Sirius Talk

Rosie Radio is here on Sirius XM Radio. Whether you agree with her lifestyle, politics, or thought process does not matter. What matters is that she is here on Sirius XM, and that she will have an appeal to fans. No, Rosie is not going to personally be responsible for a groundswell of subscribers, but she will be that added bit of content that people will be drawn to.

Rosie will be broadcasting daily from a custom-built home studio near her kids and her crafts. Satellite radio fans get treated to a two-hour show each day, and can even reach out to Rosie by calling 1-877-94 Rosie. For fans, the radio format may deliver the best chance for live interaction that has ever existed.

Rosie Radio features more than just Rosie. Show regulars include Rosie’s lifelong friend Jeanne Kopetic, who is scheduled to stop by each Tuesdays to hang out and reminisce. Janette Barber, Rosie’s longtime friend, producer and fellow comedienne, will be by her side as the show’s executive producer. Rosie’s longtime friend and makeup artist Helene Macaulay also joins the fun, appearing regularly on Fridays. Rosie, Rosie, Helene and Janette are known for their “Jahero” (JAnette, HElene, and ROsie) series, previously done in the past as web video blogs and a favorite of visitors to rosie.com. “Jahero” is now a regular Friday feature on Rosie Radio, during which listeners can ask Rosie, Janette and Helene any questions they like. Rosie’s former assistant and Taboo costume designer Bobby Pearce is also a regular, chiming in about everything from weight loss to Broadway.

Rosie Radio is worth a listen. She is a compelling figure who is very capable of delivering high quality content and interviews. Her outspoken nature is sure to deliver great radio.

Rosie Radio debuts on Monday November 2nd, and can be found on Sirius XM Stars. The show can be heard live Monday through Friday from 10 am ET to 12 pm ET. Rebroadcasts are available from 12 pm ET to 2 pm ET & 8 pm ET to 10 pm ET. Tune to Sirius channel 102 or XM channel 155 to catch the show.

It was just a few months ago that the old fauxs turned friends, Howard Stern and Rosie O’Donnell first made nice on the Sirius XM airwaves and now it looks like their new found friendship will be put to the test in a little friendly morning show host competition.

Rosie Radio is set to launch this fall and air Monday – Friday from 10am -12pm ET on Sirius XM Stars, Sirius ch.102 and XM ch.155. Rosie Radio is said to be a daily, two-hour talk show on which she will blend her many passions and interests – an eclectic mix of humor, pop culture and serious conversation.

“Rosie O’Donnell is a powerful, dynamic and entertaining voice and now you can only get her on Sirius XM,” said Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer, Sirius XM Radio. “Rosie’s millions of fans will hear her as they never have before, and have the chance to call in and talk to her and her intriguing guests. Rosie Radio will entertain, inform, surprise and delight.”

Now that she is “exclusively” on Sirius XM, does this mean her fans will no longer be able to see and hear her via the infamous Roise blog, where she has been known for her outspoken written and video rants over the years? At the time of this writing there was curiously no mention of her move to Sirius XM… I expected to see a maniacal video blog at the very least to let her fans know where they could catch her next, maybe it is coming soon.

Channel changes create all kinds of reactions. Over the past month or so Sirius XM has made channel changes and subscribers have either loved or hated the result. Among the most vocal of subscribers have been those that dislike the direction the company has taken with any particular genre or content.

More often than not there is a huge outcry of dislike immediately after the change is made, but as time passes, the outcry diminishes, and eventually simply fades away. Sure, passionate fans will continue to complain, but typically the numbers are not large enough to generate a reaction from the company. After all, and as foolish as this may sound, satellite radio, with well over 100 channels, can not make all of the people happy all of the time.

At the end of 2008, XM subscribers lost Fox Business as part of their channel line-up. Interestingly, to this day, that article is still getting regular comments from subscribers indicating how big a part of their listening day Fox Business actually is. Unlike some other comments relating to content line-up changes, the response on the Fox Business article has had a majority of comments that are well thought out and well reasoned. In most cases, the stark difference between Fox Business and rivals such as CNBC and Bloomberg seems to be in the nature of the delivery of the shows. People like Fox Business because they say it is not dry and boring, and the show gives a fresh new flavor to what many times has been a boring subject.

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Today Sirius XM Radio announced that Bobby Flay, the renowned chef, restaurateur, award-winning cookbook author and television personality, will host Bobby Flay Radio, an exclusive five-week series of live call-in shows.

Satellite Radio subscribers can tune into some savory content delivered fresh from chef Bobby Flay on Sirius ch. 108 and XM ch. 139 where he will explore the essentials of good living for men of all ages and backgrounds. Flay, the man responsible for Mesa Restaurants, Bobby’s Burger Palace, and Bobby Flay Steak will begin airing a regular show beginning January 8th right through to February 5th every Thursday 10:00 am – 12:00 pm ET.

