite radio antennas may become a thing of the past if Sirenza Microdevices has anything to do with it.
(31 March 2005)
The supplier of high performance radio frequency components announced that the company had begun volume of its ultra low-profile antenna for satellite radio. The active antenna, target at automotive after-market applications, will initially be packaged with satellite radio receivers manufactured by an Asian radio supplier. "The start of volume production of our digital satellite antenna product for SDARS applications is a major milestone in our continued effort to diversify our end markets," said Sirenza President Robert Van Buskirk.
Potential drivers of the new Mercedes-Benz M-Class Sports Utility Vehicle will be happy to know that the vehicle is definitely Sirius.
(29 March 2005)
The 2006 models are expected to have Sirius Satellite Radio as a factory-installed option beginning next month. Said Mercedes-Benz USA Vice-President of Marketing Michelle Cervantes, "Mercedes-Benz is very excited to offer Sirius on the all-new M-Class, providing our customers with a quality entertainment experience in a brilliantly innovative vehicle."
XM WX Satellite Weather has been selected as the official weather provider of the Sun 'n Fun Fly-in .
(28 March 2005)
For the second consecutive year, XM WX partner WxWorx is providing eight weather stations in separate areas of the Sun 'n Fun grounds. Visitors can interact with the systems to display national radar composites, winds aloft and other information. WxWorx is providing a year-round system at the main Sun 'n Fun office in Lakeland, Florida in addition to a second portable system for use in he Sun 'n Fun aircraft. Said XM Director of Advanced Applications Roderick Mackenzie, "The XM WX Satellite Weather service has revolutionized aviation to a degree not seen since GPS navigation capability became widely adopted by the industry."
When XM needed a sponsor for its Major League Baseball Home Plate Channel it turned to an institution most of us associate with mortgages and credit cards.
(25 March 2005)
Bank of America, the "Official Bank of Baseball," became the presenting sponsor of XM's coverage of the Boys of Summer this year. Said Bank of America veep Gary Wheeler, "Bank of America is deeply committed to its sponsorship of major League Baseball, and this exclusive agreement with XM Satellite Radio Network is a logical extension of that sponsorship."
The fact that more and more of us are getting plugged into satellite radio doesn't necessarily translate into more business for the space industry.
(25 March 2005)
That's the word from Aviation Week and Space Technology , which says that a subscriber base of at least 4.3 million means little either to Loral, Sirius' satellite supplier, or to XM satellite maker Boeing. Said a Sirius spokesman, "We don't need more satellites to get more subscribers. Our three satellites can serve an unlimited number of subscribers within their footprint, which is North America."
Whether invading El Salvador or just taking a spin down Park Avenue, drivers of Land Rover and Jaguar can plan to get Sirius.
(24 March 2005)
The spacecaster's equipment is being made available with factory-installed head units on the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport this July. The units are expected to display artist, song title and category in addition to having a touch-screen interface. Jaguar is planning to offer Sirius as a dealer-installed option in May on the X-Type, S-Type and XJ Sedan. The ever Sirius Doug Wilsterman, Senior Veep and OEM General Manager said, "Jaguar is synonymous with luxury, performance and style, and it is only natural for Sirius to be part of this prestigious vehicle line."
The Mercedes Benz M-Class vehicles are all getting Sirius.
(23 March 2005)
The factory-installed Sirius Satellite Radio option will be available beginning next month. Six additional 2006 are expected to get Sirius as a factory installed option later this year. Four 2007 models will follow suit next year.
Hyundai wants to show that if you're XM-rated, you don't need a Mercedes.
(23 March 2005)
The automaker will be the first to equip all of its U.S. models with XM Satellite radio. The feature will be factory-installed in all models starting in 2006. Said Hyundai Motor America prez Robert Cosmai, "We are setting a new benchmark as the first automaker to launch standard XM satellite radio across our complete model lineup."
Sirius may not be offering new vehicle installations but they are offering more debt.
(23 March 2005)
The company is offering $250 million of senior notes due in 2015. Based on its current plans, Sirius has sufficient cash on hand to cover its estimated funding needs through cash flow breakeven, expected in 2007.
Yamaha and XM are announcing the first XM-ready home entertainment products.
