Sirius Talk

Today it was learned that the news we have all been waiting for is upon us. Sirius and Riley Martin have come to terms on a six month agreement so that the popular Riley Martin Radio Show on Howard 101 will continue. Three weeks of reruns have been aired leaving subscribers embroiled in a mystery as to whether Riley would still be on the air. Howard stern answered the question this morning by informing listeners that indeed the Riley Martin Show would continue.

Martin, called into the show and confirmed the news in a riveting way that had listeners pulling to the side of the road so that they did not miss one utterance of Martin. While the news has been well received by Martin fans, there will be no new broadcasts until the documentation of the contract is executed. We have heard rumor that Sirius’ Tim Sabien is not taking issue with the per show value of the contract, but wanted to get a new Biavian symbol issued to 12 of his closest friends at a discount. Riley, ever the staunch negotiator held firm to his price of $38.50 per symbol, but did say that if Stern gave him a live appearance on his show, that Riley would go ahead and forward the symbols. now that the live appearance is complete, fans can look forward to the Return of Riley Martin to the Howard Stern line-up.

Seriously though……Riley Martin is staying with Sirius to share his alien experiences with listeners. While this may not be the news you were looking for and hoping for, it is a story none the less. With everything else PENDING, it is good to report on something that has been accomplished.

Position - Long Sirius, Long XM

I have always liked Jay Thomas. From television roles including Remo on Mork and Mindy, to Eddie LeBeck on Cheers, to movie roles in Married People, and the Santa Clause movies series, to appearances on Letterman, to his current role as a talk show host on Sirius Satellite Radio. Jay is what radio should be.

Jay Thomas is a persons person. He has knowledge, humor, and a delivery that simply makes him likable. On radio he is fun while at the same time a bit edgy. He is not afraid to talk up even what might seem the most off the wall subject, and he always strives to deliver a good show to the audience. Simply stated, Jay Thomas is a breath of freshness and fun on the Sirius channel line-up.

The Jay Thomas Show is based on the Sirius Stars channel (102) in the afternoons. The show is a “MUST TRY” show. In other words, if you find yourself listening to something else, try giving the Jay Thomas Show a listen. You will not be disappointed. In recent weeks, great news about Jay Thomas has elevated his presence at Sirius. Thomas now hosts a show on Friday mornings on Howard 101. I had written several pieces about the need to fill the Friday morning slot. Stern takes Fridays off, and the master tape theater content, as good as it is, simply was not morning drive material. People wanted someone real in that slot, and now they have it with Jay Thomas filling that role. Additionally, Jay Thomas also DJ’s a show on Saturday nights on the Sirius’ Totally 70’s channel (7) from 8:00 to Midnight. Jay is quite busy, and for Sirius subscribers, this is a good thing.

What makes Jay Thomas good is his outgoing personality and life experiences. Jays career has taken him in many directions, and given him various experiences that are interesting. Thomas has opinions on many subjects, and the show is always entertaining. Jay interacts with his team of co-hosts such as Rodney Lee Conover, Shuli, and Madison. As a team, they keep the show rolling. Thomas also includes callers in the show, and sometimes a show will veer off on a tangent as a result of an interesting caller.

If you have not heard the Jay Thomas Show yet, make it a point to tune in. It is worth a listen. Thomas is one of the high points of Sirius’ talk line-up.

As a side note, Sirius should update the Howard 101 web page to include Jay Thomas.

Position - Long Sirius

Sirius OutQ is has something to celebrate. WOOD. No, not that, get your mind out of the gutter. OUTQ has been on air for five years!!! The first of its kind radio channel dedicated to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community is celebrating their wooden anniversary with a two hour retrospective this Monday April 14th. Who says that satellite radio lacks diverse programming? Listeners can catch the events on Channel 109.

SIRIUS OutQ News: Five Years in Review, anchored by News Director and anchor Tim Curran, will include discussions with figures at the forefront of breaking news and critical stories, such as Paul Smith, lead attorney for Lambda Legal’s case Lawrence v Texas; Tanya McCloskey and Marcia Kadish, the first gay couple to be married in Massachusetts; Rep. Tammy Baldwin, one of the two openly gay members of Congress; James Esseks, attorney for the ACLU’s LGBT project; Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Kevin Robert Frost, CEO of the American Foundation for AIDS Research; and Lawrence Korb, former Assistant Secretary of Defense.

