Sirius XM Radio

[Alex]

I don't know how many others are subscribers or use satellite radio when they rent cars, but another change that I just caught last night was that the traffic/weather stations were pared down so that San Diego/Phoenix are together, Philadelphia/Boston are together, etc. etc.

Here is the new channel list:
210 Boston/Philadelphia
211 New York
212 Atlanta/Miami
213 Dallas/Houston
214 Washington/Baltimore
215 Pittsburgh/Minneapolis
216 Detroit/Las Vegas
216 Chicago/St. Louis
217 Tampa/Orlando
219 Phoenix/San Diego
221 San Francisco/Seattle
222 Los Angeles

Thus far, the merger has resulted IMHO, in reduced playlists, less channels, and now ridiculous pairings of the traffic/weather cities. 

[agentsteel53]

I wish my rental cars came with satellite radio more often.  They hardly ever do, but that's likely because I rent an el cheapo a lot of the time.

[rawr apples]

I got sirius, as long as I have BBC radio 1 I'm happy

[un1]

I have a Sirius XM radio in both of my cars.

Just it is too cold to use them.

[Voyager]

The only radio I listen to is Rob, Arnie, and Dawn on KRXQ 98.5.

[deathtopumpkins]

Meh, the radio is obsolete now. Just put my ipod in the dash tray and press play. The new ones have external speakers, and with my old one I just broadcast WDTP 90.1-FM from my car. 

Or whenever they decide to actually play some music (recently the only rock station around here switched to talk programming from 6 AM to 7 PM), I do actually listen to WROX 96.1-FM. But I've always thought satellite radio was pointless. I prefer to still just listen to my local radio or my ipod when in my car.

[SSOWorld]

XM in my car.

[Alex]

Corey (webmaster of delmarvahighways.com) got me into XM back in 2005 when we went to the State College, PA meet together. I got my own radio soon afterwards and I've been hooked ever since.

I loathe local radio and its commercials, dj's, promos, morning shows, and limited playlists. XM's merge with Sirius has caused things to weaken a bit IMO, but its still much better than shuffling for cd's all the time or dealing with the crap on FM radio. Granted there are some markets that have decent local stations (Dallas and San Diego did at one point), but when I lived in Tampa and Orlando, they were two of the worse markets ever (especially Orlando!).

[Freewayjim]

I have XM in both my wife's car and mine, love it!

[akotchi]

My new car has XM, so I am still learning what is available.  I love it, especially in the mornings.  There is only so much talk about the previous night's reality tv that I can take . . .

[Snappyjack]

I have Sirius, and primarily have it for Howard Stern. If I ever get a rental car, I just hook it up in the car.

[CityBoy1986]

I don't have an Ipod, and my car only has AM/FM with no tape or CD player.  Most local stations are all syndication, all the time, and I am not interested in most of the formats.  I got XM about six years ago at a time when most oldies stations were dropping 1950s and early 1960s songs and adding songs from the 1980s.  My standby stations on the service played such music, and I liked the station with old radio shows as well.  I generally would work my way up and down the dial, stopping as I found music I liked or talk that was interesting.

Now they play less music on some channels (like the 60s), but local radio has become worse in the meantime.  The Radio Classics channel sounds much like it has for years.  Yes, XM is worse than it was in 2003, but it still beats local radio in this part of the country.

[tankerdave]

I have been thinking of getting sirius sattelite radio when I return to the states.  I keep getting good offers in my email for them, and I am going to be moving to a smaller area with less regular radio stations anyway.

[PAHighways]

I'm glad they didn't axe the Pittsburgh Traffic and Weather selection outright, which is what Sirius did on their own service.

[Alex]

Ah yes, it gets better post-merge! 

On March 11, 2009, the monthly rate for your discounted subscription will increase from $6.99 per month to $8.99 per month upon renewal.* You can lock in your current special discounted rate of $6.99 by choosing a longer-term plan at www.xmradio.com/lockin - but only if you act quickly.

And if you renew now, you can continue to listen online FREE for the entire length of your subscription. Effective March 11, 2009, the XM Radio Online listening platform will be upgraded to a higher quality digital audio and no longer included as part of a base subscription at no charge.

[Wikigav]

 When i last went to the United States i really enjoyed your satellite radio, considering i went through vast areas with little pop it could have been a rather boring experience if it wasnt for them. We dont have a satellite radio system quite yet running here but one is half ready and being set up. I cant wait anymore for it. 

[Darkchylde]

You know, the reduced quality of satellite is why I hate all mergers.

Around here (specifically in the New Orleans market), the radio selection tends to be garbage. There's like ten country stations, Goddess knows how many pop stations, and the local alt-rock station is a total disgrace. If my MP3 player isn't hooked in through the tape deck, then my radio's either set to an out-of market rock station (from the Biloxi market) or one of the local FM talkers.

[rawr apples]

it was pretty much a lifesaver driving through the middle of kansas and those dead areas of america.