“I love the energy and fast, fun pace of live radio and look forward to interacting with SiriusXM’s listeners and sharing my philosophies for living life to the fullest. With the right attitude and a few key ingredients every guy out there can enjoy the good life — no matter what.”

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The channel lineup is still receiving some tweaking and this time XM subscribers lost the Fox Business Channel. The Fox Business channel is somewhat newer, and not as well established as its brethren CNBC and Bloomberg.

This is not the first time Fox has made the news with regard to satellite radio. For a period of time, the Fox News channel was dropped from Sirius as negotiations between Sirius and Fox did not come to common ground. During that period, XM touted the fact that they had Fox News and in addition added other Fox programming to their line-up. Ultimately, Mel Karmazin negotiated a deal with Fox that was not only less expensive for Sirius, but for XM as well.

Karmazin, as part of his agreement with Fox, did not carry the other Fox channels. Thus, it is no surprise that the merged company would trim programming such as this. With CNBC and Bloomberg having larger audiences, the move seems to make business sense. The move was effective December 27th, and has not had the same level of “uproar” from subscribers as the merged channel line-up did.

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Finally, a Sirius Stars channel that has a consistent morning and afternoon drive show. Sirius Satellite Radio has launched Sirius Stars Too on channel 108, and talk radio fans have something to cheer about.

The new talk channel features the ever popular Vinnie Politan in morning drive, and the fun loving Jay Thomas in the afternoon drive slot. Mixed in throughout the day are Maxim Radio’s Cavino and Rich, as well as the popular Game On Show hosted by Joshua Pellicer and Jordan Harbinger.

While I applaud the move at Sirius Stars Too, I am still somewhat taken aback by the lack of consistent drive time shows on the original. The original still carries differing shows in drive time depending on the day you are listening, which is something that frustrates me, and perhaps other listeners as well. Variety on satellite is wonderful, but drive time radio is a time honored tradition in America. Wake up, take a shower, get dressed, get the coffee, get into the car, and listen to your usual show. While Sirius Stars still does not adhere to this tradition, Sirius Stars Too will be a welcomed addition to my presets.

Vinnie Politan and Jay Thomas are both fun and compelling hosts that bring a lot to the table. They have a strong following, and always put out 100% in their shows. The new Sirius Stars Too is a jewel in the new programming line up, and if you have not heard these two satellite radio talents yet, make it a point to tune in.

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Sometimes it is the little details that get missed. In tough economic times, getting the little things right is perhaps more important than ever. Imagine this. Being a Friday morning, and with a 70 mile drive ahead of me, I got into my car and tuned in to Howard Stern only to find that it is a replay. Knowing that I had upgraded my Sirius subscription to include the “BEST OF XM”, I quickly found my way to channel 197 which carries the Opie and Anthony show.

When I tuned in, I noticed something peculiar on the screen of my Stiletto. The Display read, “The Virus – XM 202″. For an XM subscriber, the channel number would be correct. However, as a Sirius subscriber, the O & A show comes on channel 197. Why is it that my Sirius Radio is displaying the XM channel? What sense does this make?

The latest promotion by Sirius XM Radio gives people 3 months free of the “BEST OF” programming. For those new subscribers, why confuse the issue. If a radio is a Sirius radio, it should be clear to the consumer what channel they are listening to. At a minimum, the display of radios should say, “The Virus – XM 202 – Sirius 197″

This may seem trivial to long time subscribers, but for a new subscriber, it presents confusion. The merger is confusing enough. Why add to the confusion with something can can be remedied with relative ease?

The “BEST OF” programming is new, but it is important that the little things be done correctly. Sirius XM should also consider getting the hosts of shows that can cross over to use “Sirius XM Radio” rather than simply “Sirius” or “XM” when they are doing their respective shows.

Hopefully, the company will consider implementing these simple yet important changes.

UPDATE: The other thing I have noticed is that when I listen to XM channels on Sirius, and commercials come on, the never bother to change some of them. I have heard ads and promotions for buying the BEST OF SIRIUS on my Sirius radio. Obviously, they are marketing to XM subscribers because it is an XM channel. However, they should switch out that add to Sirius radios with a revenue generating commercial. Obviously, if I am listening to the BEST OF XM on my Sirius radio, there is no need for the company to market the BEST OF programming, especially when it is geared to subscribers on the other system. Another little thing that the company needs to fix quickly.

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Maxim Radio, one of the exclusive talk radio channels on Sirius is launching Game On this Friday. The show promises to teach and inform listeners on how to attract people of the opposite sex, how to build confidence, and how to show that you have game.

The new show will air each Friday from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM eastern.

[SatWaves]

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