SIRIUS OutQ News: Five Years in Review will highlight exclusive reporting on topics including HIV/AIDS, gay marriage, elections, groundbreaking court cases, culture, religion, and gay rights in schools. SIRIUS OutQ News has previously produced annual “LGBT Year in Review” programming and the acclaimed special on the crystal meth epidemic called Seduction: Crystal Meth and the Gay Community.

Launched on April 14, 2003, SIRIUS OutQ’s exclusive programming includes talk, entertainment, news, politics and more — all tailored specifically for a lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender audience. In its first five years, SIRIUS OutQ’s news team has provided unique and insightful coverage of the dramatic advances and setbacks for the LGBT community with more than 11,000 newscasts, covering 44,000 stories. SIRIUS OutQ News delivers hourly news updates.

SIRIUS OutQ recently expanded its news resources and launched OutQ News online at www.sirius.com/outq. Updated hourly, this online stream features the latest headlines straight from the OutQ News desk, delivering a unique and exclusive service from a large dedicated team of journalists covering the gay community.

Position - Long Sirius, Long XM - Straight, but accepting of lifestyles that differ from my own.

With the return of Vinnie Politan to Sirius’ Indie Talk, a major morning drive void has been filled. While Howard Stern is a staple for many listeners, there was no real alternative for Sirius Satellite Radio fans who simply wanted a topical show that was a bit less edgy. Now that show exists. The show is “Vinnie and Me”.

Vinnie and Me will air weekday mornings and promises to take the country’s pulse as he takes calls from men and women of all ages and backgrounds, shining a spotlight on their reactions to breaking news, issues and buzz. Topics on the show will be caller and headline-driven and span the worlds of politics, entertainment, and beyond.

Over the past couple of months this site has been critical of the morning drive selection on Sirius. Thankfully Sirius found a solution in bringing back a radio talent such as Politan.

While this news is welcomed by many listeners, Sirius still has a bit more work to do, and I find sort of a mission to see that listeners get what they want in mornings. Now understandably, this is all my opinion. However, I consider myself a someone who has a bit of a finger on the pulse of satellite radio, and the various aspects that still have missing components.

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Sirius has made a great content move. After months of having no real Howard Stern alternative, they have brought back Vinnie Politan. Now free from the legal themed show on Court TV, Vinnie can discuss a wide variety of topics from 6 - 9 AM on Sirius Indie Talk (ch. 110).

Politan’s show will launch March 24 and air live Monday - Friday from 6 - 9 am ET exclusively on Indie Talk channel 110. Every morning Politan will take the country’s pulse as he takes calls from men and women of all ages and backgrounds, shining a spotlight on their reactions to breaking news, issues and buzz. Topics on the show will be caller and headline-driven and span the worlds of politics, entertainment, and beyond.

A former prosecutor and Court TV reporter and anchor for many years, Politan brings an informative and entertaining journalistic insight to Indie Talk. Vinnie Politan recently hosted SIRIUS’ Court TV Morning Radio and co-anchored Court TV’s Bloom & Politan. Politan was a prosecuting attorney in Bergen County, New Jersey. Politan was also an AP Award-winning reporter and anchor for Central Florida News 13 in Orlando, FL, where he covered the 2000 presidential election

Welcome back Vinnie!

Position - Long Sirius

Vinnie Politan, who was the morning drive host on Sirius’ former Court TV Radio channel is coming back to Sirius to host Client 9 Radio (ch. 126). While this is not yet a permanent role with Sirius, it is an indication that the popular host is indeed working closely with Sirius to make a return to the airwaves.

Here at SiriusBuzz, we have expressed frustration in the lack of a Howard Stern alternative in morning drive. Last week Sirius had Jay Thomas on Howard 101, but that seems to have been a one shot deal only taking place on Friday, when Stern is normally off. We speculate that ultimately Vinnie Politan will be the morning drive host on Sirius’ Indie Talk (ch. 110).

