News Articles From Days Gone BySirius boss "Mellow Mel" Karmazin is once again raising the idea of a merger between Sirius and XM.
(30 November 2006)
Karmazin has recently told Smart Money that "mergers often lead to creating shareholder value," and that he is "always open to that." The XM response, via spokesman Chance Patterson, is that "We do not comment on rumors and speculation, and this is clearly just that." more>>
NASCAR fans will be pleased to know that Sirius is planning to provide driver-to-pit crew race coverage starting next year.
(30 November 2006)
The satcaster is providing up to 10 additional "Team Talk" channels to cover the communications of up to 10 different race teams during NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races. Said Scot Greenstein, Sirius President of Entertainment and Sports, "Sirius will provide NASCAR fans with a true insider's experience on race day, taking them inside the helmets of the drivers and making them feel like a member of the pit crew." more>>
Not only is there satellite radio in Canada; there is now a satellite radio manufacturer in Canada.
(30 November 2006)
Nexus Audio Systems has become the first Canadian company to receive approval from XM to begin producing a satellite radio tuner for the Custom A/V market. The T-2 Dual Tuner combines an XM receiver with a standard AM/FM tuner, an LCD display and a keypad. more>>
Sports Nation is getting sirius about Supercross.
(29 November 2006)
Live Nation Motor Sports has announced that the 2006-2007 Amp'd Mobile World Supercross GP/Amp'd Mobile AMA Supercross Series is extending its relationship with the satcaster and planning to broadcast each of the 17 races on Sports Nation (XM Channel 143). "Having a presence in the growing world of satellite radio is important to our sports and its fans," said Michael Prince, veep of tactical marketing for Live Nation. more>>
Satellite radio is coming to cable in Canada.
(29 November 2006)
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is allowing Rogers Cable to distribute satellite radio services on digital cable. The decision allows Sirius and XM subscriptions to be added to cable TV accounts in Ontario, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador. more>>
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is allowing Rogers Cable to distribute satellite radio services on digital cable.
(29 November 2006)
The decision allows Sirius and XM subscriptions to be added to cable TV accounts in Ontario, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador. Psychics are getting Sirius about "Angels on Call." World-renowned psychic medium and bestselling author Mary Occhino is hosting the program featuring live call-in talk. The first live daily morning talk show in Sirius Stars satcasts Monday through Friday at 8:00 AM (ET) on the channel dedicated to fascinating people ranging from Barbara Walters to Bill Bradley. Angels on Call with Mary Occhino is promising to deliver inspiration, motivation and practical tips. Now if only Mary O could tell Sirius how many listeners she would have and how many more subscribers she could draw to the satcaster... more>>
HD Radio is continuing to expand its business base.
(29 November 2006)
That's the word from anecdotal evidence that new receivers are leaving the shelves at various venues across the nation. Speaking with reporters, HD Digital Radio Alliance President & CEO Peter Ferrara said that retailers are assuring him that lots of happy listeners are purchasing HD radios as fast as shelves can be stocked. "They'll say that sales are exceeding expectations or that they're oversold by certain percentages, but they're all hesitant to give me hard numbers," said Ferrara. more>>
A popular marketing trick has always been to cultivate a clientele at a young age.
(24 November 2006)
Consequently one of the major satcasters is siriusly seeking an audience among college students. Said Steve Blatter, senior vice president of music programming at Sirius, "We think that it has great appeal to the college audience in that many college students don't have cars, but they love the wide range of music channels that we offer." more>>
In what could be a sign of things to come, RadioShack is selling HD Radios for under one hundred dollars.
(24 November 2006)
In a special sale for the season, RadioShack is offering the Accurian HD tabletop digital radio for $99.99 beginning today, Black Friday. The sale lasts for three days. more>>
The BBC is sirius about XM's "Theme Time Radio Hour" hosted by Bob Dylan, so sirius that they're carrying it.
(22 November 2006)
The show is being broadcast on the BBC stations throughout next year. Said the BBC's Lesley Douglas, "Bob Dylan is a legendary figure and I'm sure these shows will be of great interest to our audience." BBC Radio 2 features six programs from Saturday, 23 December to Thursday, 28 December. Digital and online station BBC 6 Music starts broadcasting the show on 31 December and on every Friday night starting 12 January 2007. more>>
HD Radio websites are beginning to proliferate.
(22 November 2006)
A new, independent website devoted to the new technology has been announced by Axcess Web's webmaster, Douglas Hanna. Said Hanna, "This site provides independent information to help HD radio buyers make a better and more informed purchase." The HD Radio Buyers Guide includes information about every HD table-top radio, HD car radio and HD component tuner and receiver available. more>>
The HD Radio Alliance is launching a holiday blitzkrieg designed to attract as many potential customers as possible to the new broadcasting format.
(21 November 2006)
According to TWICE the alliance's campaign is placing 150 commercials per week on each of more than 600 radio stations. Participating retailers and manufacturers are collaborating by launching an attack of print ads, catalogs and in-store promotions. more>>
Sirius Stilettoheads will be pleased to know that Speck is now providing cases for the Stiletto 100 and Stiletto 10.
