Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

XM and Sirius Complete Merger

How is the network going to work, will it be still run off of separate satellites.
 
About time. Now wake me up when there's a native Sirius app that doesn't require a jailbreak ::taps snooze::
 
NC MacGuy said:
So can I listen to Howard Stern tomorrow morning on my XM?
Click to expand...


No. Sirius subscribers won't get XM channels and vice versa for a LONG time.

It's my understanding that with your current radio, you'll get all the Sirius channels and some XM channels, or all XM and some Sirius depending on which service your radio was designed for (as they'll be broadcasting some XM channels on the Sirius satellites and vice versa) but you'll need a new radio which does both (haven't been released yet) for all channels from both.
 
Mel Karmazin, the CEO of Sirius was on Howard Stern this morning and said they're aiming on getting Howard on XM by September or October. No timeframe yet for getting MLB on Sirius and NFL on XM.

I can live without MLB on Sirius for the remainder of the season, but I really hope it's on Sirius for next season
 
They are supposed to go a la carte pretty soon. This will be awesome, unlike cable where you watch 10 channels and pay for 1000. I currently get XM and hope they throw us an NFL bone this fall. That would be SWEET!:)
 
How is this merger not seen as a monopoly?

I'm so glad I didn't get that XM radio a few years ago now! And I feel for all those that have the XM or Sirius built into their cars.
 
Neither company would survive on their own, it is good for everyone that they merge. It is not like they offer vastly different products. Plus all the cars have the same thing now, you don't have to choose between Sirius and XM. If anything this hurts terrestrial radio.
 
GSMiller said:
How is this merger not seen as a monopoly?

I'm so glad I didn't get that XM radio a few years ago now! And I feel for all those that have the XM or Sirius built into their cars.
Click to expand...

it is seen as part monopoly, part not. they're a monopoly in the sense of satellite radio, yes. but in terms of all radio, there is still terrestrial radio as an option.

there were a lot of 'voluntary conditions' imposed upon them by the FCC before this was approved as well in order to make it a better 'option'. granted its still not ideal from a consumer's point of view, but better if it wasn't regulated at least a bit.
 
You mentioned terrestrial radio.

I have never heard either service, but surly, unlike terrestrial radio, there must be no commercials.

Hell, you're paying for the service, are you not??

Or is this going the way of cable tv??
 
Regarding the monopoly aspect, part of the FCC's decision was based on the fact that they are music providers, not just satellite radio providers. When viewed as music providers, they then compete with terrestial radio, CD players, iPods, even those music channels on cable. The sattelite radio folks did a great job selling this aspect so they wouldn't be considered monopoly or a threat to the public.

The terrestial radio folks are pissed, but they deserve whatever comes their way. There's a certain Tom Petty song that pretty much hits this nail on the head.;)
 
iJohnHenry said:
You mentioned terrestrial radio.

I have never heard either service, but surly, unlike terrestrial radio, there must be no commercials.

Hell, you're paying for the service, are you not??

Or is this going the way of cable tv??
Click to expand...
There are no commercials, and since it is a pay service there is no censored content. The reason Howard Stern left for Satellite radio is so he would not be bothered by the FCC.
 
Let's be accurate. There are some commercials on both services. Sirius has less, but some channels (including Howard's channels) have commercials - mostly the non-music ones. Likewise, and I believe to a greater extent, XM has commercials as well - just not on all channels.

Regardless, it's much better than regular radio. Whenever I get in a car without sat radio I go batty. I'm continually flipping because I don't like what's on or it's all commercials. With sat radio, I know what is on what channels. In fact the dang receiver will tell me if something is on that I have marked!
 
Superman07 said:
Let's be accurate. There are some commercials on both services. Sirius has less, but some channels (including Howard's channels) have commercials - mostly the non-music ones. Likewise, and I believe to a greater extent, XM has commercials as well - just not on all channels.
Click to expand...

Fair is fair.

If they have talent to pay, then I can see needing commercial income to do that.

But for someone to sit in a booth, and put together play-lists of millions of available material, NO WAY.

Just more money grubbing, and I won't stand for it.

All hail Public Radio, U.S., Canada or England.
 
iJohnHenry said:
Fair is fair.

If they have talent to pay, then I can see needing commercial income to do that.

But for someone to sit in a booth, and put together play-lists of millions of available material, NO WAY.

Just more money grubbing, and I won't stand for it.

All hail Public Radio, U.S., Canada or England.
Click to expand...

So you'd like to sit in a booth all day putting playlists together for free? :p

Probably would be fun for a bit, but then be annoying.

To be fair, pretty much all the commercials on both networks are on channels that:

1) Are mostly talk-based. You have to let the hosts go to the bathroom at some point. (Though the stations I listen to on XM will sometimes go over an hour without commercials before a break is taken, they're not as mandatory as terrestrial radio's breaks).

2) On syndicated programming that is aired on terrestrial radio as well. Which both companies utilize (i.e., ESPN radio, Fox Sports, etc.) Because, well, if free radio has to take a break, then so does Satelite. Of course, if you're paying for XM/Sirius and only listening to these stations you can get for free elsewhere, then yes, you are stupid.

Note: there are a few ClearChannel stations still on XM at least that do run commercials, but seeing that the format of these stations are replicated elsewhere on the XM network, I don't know who listens to them.

And I don't know about free radio in Canada, but it's AWFUL in the US. To the point that, yes, it is worth it to pay for radio.
 
iJohnHenry said:
You must be joking, because that's why we pay a fee, is it not??
Click to expand...

All I'm saying is that DJs deserve love too. :) And I would never rank them below the "talent" that you think deserves more pay. A good DJ can make or break a station.

EX: I mainly have XM, but owned a Sirius radio for a while to. I listen to Ethel on XM, and Alt. Nation on Sirius (very similar formats). While there wasn't much of a difference in the music they played (the Sirius station actually played some selections that I wished XM would hunt out), one of the female DJs on Sirius made me want to tear my ears off. Not as funny as she though she was, and definitely did not know as much about music as she wanted to believe.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back