(22 March 2005)
Yamaha is manufacturing four new receivers and several new home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) systems using XM "Connect-and-Play," which integrates XM into a broad range of home entertainment products. The first receivers should be ready for retail next month. "The partnership between XM and Yamaha is ushering in a new era of home entertainment innovation," said Phil Whitworth, XM's director of product marketing. "The inclusion of XM Connect-and-Play technology in these new products continues Yamaha's tradition of ingenuity and excellence in home audio."
In keeping with the Canadian tradition of multiculturalism, Canadian Satellite Radio (CSR) and EthnoWorks has announced a content distribution for Mosaic, the first-ever multicultural radio offering to be broadcast North America-wide.
(22 March 2005)
Said CSR boss Stephen Tapp, "It is appropriate that Canada, one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world, is taking the lead in terms of providing dedicated multilingual content to the satellite radio audience."
Sam Hornish Jr.
(21 March 2005)
can celebrate a win in the first XM Satellite Radio Indy 200 since its namesake was awarded a broadcasting contract with the Indy Racing League. The Number 6 Penske Racing Toyota crossed the finish line 1.0408 seconds ahead of Helio Castroneves. The victory on Saturday was Hornish Jr.'s first of the season and 13th of his IndyCar career.
According to Variety Liz Berger is getting Sirius.
(21 March 2005)
The Miramax exec has jumped to Sirius Satellite Radio where she'll handle entertainment publicity. At Miramax Berger handled national publicity campaigns for films such as "Finding Neverland," "Hero," and "Chocolat."
Structured ASIC leader ChipX is rapidly getting XM-rated with the utilization of Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) for volume production of XM receivers.
(19 March 2005)
The development helps XM bring different versions of its receiver integrated circuits to diverse end-user requirements. Said XM's Senior Veep for Technology Paul Marko, "ChipX was highly responsive to our needs, delivering the fastest possible turnaround time for the design iterations we required."
Quebec City shock jock Jeff Fillion is hoping for Canadian satellite radio to become a reality.
(19 March 2005)
Attempting to follow in the footsteps of "King of All Media" Howard Stern, Fillion is hoping to e able to say whatever the hell he wants without being subject to censorship or regulation. Addressing his critics with "Vas donc chier" (French for "Go f--k yourselves" he's hoping to avoid continued violations of the Broadcasting Act that resulted in the stripping of station CHOI's license. An appeal of the decision is expected on 24 May.
Who needs satellite radio?
(18 March 2005)
Apparently 18-34 year olds according to BIGresearch . According to their March Consumer Intentions and Actions survey of over 7000 consumers those between the ages of 18 and 34 are the primary age group for current subscribers and for those planning on buying in the next six months. The majority of those over the age of 35 say they don't plan on buying or subscribing to satellite radio at this time. Of those planning to subscribe, 28.7% said they would subscribe to Sirius and 16.7% said they would subscribe to XM. The remaining 54.6% are undecided.
Whether you're a happy hooker or good enough to play for a fade or a draw, XM may be able to enhance your sporting life by providing live coverage of the PGA Tour.
(17 March 2005)
In a recently announced agreement, XM is expected to provide exclusive broadcasts and marketing support. They're even featuring sales and rentals of portable XM2go radios at PGA Tour courses. Said PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem, "This innovative agreement between the PGA Tour and XM Satellite Radio will help extend the reach and popularity of Tour events and players."
Satellite radio enthusiasts in "The Great White North" should be happy to know that Canadian Satellite Radio and CKUA Radio are uniting in a strategic partnership.
(17 March 2005)
The first Canadian publicly owned radio broadcaster is expected to produce original, specialized programming for Canadian Satellite Radio's proposed originally produced Northern Lights channel. Said CSR's Stephen Tapp, "This agreement brings together some of the best programming in the country with industry-leading talent and content to listeners through an emerging broadcasting medium, whether it be an unknown Indie musician in Grande Prairie, and up-and-coming comedian from Trois RiviGere, or a community radio station's unique perspective."
Beemer pilots can start getting Sirius.
(17 March 2005)
BMW of North America has announced that the company will be using satellite radio to promote its new 3 Series. On 26 March the automaker will kick off a 44-day cross-country tour dubbed "3 Across America" to celebrate the 3 Series. The will culminate on 6 May with an 18 hour marathon broadcast which will be aired on a special Sirius BMW Channel.
Leading weather service provider WSI is now helping "The Dog" get even more sirius about its forecasts.
