General News

In a stunning announcement today, Sirius XM Chairman Gary Parson has stepped down. Gary Parsons, who co-founded XM Satellite Radio, announced his resignation after the market close and shortly after one of the better quarters that satellite radio has seen in recent times was announced. Eddy Hardenstein, a Sirius XM director who is also the publisher and CEO of the Los Angeles Times, will become the company’s non-executive chairman.

Parsons stated, “it’s the right time to step aside…the challenging economic environment, we have begun to generate positive cash flow and have substantially improved our financial condition.”

Gary Parsons contribution to satellite radio can not be denied.

SiriusBuzz is proud to announce an association with Digital Radio Mag. Digital Radio Mag was created to give satellite radio fans a simple and easy solution for satellite radio coverage by offering unique content from writers passionate about satellite radio. TSS-Radio’s Taylor, Damon from Sirius XM News, and Spencer Osborne from SiriusBuzz have joined together to give satellite radio fans more content and coverage on Sirius XM.

The unique factor about this site is that the contributors will still maintain their core sites and businesses, but will join together under the Digital Radio Mag umbrella with unique articles and insight. Readers will be treated to all of the news in satellite radio from three great sites that will work in cooperation with each other. Between these three site, we’ve got you covered with wide ranging styles and opinions.

Take a minute to become familiar with Digital Radio Mag as well as Sirius XM News. We here at SiriusBuzz will be working closely with them

Satellite radio fans have been buzzing about the Sirius XM SkyDock since it was announced a month ago. Now, the wait is almost over for all of the passionate, gotta-have-it Sirius XM fans. You can now pre-order your SkyDock from TSS-Radio.

TSS has notified us that they expect units to be available for shipment on October 18, 2009. If you want to be certain to get your hands onto a SkyDock, you may want to seriously consider ordering yours now. The Sirius XM SkyDock allows owners of iPod Touch’s and iPhones to virtually turn their device into a satellite radio when docked.

Contact TSS Radio for more information, and get in line. For the record, I am already in line and will be adding the SkyDock to my arsenal of satellite radio devices.

As many are already aware, some rental companies offer satellite radio as an option.  If you have never done so, take them up on the offer the next time you rent a car.  For existing satellite radio consumers, you will get all of the content you are already used to, and for those that have never tried it, it is a great way to expose yourself to the service.

I travel frequently, and in fact drive rental cars more than my own car.  In any given month, I will drive as many as four different cars.  This gives me a chance to see what different manufacturers have to offer, as well as allowing me to see the various satellite radio set-ups offered.  Believe it or not, not all factory installed satellite radios are created equal.  Depending on the model of car you rent, it is possible that you will not even be aware that your car is equipped with a satellite radio.  Take a few minutes to play with the buttons on the dash and see if the car has satellite.  If your are lucky, you may even get a car with an operating satellite radio that you don’t even have to pay for.

Another thing to look for is a car with an AUX INPUT.  This input will allow existing subscribers to bring their own radios, as well as give you functionality with the soon to be released SkyDock from Sirius XM.  I have a custom set-up from TSS-Radio that lets me bring my Stiletto with me as I travel.  The TSS-Radio solution incorporates a standard antenna with a small whip and suction-cup mount.  I simply plug the stiletto dock into the AUX INPUT, insert my stiletto,  and I am good to go.  Instant satellite radio in virtually any rental car.

For those that rent cars often, you are well aware of the pros and cons of each rental company.  If you are not a frequent renter, here are some tips to make your experience better.

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While official word has not yet been released, we have the understanding that Sirius XM’s new satellite is up and operational. The new satellite was launched at the end of the second quarter and has been undergoing various tests prior to the company accepting delivery and pumping content through to subscribers.

This latest satellite was contracted by Sirius Satellite radio prior to the merger. Unlike the other satellites in the Sirius constellation, this satellite sits in a fixed geostationary orbit. This satellite is more powerful than the higher orbiting satellites utilized by Sirius in the past. Subscribers to the Sirius feed may notice changes in reception in areas where they were getting “drop-outs” in the past.