(20 November 2006)
"We are excited about partnering with Sirius and helping to make the satellite radio user experience a more pleasurable one," said Speck CEO Irene Baran. The new products include ToughSkin for the Stiletto and the Active Sport armband. more>>
Radio Shack is introducing its new Accurian HD Radio.
(20 November 2006)
The table unit features a tuner with 24 station presets, an LCD display and a credit card-sized remote control. It retails for $199.99 but is being offered at an introductory price of $174.99 with the submission of a qualifying mail-in rebate certificate. more>>
The station that launched the "quiet storm" is making the leap to HD.
(20 November 2006)
Howard University's WHUR , in Washington D.C., has begun its HD broadcasting concept, "360 degree Total Blackness." The new format follows in the footsteps of the original WHUR, with Isaac Hayes' "Theme from Shaft" as its first song. more>>
Canadian Satellite Radio (CSR) is doing better than anyone had expected.
(17 November 2006)
The XM affiliate has achieved 120,000 subscribers, exceeding its original 12-month guidance of 75,000. Said CSR boss John Bitove, "We are off to an incredible start and I am very pleased with what our management team has achieved in such a short period of time." more>>
Clear Channel has decided that it may not be sirius at all.
(17 November 2006)
Facing stiff competition from the satcasters, the terrestrial broadcasting giant has agreed to a buyout by private firms in a deal said to be worth $19 billion. The deal keeps the Mays family in charge and San Antonio as its home. "What we're going to do is take 50,000 or so shareholders in the public arena and trade them for 10 shareholders in the private arena," said Clear Channel Chief Executive Mark Mays. In what might be a sign of the times, Clear Channel is also selling 448 of its 1,150 radio stations in smaller markets. more>>
WorldSpace is getting sirius about cricket.
(16 November 2006)
The international satcaster has announced that it will officially kick off live coverage of the game starting with the India tour of South Africa on 19 November. WorldSpace has exclusive radio broadcast rights throughout South Asia and parts of the middle East for 12 tours and more than 200 days of cricket through an agreement with ESPN. more>>
The satcaster based in New York is becoming a little more Sirius about its home city.
(15 November 2006)
Sirius is launching a series of interviews from New York's 92nd Street Y , a venue with a 132-year legacy of bringing the world's finest minds and most intriguing public figures to its stage. The program will debut in January 2007 on Sirius Stars (channel 102). more>>
The favorite to win this year's Nextel Cup is coming to XM.
(14 November 2006)
Barring an accident, Jimmie Johnson should drive to a NASCAR championship at this Sunday's Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. His debut with the satcaster should come a little earlier, specifically today at 11 AM(ET). more>>
Cingular's BlackJack, not to be confused with Jack Black , is ready for market.
(14 November 2006)
The new device delivers both phone service and entertainment including XM. It comes pre-loaded with 25 commercial-free music channels from the satcaster together with an MP3 player, streaming video and other neat stuff. more>>
Get read for RadioSherpa .
(14 November 2006)
The new website shows listeners the way to a variety of HD Radio content. The site is the brainchild of Sasha Javid and takes advantage of the digital streams to provide an online guide to everything on the air. Users can view what's being broadcast and then listen on their computers. "We allow listeners to quickly find alternatives if the song that is playing sucks," said Javid. more>>
Chrysler is more Sirius than ever.
(10 November 2006)
The automaker is showcasing three of its new vehicles in a co-branded ad campaign featuring the advantages of Sirius. The 30-second spots feature Sirius-equipped Chrysler Aspens, Dodge Nitros and Jeep Wranglers. As a special attraction the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited is hawked by skateboard maven Tony Hawk. The ads debut today. more>>
Bridge Ratings has revealed that retail sales of satellite radios have picked up in anticipation of the upcoming holiday shopping season.
(10 November 2006)
An increase in curiosity about satcaster subscriptions is also on the rise among 18- to 21-year-olds with Sirius having a slight preference over XM. more>>
Satellite radio terrestrial repeaters are coming under fire from a group of wireless broadband companies.
(10 November 2006)
The WCS Coalition , a group including Sprint Nextel, BellSouth, NextWave, Comcast and AT&T has said that satcasters should not be allowed to continue operating unauthorized terrestrial repeaters in the 2 GHz band. The Coalition has points out that XM and Sirius need to address interference problems from repeaters that are transmitting at higher-than-authorized levels. more>>
Cramer is Sirius.
(9 November 2006)
The frenetic host of CNBC's Mad Money, Jim Cramer, has spoken with Sirius boss "Mellow Mel" Karmazin, a guest on yesterday's program. The effervescent Mr. Cramer has long been a proponent of a merger between Sirius and XM, a strategy denied by Karmazin. A Sirius buyout of XM could drive the satcaster's stock price to between $5 and $8 a share, according to Jim. more>>
Sirius put up some impressive numbers for the third quarter.