For Vinnie fans, the return of Politan for Client 9 Radio will be welcomed news. The Client 9 Radio concept can illustrate the value that a show host such as Politan can bring to Sirius, and having him on a daily show would be welcomed news for subscribers who want a morning alternative to Stern.

Client 9 Radio will explore every side of the recent scandal from the political to the psychological to the medical and beyond and will consist of a wide variety of commentary and interviews conducted by Sirius hosts, and serve as a forum for listeners across the country to call in and discuss.

In addition to the live call-in shows, Client 9 Radio will include segments contributed by many Sirius hosts and experts from various fields, including law, public relations, medicine, and psychology, such as:

• Judith Regan (host of The Judith Regan Show) with Rachel Marsden (ex-girlfriend of Wikipedia founder who sold his stuff on eBay after he broke up with her via his website).
• Judith Regan (host of The Judith Regan Show) with private eye Vito Colucci, Jr. on catching spouses in the act.
• Bill Bennett (host on SIRIUS Patriot) with Senator John McCain discussing the story.
• Andrew Wilkow (host on SIRIUS Patriot) with New York GOP Assembly Leader James Tedisco.
• Larry Flick (host on SIRIUS OutQ) with Ed Koch.
• Ron Silver (host on Indie Talk) with Alan Dershowitz.
• Alex Bennett (host on SIRIUS Left) with Dennis Hof, owner of Moonlight Bunny Ranch in Nevada on prostitutes and politicians.
• The Playboy Radio Morning Show talking to high-priced prostitutes about the scandal.

Position - Long Sirius

Well, it seems that when listeners speak Sirius is indeed listening. Today on Howard 101, Sirius avoided a “replay” of some form or another and opted to give listeners a live show featuring Jay Thomas (who has a regular show on Sirius Stars in afternoon drive). This provided a breath of fresh air in the morning drive slot that has long been missing.

While today’s event does not appear to be permanent, it is indicative that Sirius is trying to solve a few issues that are at hand with morning drive programming.

1. Sirius needs a Friday morning show that Stern fans can tune to. Some like the “Best-of” shows, but even as good as they are, they are not a replacement for a live morning show. Jay Thomas on Howard 101 this morning was topical, funny, and provided for an entertaining commute. Some fans would like to see Factions Jason Ellis get a Friday morning shot. Ellis has a regular afternoon show on Sirius Faction.

2. Even if Sirius solves the Stern on Friday’s situation, they are still lacking a Stern alternative for fans that want a good show that is less edgy. In my mind it is shameful that Sirius Stars 102 lacks a regular morning drive show. Another channel in need of a quality morning show is Sirius’s’ new channel Indie Talk 110. A personality such as Vinnie Politan would fill a morning drive role on either channel with ease, and in Vinnie’s case, there is already a built in fan base.

3. In my opinion Sirius needs 3 good morning shows that cover a wide demographic. Stern is a given. If Vinnie Politan comes back, then Sirius would still need to fill one slot. At that point, they will have good diversity and selection of shows that can meet the listening desires of the subscribers. Afternoon drive is full of great shows. It is time that morning drive had a similar offering.

What Sirius did this morning with Jay Thomas was wonderful. They need to keep it up. Some callers that called into the Jay Thomas show actually expressed gratitude that there was a show to listen to. The dynamic of the show was great, now it is time to make some permanent moves for a better listening experience.

Position - Long Sirius, XM

Well, Bubba The Love Sponge is not called a shock jock because he makes friends with everyone. The Sirius Satellite Radio/Cox Communications radio host found himself on the short end of an upset Mark Lunsford, who’s daughter was abducted and murdered. The father, two years after the incident, has indicated that he is going to sue the Citrus County Sheriff’s Department and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for negligence in the death of his daughter.

Apparently the story is big news in the Tampa Florida area where Bubba hosts a morning show on terrestrial radio, and an afternoon show on Sirius. Bubba, likely trying to be topical and a bit controversial stated on his radio show that Lunsford was only suing to get money. Lunsford took exception and called Bubba to confront him.

In the confrontation Lunsford stated that the suit was not about the money, but instead about invoking a change in policy, and that any money he won would pay his lawyers with the balance donated to the Citrus County Children’s Advocacy Center, named Jessie’s Place, in memory of his daughter.