(16 March 2005)
The company is providing Sirius with a full suite of marine weather content for a new service which is expected to begin late this year. Water surface temperatures, lightning strikes, coast-to-coast U.S. and Canadian weather radar, storm tracking, winds, and wave heights should be reported in graphical and text formats. Sirius veep Larry Pesce commented, "Sirius is already the 'de facto' standard for satellite radio content in the boating industry, and we intend to extend this market position to include a wide array of marine specific services."
XM has announced that Jon Zellner, former Vice President of Adult Top 40/Hot AC Programming at Infinity, will be joining XM as Senior Vice President of Music Programming.
(15 March 2005)
Zellner had been responsible for overseeing Infinity stations in 17 cities, including San Francisco, Dallas, Orlando, and Denver. Said XM Executive Veep of Programming Eric Logan, "Jon Zellner will be a great addition to our talented programming team at XM."
Delphi has been tapped as a supplier of digital satellite receivers by both Porche and Mercedes-Benz.
(15 March 2005)
Purchasers of the Porche 2005 Cayenne, Cayenne S and Cayenne Turbo can select Delphi units compatible with either XM or Sirius. Delphi's Bob Schumacher said of the deal, "We are pleased to be able to help enhance the driving experience of Cayenne owners by offering the latest in entertainment and convenience technologies." The company is offering similar systems for all 2005 Mercedes-Benz models sold in North America.
The annual South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Conference and Festival is being featured on XM this month.
(14 March 2005)
The festivities take place from 16 through 19 March in Austin, Texas, the self proclaimed "live music capital of the world." Throughout the festival, XM is broadcasting select performances and artist interviews hosted by XM's on-air staff.
Sirius will be featured prominently on ESPN The Truck at Calle Ocho this Sunday, 13 March.
(10 March 2005)
The vehicle, equipped with a rotary Mazda RX-8 and sponsored by Sirius, travels with a MAZDASPEED Protege featuring a Sirius satellite radio system. ESPN Deportes commentators will be onsite meeting fans and signing autographs from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
The vehicle, equipped with a rotary Mazda RX-8 and sponsored by Sirius, travels with a MAZDASPEED Protege featuring a Sirius satellite radio system.
(9 March 2005)
ESPN Deportes commentators will be onsite meeting fans and signing autographs from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. XM is getting ready for the "Big Dance." College basketball tournaments are tipping off this week on the number one satellite broadcaster. Said XM veep of talk programming Kevin Straley, "Whether you're a student on campus or an alumnus who lives a thousand miles away, XM Radio brings you the very best in college basketball action." The action begins thursday, 10 March, at 12 noon ET with the opening round of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament on channels 191, 192, and 193. The Big Ten Tournament is on channels 197, 198 and 199, the Pac-10 on channels 194, 195, and 196.
According to Variety , Sirius is getting ready to bring back old-fashioned radio in the form of audio plays by the Coen brothers and Charlie Kaufman.
(9 March 2005)
Joel and Ethan Coen's "Sawbones" and Kaufman's "Hope Leaves the Theater" are being set to music by Carter Burwell for satellite broadcast. Said Sirius' Patrick Reilly, "You haven't heard these for years, yet the nation was once entranced by shows like 'The Shadow.' These will be more artsy --- but the Coen brothers know how to create pop entertainment that's quirky."
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger got sirius with the folks from the McGraw-Hill building in an exclusive interview recorded in New York.
(8 March 2005)
The Governator discussed numerous issues facing California in an interview that airs today at 6 PM and 9 PM ET today on Sirius Talk Central (channel 148).
Volkswagen has announced that it will offer Sirius as a factory installed option on the new 2005 Jetta beginning this month.
(8 March 2005)
Sirius veep for OEM Doug Wilsteman said of the occasion, "Sirius provides over 120 channels of quality satellite radio programming, including commercial-free music, that complements the quality driving experience of being in a Volkswagen."
Mitsubishi is getting Sirius.
(7 March 2005)
The automaker is entering into an exclusive agreement with the satellite broadcaster to offer Sirius radio as a factory-installed option in various models. The first Sirius factory-installed option will appear in the 2006 Mitsubishi Raider, the midsize truck recently unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Said Mitsubishi's David Shembri, "Mitsubishi Motors is pleased to offer premium satellite radio programming from Sirius first on the all-new Raider, one of our flagship vehicles."
