General News

Sometimes exposure comes in the most unlikely ways, in this case, the news headlines of the week are highlight Sirius. It is not the stock price, the merger, or a Black Friday Door Buster. It is the recent hijacking of a Saudi oil tanker named “MV Sirius Star”, that is getting the Sirius name out there, albeit in a very subliminal way.

According to reports, the Saudi super tanker was hijacked Saturday, November 15th by Somali pirates, who are bringing the taker to one of their ports. An international outcry has ensued, and nations are calling for an international effort to combat piracy.

While the drama unfolds, Sirius Star will remain in the news, and by extension, the Sirius name will be on the minds of many. Will it result in boosted retail sales? Likely not. It is more likely that this will become an excuse to raise oil prices once again. Oh well.

Position: Long SIRI.

We are about a week into the new programming at Sirius XM. As part of the merger it only made sense to consolidate the line-ups and eliminate duplicity. While I know that there are channel fans that will say that their favorite was not part of the duplicity and was still eliminated, and I feel for you, decisions had to be made. The crowd that hate the changes are always the ones we hear when something like this happens, and true to form, there is no exception with Sirius XM Radio.

First and foremost, there is the complaint that the changes came virtually without warning. I hate to be the bearer of the news here, but this is how it is done. No company in their right mind would publish something informing everyone that changes are afoot. It would create weeks of confusion, and take focus away from those charged with implementing the change. Rarely does someone get a warning when they are being layed off. One rare exception to this was when Howard announced he was coming to satellite. That change was well known, and in the end, CBS was quite frustrated that the news was known.

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The issue of the big three auto makers has become partisan. While this may not be a surprise, it does throw into a tailspin what many are seeing as a dire situation in Detroit. Many Americans are against a bail out, citing that the company’s will use the money to survive, but not reform their ways.

It has been widely reported that President Elect Obama has desires to see a bail-out package happen sooner rather than later. The Bush administration feels that something needs to happen, but it should not be part of the $700,000,000,000 bailout that passed in the weeks leading up to the election.

Some have argued that the Bush administration is not supportive of protective measures for the auto industry. The White House pointed out today that this is not the case. The Bush plan would call for $25 billion (the amount sought by democrats) should come from a Department of Energy program previously approved and funded to develop fuel-efficient vehicles. The White House opposes the idea of automakers getting an additional $25 billion.

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The news that came out today was not unexpected. “Retail Sales Fall By Record Amount In October” was the Associated Press headline. With consumer confidence low, the credit markets tighter than they have ever been, and people nervous about their jobs, it is little wonder that retail sales have taken a hit.

Personally, I do not see the headlines improving any time soon. Thanksgiving is later than usual this year, causing a shorted shopping period, and I fear that we will see news stories about this being the worst holiday shopping season in decades.

The article noted that among the bigger factors in the numbers were auto sales, but the impact is broader than even that. Consumers are seeking not only value, but affordability. Many auto makers are offering 0%, but the payments can be extensive when the 0% is only good for two or three years. Now more than ever, affordable MONTHLY payments are foremost on the minds of consumers.

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The National Association of Broadcasters in in the midst of a battle with the RIAA. Throughout their debate, the NAB has brought out quote after quote from artists thanking “radio” for getting their songs exposure. Today was no different. The National Association of Broadcasters thumped their chest by quoting Rascal Flatts band member Gary LeVox who at last evenings Country Music Awards said, “Thanks so much to country radio. And again all of our fans, again all of our fans, again all of our fans.”

From that quote, the NAB takes it upon themselves to assume that Rascal Flatts was speaking about “free radio”, and they use it to support their stance against having to pay royalties.

Doesn’t satellite radio promote artists? Didn’t Rascal Flatts take over Sirius’ New Country channel for a whole weekend this past August? Doesn’t satellite radio help bring country music into broader markets more than “free radio?”