Well, if Lunsford is being forthright, and indeed the money (the most he can win is $100,000) is donated, Bubba owes the man an apology.

The issue is perhaps that Lunsford is not being above board in this whole issue. It is reported that he started a charity in his daughters name, seeking donations, and doing carnival rides for the charity. Meanwhile his lifestyle has changed, and he drives around in a brand new Hummer 2. People critical of him are calling for an audit of the charity. It is rumored that Bubba The Love Sponge, who was outspokenly critical of Lunsford, was getting ready to expose the whole circus on his radio show.

HMM. If Bubba is right, Lunsford should go crawl under a rock.

The kidnap and murder of Lunsford’s daughter was a terrible crime. The actions of the police department could have been better. How this story unfolds will be interesting to say the least.

Just another story in the unfolding saga of Bubba The Love Sponge.

[ Via Bay News 9 ] [ Call Audio ]

Position - Long Sirius.

Sirius’ new Indie Talk Channel is beginning to fill in their daily schedule with the addition of Pete’s Big Mouth in afternoon drive (show starts at 2:00 eastern). Today marked the second day of the new show featuring comedian Pete Dominick. Dominick who already hosts a couple of shows on Sirius’ Raw Dog Comedy (channel 104), now gets to bring his brand of politics to Indie Talk.

Listening to the show today, I was impressed with the ability of Dominick to step outside the comedy element, and get into what is often much more serious issues. Comedians do carry the ability to look at issues from a differing perspective, so it is no surprise that Dominick can fill a show and be compelling. My surprise was that he had no need to fall back on comedy as a safety net. Dominick is a welcomed addition to the channel, and a great contrast to Ron Silver.

At this point the missing component on Indie Talk is a morning drive show. In my opinion, Vinnie Politan is a natural, and the bonus would be that he would not even have confusion about the channel number since his old home was Sirius 110 anyway.

Congratulations to Pete Dominick for bringing a quality show offering to the table.

In response to our articles about the lack of a Stern alternative, and the Bubba The Love Sponge show getting slammed, many readers responded with a name that I had heard of but never listened to. The person? Jason Ellis.

Today I made it a point to tune into Sirius Faction (channel 28) at 3:00 PM to get a listen to Jason Ellis. Ellis, Australian born, can only be described with one word. EXTREME. He is also a very busy person. He hosts a show on Sirius faction from 3 to 7, appears on Octane, is working on a reality television show, a movie, has his own band called Taintstick, and is heavily involved in mixed martial arts. With all of this going on in his life, it is no surprise that he puts together an interesting show.

Ellis show is a bit over the top to be what I would term as a Stern alternative, but he would be more than qualified to host a show in the Stern timeslot on Friday’s or when the Stern crew is on vacation. Ellis is an entertainer, and that is a quality that is needed if you are going to host a four hour show. While the Jason Ellis show is entertaining, he likely has a core audience that is from a younger demographic than my own. That being said, he kept me emerged in the show, and wanting to hear what would come up next. In radio this is a key element to success, and growing an audience.

Ironically, Ellis is competing head to head with Bubba on Sirius, and it was my article about Bubba being taken to task that enabled me to learn about the Jason Ellis show. Those that commented on the post mentioned Ellis, and seemed to have switched from the Bubba show to Ellis’ show on Faction. Bubba did do a show on Friday mornings for a period of time, but now that he also has a terrestrial morning show, it is a gig that he can no longer perform. It may well be that the terrestrial deal can give Ellis some additional exposure that once would have gone Bubba’s way.

Many Stern fans express frustration at the lack of a live program to air when Stern is off. If Sirius were to try out Ellis in that slot, Bubba could find himself regretting the day that he decided to perform a morning show on terrestrial and an afternoon show on Sirius.

Does Ellis have what it takes to host Friday mornings on Howard 100? In my opinion, based on the show I heard today, he does. In addition, such a move could bolster the entire Sirius faction channel lineup as additional exposure would gravitate there. Make no mistake, Bubba is part of the Stern brand, but he needs to step up his game and deliver. Ellis is young, hungry, and crazy enough to become a radio factor on Sirius.

Position - Long Sirius