Having lost the NASCAR audience to Sirius, XM has decided to settle for Indy cars.
(4 March 2005)
The nation's number one satellite broadcaster and the Indy Racing League have announced a multi-year agreement to broadcast the IndyCar Series races live and nationwide. The series begins his Sunday, 6 March, when XM broadcasts the Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Extreme XM (channel 152).
Two pieces of legislation currently crawling their way through Congress could have a significant impact on the future of satellite radio.
(3 March 2005)
The first, sponsored by Mississippi Congressman Chip Pickering (R), is aimed at formalizing the agreement between broadcasters and satellite providers regarding local media transmissions. The bill would instruct the Federal Communications Commission to study the impact on local broadcasters of satellite radio companies providing local content including questions of community needs, public affairs, local voice, amber alerts, traffic conditions, and emergency broadcasts. Said Pickering, "I believe in a diverse media with local, community voice." The second bill, sponsored by Alaska Senator Ted Stevens (R), would push for applying broadcast decency standards to cable television, subscription satellite TV, and satellite radio. "Cable is a much greater violator in the indecency area," said Stevens, "There has to be some standard of decency." If Stevens' bill is successful it could pose some significant problems for "King of All Media" Howard Stern.
Canadians are getting more sirius about satellite radio.
(3 March 2005)
Almost one fifth of the citizens of "The Great White North" have expressed interest in subscribing to a Canadian satellite radio service within the next year, according to Decima Research . Said Sirius Canada President Kevin Shea, "The research confirms that there is a strong, and growing, appetite for this exciting new platform in Canada."
Not to be outdone in its quest to be the most expensive satellite radio service, Sirius is not ruling out a price increase for its basic subscription service.
(3 March 2005)
Sirius boss "Mellow Mel" Karmazin, speaking at a Bear Stearns media conference in Florida, said that XM's recent announcement that it would raise its rates in early April "opens up all kinds of options" for Sirius.
In a development that may be significant to the future of satellite radio, Calypso Wireless has announced the development of a new technology that allows listeners of Sirius and XM listeners to hear their broadcasts from either satellite transmitters or wireless LAN access points.
(2 March 2005)
The technology allows satellite broadcasts to be received by all types of mobile wireless devices, opening the door to potential new revenue streams for the moguls in New York and Washington D.C. Said Calypso CEO George Schilling, "By expanding the capabilities of our patented switching technologies, we are taking giant steps toward ensuring that Calypso becomes known as the 'go to' company for service providers and device manufacturers that want to integrate seamless switching capabilities into their offerings and open up hugh new revenue streams."
"Play ball!"
(2 March 2005)
says the baseball staff at XM as the satellite broadcaster opens its coverage of Major League Baseball Spring Training games this week.The action starts today as the Marlins face the Dodgers at 1:05 PM ET on XM channel 188. The line-up of broadcasters includes Cal and Bill Ripken, Rob Dibble, Kevin Kennedy, Larry Bowa and Buck Martinez.
The top satellite broadcaster showed why it maintains its lead over the competition.
(1 March 2005)
XM, with more than 3.2 million subscribers, was named the winner in a head-to-head comparison of satellite music channels by Smart Money magazine. The publication commented "Hardcore music buffs will likely do better with XM... whether it's classic jazz, progressive talk, gospel, reggae, or old-school hip hop, XM has a dedicated channel programmed y a real fanatic." To take advantage of its newfound popularity, XM promptly raised its monthly subscription price to $12.95 beginning 2 April. Existing customers have the opportunity to lock in the current $9.99 monthly fee for a period of up to five years.
Volvo is getting Sirius.
(1 March 2005)
The automaker announced that the satellite broadcaster's radios would be available as a dealer-installed accessory in four of its 2005 models. Said Sirius veep for automotive OEM, "Volvo's reputation for quality is well known and complements the quality programming that Sirius offers. Combining the two makes the Volvo driving experience even better."
XM announced the successful launch of its new satellite.
(1 March 2005)
XM-3 lifted off on 28 February at 10:51 PM EST from the Sea Launch Odyssey launch platform at the equator in the Pacific Ocean. The new bird was inserted into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. It's on its way to an orbital location for routine testing prior to placement in its final orbital position at 85 degrees West Longitude. A South Africa tracking station acquired XM-3's signal approximately one hour after liftoff.