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SiriusBuzz Radio is back! After taking a bit of time off, we are back in the saddle again, and ready to bring listeners their weekly dose of satellite radio talk. After what can only be termed as a hectic week of crisscrossing the country I am now at home base again, and ready to talk satellite radio.

Join us tonight at 9:00 PM EST for the latest news and discussion of the satellite radio sector. Subjects will include the quarterly call, the OEM channel, the retail channel, as well as a few other items. Callers are welcomed to join the show by calling 347-945-7995.

Position - Long SIRI

Fans of satellite radio are passionate. It is for this reason that I knew the channel line-ups would cause confusion, opinion, and even outrage. It simply is the nature of the beast. You can not make all of the people happy all of the time.

Sirius XM radio has done a decent job of making suggestions for channels on those that have been removed. The question is whether subscribers will be able to set aside their passion to give the other channels a try.

In some cases, a favorite channel may carry a new name. New Country on Sirius is now The Highway. Rest assured that Brad Paisley is the same on both the old and the new… as is Jewel. Human nature dictates a rash reaction to change. Human nature also gives us the ability to adapt to change.

Yes, there are channels that will no longer exist. If one of these was your favorite, express your opinion, but do it in a meaningful manner. Calling up angry saying you are going to cancel because one favorite channel was removed will not help get that channel back. Even a well worded letter may not get the desired results, but it at least has a better chance.

There was bound to be issues when the channels were unveiled. Certainly the company will be listening to opinion carefully as they move forward. Give a reasoned and well worded opinion, and you will have a much better chance of bringing about adjustments in the future.

Are you happy with the new line-ups? Is there a channel that is no longer available that you will miss? Is there a channel that you will try out. Check out the forums as conversations are popping up all over the place.

Position: Long SIRI

I have broadcast SiriusBuzz Radio from several states, and even though I travel frequently, have made every attempt to stay faithful to our Thursday night broadcasts. This week, I will be on a plane, and because the FAA will not allow cell phone calls from 32,000 feet, we will be unable to broadcast the show this evening.

My family and I are spending a long weekend in salt Lake City, and I will then follow that up with a brief three day trip to Orlando. I will make efforts to Bring a special edition of SiriusBuzz Radio on Monday night after the Sirius XM Radio conference call, but we will have to see how my schedule shakes out.

I would encourage listeners to take this opportunity to listen to some of the archived shows which you can find by visiting SiriusBuzz Radio’s page on Blog Talk Radio. While you are there, why not take a few minutes to mark SiriusBuzz radio as a favorite, as well as rate some of the shows. Think of it as Sa SiriusBuzz Radio Instant Replay. Besides, if Howard can take every Friday off, I should be able to miss a show or two.

SiriusBuzz Radio will return to our regular Thursday schedule next week.

Position - Long SIRI

The retail environment in satellite radio is about to consolidate some more. It has been no secret that Circuit City was going to close some stores, but until now, it was difficult to gage exactly how big the store closing list would be. We now seen a report, published by Circuit City today that has 155 retail locations slated for closing. The store currently has roughly 700 locations.

The move is somewhat of a backdrop for the U.S. economy and illustrates the fact that consumers are nervous. Circuit City will close stores in 28 states. The time frame for the closures is as yet unknown.

The store closings may seem on its face to benefit competitor Best Buy, but Circuit City is certainly being strategic in which stores are closing. The closings will likely benefit on line retailers such as TSS-Radio (a sponsor of this site), as they cater to customer service, and are far more versed on the newly merged Sirius XM Radio.

For satellite radio sector watchers, it means that there are now fewer retail locations to buy satellite radio. The question at this point is whether the closing of 155 Circuit City stores will have an impact on SDARS sales. In my mind the simple answer is no. One positive in this situation is that Sirius XM radio will not be leasing as much retail space anymore, which can help trim costs.

Position: Long SIRI, None Circuit City, Best Buy.

With the election right around the corner, I came across this interesting cartoon. I chuckled when I read it, and figured SiriusBuzz Readers may like it regardless of their politics, or favorite candidate. That being said, Who are you voting for?