Investor News

BMW makes the driving experience simply awesome. Now they are improving on that once again by incorporating a new satellite radio feature called Enhanced satellite Radio Channel Selection. On top of that, Sirius as an option has also become more affordable. The price for a factory installed satellite radio has been slashed from $595 to $300!

So what is Enhanced Satellite Radio Channel Selection? Simply stated, it adds the BEST OF XM to the channel line-up during the promotional period. This is a great move for Sirius XM as well as BMW, and may bring about similar offerings from other OEM partners. The company will now be letting consumers hear ALL of the content they have to offer, and potentially, when these promotional subscribers become self paying, they may opt for the BEST OF package giving the company an additional $3.00 in revenue.

In addition to the BEST OF programming, BMW drivers will get additional upgrades:

Additional features have been added to enhance the user experience and can be accessed via BMW’s 4th-generation iDrive interface:

* The channel list may now be displayed as channel name, artist and song title.
* Artist and song title listings give listeners a “sneak-peek” to what is currently being played on the channel line-up.
* Channel surfing is now made easier by the provision of Direct Channel Input.
* Instant Replay allows users to time shift / replay a favorite song or program.
* Favorite Alert will notify users when a favorite artist, song, or game is being played.
* Traffic Jump allows users to automatically tune to the traffic message of a chosen metro area when the message becomes available to avoid missing important updates.

Vehicles not equipped with the iDrive controller will still have the Traffic Jump and Direct Channel Input features added to the feature set for 2010 when ordered with the SIRIUS option.

The launch of the SkyDock has begun to create a buzz around the Internet that will continue to resonate when the marketing campaign ramps up. the device is so slick that it has created an interesting dilemma among satellite radio subscribers.

The problem is that the simplicity of the SkyDock installation, in combination with the features it offers and the fact that your cell phone can become your satellite radio have people wondering what to do about their factory installed subscription. Stuart, a SiriusBuzz reader, posed this question in the comments of a recent article:

“I have XM with the Best of Sirius in my 2006 CTS, but the radio does not offer any special features. So, my question is would I need to buy another subscription to use the SkyDock?”

Thus, you can see what many are already contemplating. A factory installed radio is great because Sirius or XM is built right into your dashboard, and the controls are easy to use and familiar. However, once you turn off your car, you leave your subscription there. Skydock offers better functionality than most factory installed radios, and it is something that you can take with you. With the SkyDock aand Sirius XM apps, when you leave the car, your cell phone, and thus your satellite radio, go with you.

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As readers are well aware, NASDAQ de-listing notices have recently been forwarded to companies that are not in compliance with the $1 minimum bid requirement for continued listing on the exchange. On August 3rd, the minimum bid rule, which had been suspended since 2008, went back into effect.

There are three possible scenarios which can play out: 1) the stock rises above $1 by March 15, 2010 for ten consecutive trading days, and the company does nothing; 2) the SEC / NASDAQ changes the listing requirements to enable companies like Sirius XM, with their substantial equity value, to remain listed despite being below $1; or 3) the company executes a reverse split in order to bring the nominal share price above $1.

Simply stated, Sirius XM needs the equity price above $1.00 to remain listed unless regulators grant a waiver. Last year, shareholders granted the company the authority to conduct a reverse split if the company believes it is in shareholders’ best interests, and at this year’s shareholder meeting that authority was extended to the company through mid-2010.

Mel Karmazin has clearly stated that he does not want to do a reverse split unless compelled to do so, but the reality is that the time clock is now ticking and regulators may not grant an exception, so it is an issue that investors and the company should begin considering. Today, I would like to encourage discussion about the mechanics of the reverse split to get a gauge of what level investors feel the company should consider and why.

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SiriusBuzz Radio is back with a whole new flavor.  Catch the show live tonight, September 24, 2009 at 9:00 PM Eastern.  Want to learn more about what is happening here at SiriusBuzz?  Then be sure to listen in.  Callers are welcomed and can participate by calling 347-945-7995.

SiriusBuzz Radio Show #53

SiriusBuzz is proud to announce some sweeping changes that will be happening on this site.  For years, I have written under the pen name Tyler Savery and have covered satellite radio from an investors as well as a consumers perspective.  SiriusBuzz has always been more concentrated on detailed reporting of the equity side of satellite radio.  Today that changes.

We have decided to shift our focus from equity based writing and put our efforts into catering to the over 18 million satellite radio consumers.  Satellite radio is an awesome concept and will continue to grow, and we want to broaden our horizons to meet that audience.  As satellite radio growth happens, these consumers will need a place that gives them all of the news and information about the medium.  Satellite radio offers more content and choice virtually any other platform, and with the new concentration on Sirius XM Internet Radio, the choices and content could become even more impressive.  Perhaps for many there is an overwhelming amount of choice.  So much so that great content and great features get lost to the consumer because they are simply not addressed in a meaningful way that resonates with the average radio listener.  This is where SiriusBuzz will create value for consumers.  Articles about the content, reviews of products, and digging deeper into what the satellite radio culture is will be the foundation of a great consumer site dedicated to satellite radio.