If you are a Sirius subscriber, we here at SiriusBuzz would be interested in knowing if anyone notices any differences in their reception of the Sirius signal.

Position – Long Sirius XM Radio

In this  guest post, Scott Spiegel shares his feelings about a new direction for Sirius XM subscriber relations.

Almost immediately after beginning my internship at Sirius in the summer of 2006, I was asked to sign a confidentiality agreement.  While I do not feel as though as I ever violated this agreement, a recent visit to my former bosses and colleagues made me feel as though while I hadn’t done anything illegal, I had, in fact, violated their trust.

I only started writing for this blog (for free, I might add) in the hope that someone might notice my writing and want to hire me for a ‘real’ job.  I considered my unique perspective as a longtime subscriber (pre-Howard), former intern (in Industry and Talent Relations), and patient stockholder (the first shares I purchased were priced at around $6-a price not seen in over two years), would make my writings both interesting and informative.  I think I have lived up to my own high expectations.

My writing was noticed… by SiriusXM executives.  Word got back to my former internship supervisor, and his reaction to seeing me in the company lobby was not positive, to say the least.  Now, after my recent experience at the worldwide headquarters of our favorite media company, I came to realize that I value the relationships I cultivated in my short time there more than making a buck.  It is with that being said, that I now present my final (at least for the near future) Sirius XM themed blog entry.

I have been saving this article for such an occasion because it is about the subject I feel most passionate about when it comes to this company-SUBSCRIBER RELATIONS.   There is not one aspect of the company that frustrates me more than the feeling of only being a notch on the belt.  It seems as though once they get our money, the company is no longer concerned with keeping us happy.  They rely solely on unique content to keep us around (which for some is more than enough), but I would argue that an invested subscriber (one who feels like they have at least a little say in what happens), is the best marketing tool a company can have.

We are passionate about this company.  We want to see it succeed, yet we want to see it improve.  You wouldn’t be reading this post on this website, if the passion weren’t there.  Try a google search of the phrase “comcast blog”.   Seriously, go ahead, take a look at the first listing.  The title of the listing is “Comcast Sucks”.  The point is: no other company, whose main source of income is subscription fees, inspires such heart-felt love and passion.  We care deeply about this company.  Let these two questions be asked… how much do you love and expect from companies like AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint?  How much do you care for and expect from Sports Illustrated or Newsweek, or Your Local Newspaper, for that matter?  Here’s what I’m trying to get across: as long as the aforementioned companies give you the minimum amount of reliability, you’re happy not to have to deal with them.  With Sirius XM, we don’t just want our receivers to work.  That’s always a nice aspect, but it’s not enough for us.  It’s time subscribers exert their will and help change the company for the better.

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The SkyDock will be announced by Sirius XM next week, but already there is some basic confusion surrounding the dock and what its purpose would be. That is understandable given the high degree of secrecy that Sirius XM Radio has with regard to these latest product offerings.

We can deal with speculation, and what we know. The issue comes when people begin to speculate without first gaining and understanding of what is known. In an article today, Motley Fools Rick Munarriz penned a piece which takes the SkyDock into a direction that was never intended. Munarriz makes the assumption that the goal of the SkyDock is to make the iPhone a “portable” satellite radio receiver. This is not at all the case. What the SkyDock does is make the iPhone a satellite receiver when docked into a car and/or home dock.

In order to better understand the hardware we need to step back and understand the big picture. In fairness to the Motley Fool, they do not follow the intricacies of the sector like some of the sites dedicated to satellite radio. The FCC filings show the purpose and functionality of the SkyDock.

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SiriusBuzz Radio will be running our 50th broadcast tonight, August 20, 2009 at 9:00 PM EST. Want to know why the stock has made a move upward? Tune in to hear informed analysis and opinion on not only the stock price, but the new hardware, auto sales, and everything else pertaining to Sirius XM.

Callers are welcomed and can join in by calling 347-945-7995.

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