OT: Sirius and XM to Merge

[greggsand]

Or what about things like Pandora?

Pandora is great. I have the Pandora iPhone app, line the iPhone into the car stereo, & BAM! Actually, the iPhone & it's various music/radio apps lead to canceling my sirius subscription.

[pk500]

imeem also has some very nice, fairly long user-built playlists in a variety of genres.

Take care,
PK

[Dave]

So a lot of people prefer programmed music but grouse about the way the stations they listen to is programmed.

Shuffling your library isn't an option because you want to hear stuff you don't have.

Has anyone played around much with the Genius recommendations in iTunes?

Or what about things like Pandora?

If I'm paying ~$20/month for radio and the programming changes in a direction I don't like, then yes, I'm going to grouse.

There are just too many options online for me to justify an extra sub for satellite radio at the office. It isn't worth it only to avoid 30 minutes of radio/iPod on the way to and from work.

Slacker is another option that has gotten good reviews to this point.

I've only used Genius on an iPod to try it out to see if it would generate a solid playlist while I was traveling. No idea how well it works with purchase recommendations on the iTunes store though.

[rubba19]

The addition of Xm has hurt the stations. I read a while back with I was looking at XM and Sirius, is that XM relied more on computer generated playlists (like the terrestrial stations) and that Siruis let their DJs have more freedom.

That's interesting, JRod. I was actually happy with XM prior to the merger. There was a lot less talk and no DJs talking over songs or talking at all for that matter. I was in for a shock when after the merger I turn on one of the "music" channels and they are talking with callers about group sex. Plus, the repetition is much worse now IMO.

As one who has both, I absolutely agree that XM had the better playlists, however they were created. The merger has given me satellite FM and most likely destroyed the genre. I keep XM now for the sports PBP, but am now strongly considering just dropping it all.

Sad, really. Mel is driving satrad into the ground.

[wco81]

I don't think it's fair to blame it on the merger. Who knows if either company would have been able to sustain the same content without the merger.

Now they're trying to consolidate but a lot of the favorite channels may not have lasted even without the consolidation.

Their bigger issue may be the loss of someone like Howard Stern. People discount him because he has a smaller audience on satellite. But somehow, his sidekick was able to have a #1 bestseller book so apparently he still does have some media reach.

Even if people aren't subscribing specifically for Stern, when people are considering subscribing, they're probably considering some of the higher-profile content, even if they didn't specifically plan to listen to that content, because to pay for radio, people have to rationalize it on the basis of exclusive content.

[greggsand]

I don't think it's fair to blame it on the merger. Who knows if either company would have been able to sustain the same content without the merger.

Now they're trying to consolidate but a lot of the favorite channels may not have lasted even without the consolidation.

Their bigger issue may be the loss of someone like Howard Stern. People discount him because he has a smaller audience on satellite. But somehow, his sidekick was able to have a #1 bestseller book so apparently he still does have some media reach.

Even if people aren't subscribing specifically for Stern, when people are considering subscribing, they're probably considering some of the higher-profile content, even if they didn't specifically plan to listen to that content, because to pay for radio, people have to rationalize it on the basis of exclusive content.

The state of "terrestrial" radio is so down right now, stern could prob land another juicy deal by coming back to FM talk. Those dudes are desperate...

[GTHobbes]

Absolutely loving my xm now that they added channel 39, i.e., Pearl Jam Radio. Think I'll up my subscription so I can also access it at work and on my IPhone. Love it.

[wco81]

Looks like they're going to let Stern go. Or trying to get him to take less money.

They're hanging on with Stern. You don't even see satellite radios advertised any more. Instead, all the ads are full of smart phones, which can run things like Pandora.

[GTHobbes]

Decided to go ahead and add the online portion ($2.99/month) and couldn't be happier with my decision. I only had xm in my car and am really enjoying getting to listen to the Pearl Jam channel at work and at home and, thanks to the free xm app, on my iPhone as well. Look forward to listening to the Steelers' home radio announcers this weekend also, and some of the 24 hour NFL network between now and then.

I'm not sure how xm's business is going but I did see a recent announcement that they're about to hit their 20 millionth customer. Here was the press release:

Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) Announced today that Paul McCartney will perform an exclusive, invitation-only concert for Sirius XM listeners in celebration of Sirius XM reaching 20 million subscribers, a milestone which the company expects to achieve shortly. The concert will be held on Monday, December 13th at 8pm ET will feature Paul McCartney performing songs from his catalog, including many Beatles songs.

Reaching 20 million satellite radio subscribers is an important milestone for Sirius XM. Sir Paul’s performance at the Apollo Theater is our way of thanking our subscribers; we are thrilled to offer them an opportunity to attend the event and listen live to this once-in-a-lifetime concert on Sirius XM.

– Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer, Sirius XM Radio.

The concert will be followed by a month-long 24/7 dedicated channel called “Paul McCartney’s Band on the Run Radio.”  This special limited-run channel which will air commercial-free. The channel’s launch coincides with the recent re-issue of Paul McCartney & Wings’ number one album from 1973, Band on the Run, the first title to be released as part of an extensive overhaul of McCartney’s complete catalog of solo recordings. The month-long channel will also feature a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this landmark album, hosted by McCartney himself, as well as newly discovered live performances of Wings tracks recorded at Abbey Road Studios from The Paul McCartney Archive."

[GTHobbes]

I'm not a Howard Stern fan but I saw today that he announced a new 5 year contract with Sirius XM. Between that and them hitting the 20 million subscriber number, it looks like I'll be able to continue to enjoy Pearl Jam Radio for a good while. Time for me to re-up the subscription I guess.

[wco81]

They didn't disclose the terms and recently the Sirius CFO made noises about how Stern would have to take a pay cut. Stern ranted about that comment.

But one part of the new deal is that now he'll be streamed to their smart phone apps. for the first time.

I think they pretty much had to keep him at all costs because the $13 a month for radio is a harder-sell now than it was 5 years ago, before smart phones and Pandora and such.

In the time Stern has been there, they went from 600,000 subscribers to $20 million, a fight for survival against XM to actually taking over XM.

If they let him go, some large number would have canceled their subscriptions immediately. They must have determined the number who would cancel represented a larger amount of money to them than the money Stern wanted.

[fsquid]

I do love the new Pearl Jam radio.

[GTHobbes]

About the only thing I can say after that Super Bowl on Sunday is, Thank God for Pearl Jam Radio. It's impossible to listen to this station for an hour (preferably with headphones or in a car with the top down) and not be in a good mood if you're a PJ fan. Who knows how long it will last (hopefully forever), but right now, like Joe Buck says in a station spot, "It doesn't get any better than this." (I never even liked Joe Buck, but now that I know he's a PJ fan, he's okay by me. )

[fsquid]

Pearl Jam and Springsteen radio gets played a ton in my car and home.

[dbdynsty25]

Just give me Backspin and I'm set...nothing like random old school hip hop to get your day going on the way to work.

[Diablo25]

Just give me Backspin and I'm set...nothing like random old school hip hop to get your day going on the way to work.

Well put. Between my old school and the MLB channel I'm set when in the car.