As part of this transformation we will be making a few additional announcements in the coming weeks that give satellite radio consumers an even greater level of coverage and information. 

Some that follow the equity (SIRI) may be disappointed in this decision, but rest assured, the information you will see on SiriusBuzz will help the medium prosper by covering all of the great qualities of satellite radio.   The pen name Tyler Savery is being retired, but my passion for understanding the equity side of the business still exists.   I will be consulting on the equity side of satellite radio for select clients.  More details on this will become available in the near future, but if you are interested in getting that information first please send an email to satellitestandard@gmail.com.  In the meantime the SiriusBuzz forums, which include equity based categories, will maintain discussions on satellite radio as well as other equities.

SiriusBuzz Radio will continue to be a staple feature of this site and SiriusBuzz brand.  Watch for radio shows to resume shortly, with an all new consumer based show.  We are excited about the shift of focus to the consumer.  Satellite radio is a passion of ours, and we want to make every effort to give consumers the same great coverage that the equity side has had for so long on this site.

Position – Long Sirius XM Radio

SIRIUS XM PERSCRIBES A FULL DOSE OF DOCTOR RADIO

For some, doctors talking on radio may seem to be a foreign concept. Others have discovered that satellite radio not only commercial free music, but some top notch talk programming as well. This is simply content that you wont find on the AM, FM, or HD dial. Doctor Radio is a pristine example of the type of diversity in content offered by Sirius XM. This Labor Day, take a minute to see what Doctor Radio is all about. The treatment for the day is a virtual BEST OF line-up that is sure to have something that any listener can relate to.

Doctor Radio’s Labor Day Schedule

6 am – 7 am ET Men’s Health
7 am – 8 am ET Orthopedic Surgery
8 am – 9 am ET Plastic Surgery
9 am – 10 am ET Dermatology
10 am – 11 am ET Nutrition & Exercise
11 am – 12 pm ET Rehabilitative Medicine
12 pm – 1 pm ET Internal Medicine
1 pm – 2 pm ET Everyday Health
2 pm – 3 pm ET Interventional Cardiology
3 pm – 4 pm ET Primary Care Medicine
4 pm – 5 pm ET Pediatrics
5 pm – 6 pm ET Emergency Medicine
6 pm – 7 pm ET Child Psychiatry & Psychology
7 pm – 8 pm ET Heart Surgery
8 pm – 9 pm ET Psychiatry
9 pm – 10 pm ET Sexual Health
10 pm – 11 pm ET Health Care Connect
11 pm – 12 am ET Woman’s Health
12 am – 1 am ET Pulmonology
1am – 2 am ET Oncology

Position – Long Sirius XM

It seems that satellite radio generates a lot of passion in people. That is a good thing when that passion is grounded by a healthy dose of reality. Recent events in the satellite blogsphere seem to created a heated debate between Satwaves and Motley Fool. Somehow through the course of their “debate”, SiriusBuzz got dragged in. Motley Fool challenges the accuracy of Satwaves, and for whatever reason, Satwaves makes a decision to deflect that attention to SiriusBuzz in the opening paragraph of their rebuttal.

I had the honor this weekend to attend the Charity Awards Gala at the Ritz Carlton in Washington D.C. It was being at that event and dinner that made me reflect on a rather detailed and pointed response I had already started writing as a rebuttal to comments made by Mr. Matthews and Satwaves in his response to Motley Fool.

The Charity Awards Gala is an annual event that celebrates the giving of people and organizations. I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with icons like boxing great Joe Frazier, presidential historian and advisor Doug Wead, music entertainer and movie star Pat Boone, and Fox News host and past presidential candidate Mike Huckabee.

It was a brief set of words spoken by Mike Huckabee event at the that caused me to stop and reflect on this article as well as the tone it would take. Mr. Huckabee stated, “if you do not give, you have not lived.” What Mr. Huckabee was stating was that the act of giving carries huge rewards for ones quality of life. People that generally carry a positive attitude, and are generous with their time and money have fuller lives because of their generosity. I had begun penning a rather pointed and detailed response to Mr. Matthews. Upon taking some time to reflect on what has transpired, I thought it best to approach this issue in a more positive way that perhaps can bring about good changes.

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SiriusBuzz Radio will be airing tonight, September 3, 2009 at 9:00 PM Eastern. SiriusBuzz radio offers news and information about satellite radio from both an investors and consumers perspective. Callers are welcomed and can reach the show by dialing 347-945-7995.

Join the SiriusBuzz team for accurate in-depth information and out of this world coverage.