(8 November 2006)
The satcaster said that its third quarter loss narrowed from last year. The improvement was due to strong subscriber growth and a 23% drop in subscriber acquisition costs. Total revenue for the third quarter improved by 150% due, in part, to the addition of nearly three million new subscribers during the last twelve months. more>>
Daniel Norwood and Paul Pabst are getting Sirius.
(8 November 2006)
The duo have joined the satcaster as executive producers of Sirius NASCAR Radio. They're expected to report to Steve Cohen, Sirius veep for sports programming. Pabst is from ESPN. Norwood is formerly of WFNC Radio in Charlotte, NC. more>>
The recent strength in the XM stock price could be, in part, attributable to the analysis of Kit Spring of Stifel Nicolaus .
(8 November 2006)
The analyst has made XM a potential target for a buyout by Sirius, a scenario seen as "increasingly likely." more>>
Those fed up with satellite radio may want to take a look at the latest offering from HD Radio.
(8 November 2006)
It's the Accurian HD Radio , a new tabletop that looks like a standard radio. It apparently has excellent reception from anywhere indoors, unlike the average satrad, and retails for $175. more>>
XM and Andretti Green Racing (AGR) are making inroads into the American Le Mans Series.
(7 November 2006)
The team has launched a car at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas. Herta is also a co-host of "The Andretti Green Racing Hour" on XM. more>>
In its continuing quest to conquer India international satcaster WorldSpace is adding "Surabhi," the subcontinents first ever 24-hour Marathi radio channel.
(7 November 2006)
The 110th channel in the WorldSpace spectrum offers listeners a variety of Marathi music, culture and literature in a magazine format. more>>
XM is getting sirius about revenue.
(6 November 2006)
The satcaster has announced a 57 percent in revenue and a 43 percent increase in subscribers year over year. Said XM boss Hugh Panero, "The more than 2.8 million gross subscriber additions year to date underscore the demand for XM. With significant growth in revenue and narrowing losses we are on track for positive cash flow from operations in the fourth quarter of this year." XM ended the third quarter with 7.185 million subscribers. more>>
HD Radio is launching a marketing blitzkrieg as the holidays approach.
(6 November 2006)
U.S. radio operators have said that sales of HD Radio receivers will expand to Circuit City, and stations are set to air some 75,000 adds a week pushing the new technology. Starting on 13 November HD receiver prices are also expected to be cut to around $150 for some automotive units. more>>
Wendy's is getting Sirius.
(3 November 2006)
The fast food chain has signed a deal calling for Wendy's restaurants nationwide to serenade their happy burger eaters with commercial-free programming from the satcaster. The program is part of Sirius' SiriusBusiness campaign. more>>
HD Radio technology continues to advance.
(3 November 2006)
DaySequerra is now introducing remote dashboard software for its HD Radio monitors. The new software works with DaySequerra's M2 monitor to provide remote control and monitoring of AM and FM HD broadcasts through the unit's Ethernet interface. more>>
Mark Cuban is no longer Sirius.
(2 November 2006)
The loudmouth Dallas Maverick's owner has canceled his planned weekly NBA basketball show, Mark Cuban's Radio Maverick, for the satcaster. Cuban had planned to do the show gratis "to be a good NBA partner" but the NBA apparently did not share this view. Cuban decided that his time would be better spent with his family. "Unfortunately, my partners in the NBA didn't see the value I thought I brought to the league," said Cuban. It is speculated that Cuban's change of heart may have something to do with the NBA's new "code of conduct" for team owners. more>>
XM and Cingular have announced a partnership to stream 25 music channels to cellphones.
(2 November 2006)
The service is due to start Monday, 6 November, when Cingular customers will be able to listen to a variety of XM's commercial-free channels through their handsets. Data is expected to allow users to view the song title, artist and album.
Nowhere is HD Radio gaining in popularity the way it is in Brazil.
(2 November 2006)
Brazilian broadcasters have now formed the "Brazilian Alliance for DIgital Radio" to promote and support the technology. It is composed of the major broadcast groups including the Brazilian Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters, the Association of Broadcasters of Sao Paulo and Sistema Globo de Radio. There are now 16 stations in Brazil broadcasting HD signals to a coverage area of 30 million people.
Record industry royalty collector SoundExchange wants a little more quid pro quo from Sirius and XM.
(1 November 2006)
The organization has announced that it has suggested to the Copyright Royalty Board that the satcasters pay a base rate of 10% of royalties to compensate artists and copyright holders. This rate, based on a survey conducted by Wharton School marketing professor Yoram Wind , is said to be a fair royalty that would gradually increase over a six-year license term. Wind's survey found that 43% of satellite radio subscribers would cancel their service if it lacked music. more>>
Andretti Green Racing (AGR) is more XM-rated than ever.
(1 November 2006)
The team is hosting "The Andretti Green Racing Hour" exclusively on the satcaster's spacewaves starting in February 2007. The program is expected to be a one-hour weekly show featuring drivers from the Andretti Green team as well as co-owner Michael Andretti. Said XM's Eric Logan, "'The Andretti Green Racing Show' will give fans the chance to hear from the superstars about what it's like behind the wheel and beyond the track. It's insight that only XM can provide." more>>