[Scott5114]

Psssh, weaklings! Being forced to listen to bad radio stations is part of the fun of a long roadtrip! I did I-80 in Nebraska with NOTHING BUT NPR. Beat that!

[rawr apples]

driving 100 miles of PA turnpike with country and classic rock..ew (before the gift of Sirius)

[un1]

Sirius XM: What Price Bankruptcy?
Under Chapter 11, the satellite radio outfit could possibly revamp costly contracts. But it could also lose its top star and lots of listeners

By Olga Kharif

A bankruptcy filing by Sirius XM would have widespread implications not just for holders of the satellite radio company's debt and shares, but also for millions of listeners and for the celebrities like Howard Stern whose fat paychecks have made it harder for the company to pay its other bills.

The few poor souls who still hold Sirius XM (SIRI) stock may get poorer still. "I'll lose $1 million," says Michael Hartleib, a longtime activist shareholder. "They completely destroyed a perfectly viable company." Shares of the company closed at 11.39¢ on Feb. 10 after The New York Times said the company is preparing for a possible filing for Chapter 11 protection from creditors. Sirius declined to comment on the report.
EchoStar Takeover Is Rebuffed

While shareholders get wiped out when a company files for bankruptcy, debtholders typically sweat out a long and often complicated reorganization and are forced to accept pennies on the dollar in debt repayment. EchoStar (SATS), a maker of TV set-top boxes, has been buying up Sirius XM debt in a bid to take over the company, The Wall Street Journal has reported.

EchoStar might have used Sirius equipment and airwaves to deliver satellite Internet and video services, but Sirius XM has resisted overtures, the newspaper has said. Sirius XM Chief Executive Officer Mel Karmazin was unwilling to give up the company reins, says Standard & Poor's analyst Tuna Amobi. "It's shifted, ironically, from survival to a battle for control," Amobi says. "I don't think Mel is going to be willing to relinquish control." EchoStar did not return a request for comment.

Sirius XM is struggling to meet nearly $1 billion in debt obligations due this year, with the first installment due Feb. 17 and another in May. Analysts say part of the blame for the company's financial woes lies with expensive distribution deals with automakers and high-priced talent.
Will Howard Stern Walk?

Amid the reorganization, Sirius XM may get the chance to renegotiate agreements with Stern and his team, who are paid $80 million a year, as well as with brands like Major League Baseball. "Maybe both parties have the opportunity to walk away from their existing agreement," RBC Capital Markets analyst David Bank says of the Stern deal. Perhaps Stern would settle for less pay. But he may also choose to switch employers or retire, as he's threatened to do on air–a move that could prove disastrous for Sirius, many of whose users pay up specifically to hear Stern.

Similarly, Sirius XM may be able to renegotiate contracts with automakers, which install its radios in cars and receive a portion of subscription fees. Some analysts believe those revenue-sharing deals could be halved, particularly since auto sales have plummeted. Worried about job losses and mortgage payments, many consumers eschew services like satellite radio. "It's going to be a lot more challenging to get people to invest in your products when you are in Chapter 11," says Larry Rosin, president of Edison Media Research.

Even more radical ideas may come to the fore. Sirius XM could change its business model to become a provider of audio content that's streamed over the Web, wireless, and all other types of networks–without owning its own network. Perhaps Sirius could even sell some of its programming, such as exclusive live concerts, as downloads, for an extra fee. "Sirius XM is a channel aggregator," says Susan Kevorkian, a program director at researcher IDC. "Satellite radio may be artificially limited in its scope by relying on satellite technology as a delivery vehicle."

Full article: http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/feb2009/tc20090210_831883.htm?chan=technology_technology+index+page_top+stories

[florida]

when I lived in Tampa and Orlando, they were two of the worse markets ever (especially Orlando!).

::shudder::  Tons of reggaeton, (c)rap, and the last alt-rock station turned "sunny" (which is okay). The pop stations started playing today's junky music, and subsequently went to hell. They just don't do, so it's XM 81 with bits of 9, 8 and others for road trips.

It's crap they merged and left a huge financial chasm, but on the bright side, an XM operator tried to sell a $500 one time payment for unlimited usage.

[njroadhorse]

I refuse to get Sirius XM just because I'm a frugal person like that.  For me, it's always the rock stations like 105.5 WDHA, Q104.3, 102.9 if I'm in PA, and 102.5 WDVE when I hit Pittsburgh up every year.

[signalman]

^I agree 100%.  I will listen to the same stations or pop in a CD if I'm gonna be in the car for any length of time.  It boils down to principle; I can't justify paying for something that always used to be free.

[Truvelo]

When I rent cars they've had satellite radio apart from the Grand Marquis' I've rented which have all had traditional FM/AM only. There are only two stations I listen to: The Joint and Backspin. Unfortunately only some of the cars I've rented have been able to pick up Backspin but are fine with the other stations. There's another station called Caliente where virtually every song sounds the same