Open Letter To Sirius XM – More Music, Less Talk
Dear Sirius XM,
When the concept of a merger came up, I was excited about the prospects of the company. I looked forward to a satellite radio company that could bring about the best that both services had to offer.Sirius and XM each had passionate fans that were 100% behind the service that they subscribed to. Certainly, the combination of the best of both worlds would be a success.
I am sorry to say that so far the success is marginal in many ways. As part of the channel line-up shift, New Country (a Sirius channel) was replaced by the Highway (an XM channel). The Highway has a lot more talk, and yesterday I heard something that made my skin crawl. A DJ came on and announced some sort of trivia question. He then proceeded to take callers who attempted their answers. When one finally got it right, they won a “green frog”. In other words, they won nothing. The whole process burned about 3 minutes of time, and in the end the Highway sounded like a low budget operation that could not even afford prizes!
As I have surfed the channels, I have noted that some channels simply have more talk on them than before. Wolfman Jack seems to blather on endlessly on the 60’s channel, and the 70’s channel seems to have more talk than ever before. Some channels have remained the same, and for that I am grateful, but the changes have a lot of people frustrated.
To be clear, I have always enjoyed a little bit of DJ talk. I feel that DJ’s add to a show. They share little bits of insight, and can make the music more fun, but some of these channels seem to have more than doubled the amount of talk, and the change is so stark that people are noticing.
I think what we have here was an attempt to make both Sirius and XM listeners happy. The task was near impossible, but there are solutions. I feel that the company should conduct web surveys of people on the website. Let the listeners interact directly with the company and express their opinions. The company should use the Internet service to test market a few differing concepts for channels. This will get fans to participate, and let the company know what it is the consumers are looking for.
Overall, I expected the channel changes to bring forth a lot of negative attention. There are always complaints when changes are made, and complainers tend to be more vocal. However, core fans of satellite radio are feeling like they do not have a voice in this process. Sirius XM needs to recognize that fans that are paying for a service need to express their opinions, and need to feel they are getting value. I realize that the changes are a work in process, but one would imagine that the goal is to satisfy as many people as possible.
I am sure that the company analized listenership numbers for channels that were similar between the two services. In most cases, you probably followed the one with a higher listenership. in my opinion you should have taken it a step further. Sirius listeners did not have the ability to listen to the Highway, and XM listeners could not listen to New Country. Perhaps, had the consumer had a choice between the two before, a clear winner could be identified.
This site, and some others that concentrate on satellite radio have loyal followings. Readers are typically invested in the stock, but are also passionate listeners. The comments on the channel changes should be read by Sirius XM Management. Readers of this site and others are the ambassadors of this company. These are the people that spread the word for the company, and the people who will not hesitate to be vocal.
I would suggest that the cxompany make some moves to include the listeners more, and give the removed programs a second life on the web. Let listenership on a head to head basis carry weight in the programming decisions.
Sincerely,
SiriusBuzz
Position – Long Sirius XM
thanks tyler…nobody could express it so well…they need to LISTEN to you and other listeners as you suggest….hope you sent this letter off to the company…I applaud you for this action/advice to them!!!
Good article Tyler, I hope that you sent it to Mel & CO. Keep up the hard work in 2009. The product they have assembled is good, but can be improved by listening to the subs. For the next year, cost cutting will be king at the company, and more DJ talk = less in residual payments. Not the perfect answer, but managing this set of books and subscriber base thru this time is all about picking the lesser of 2 evils until the economy improves. I hope and pray that they make it, and I think they will, but survival will come at a cost in many respects. Sat Rad still beats the alternatives imho…
Dead on the money. I had a Sirius subscription for about three years, then got a car with XM. I liked the Sirius content much better than XM, and found a lot more talking and nonsense on the XM channels than on Sirius. I was glad when the merger meant that I’d get more Sirius channels back, like Coffee House and Alt Nation. But I’m not happy with some that we lost – the Kids Place Live channel is not as good as Kids Stuff (hey, I have a 4 year old). I also loved Sirius Blues 74, and have been underwhelmed by the BB King channel.
10 lbs of awesome in a 5 lb bag, classic. I have heard of feeling like 10 lbs of shit in a 5lb bag but never awesome.
Charles I love the new format. Good Job! Thanks for your continued efforts…..
Thanks man, I really do appreciate it.
guys sat radio rules and if management makes moves it is only done to help the bottom line the balence sheet and SURVIVAL.I miss
the strobe and backspin but i understand whithout survival all i have is DEAD AIR.Please guy get off the couch and buy a family a radio with a boombox,thats the best way to help the company…thats what im doing today
signed michael the union carpenter
We will see if they listen. I received an e-mail from them the other day asking if I would be interested in taking part in surveys on various channels. I filled out a forum which asked me my were the channels I listen to the most, and how often. I signed up and await my fist survey.
I also signed up for a survey and look forward to the first survey.
Tyler..
At first I did not think the channel change was a big deal. I didn’t think it effected me so I did not understand all the frustration by some of the listeners.
I do listen to the 60’s channel and the switch to Wolfman Jack was a surprise.
I use to hear song after song, now we have the talking.I find myself waiiting for the commercial to begin when the talking ends.
It really has changed the environment inside my car where I spend most of my time.
If the mangement of SiriusXM needs to make changes to reduce costs as a stockholder I am all for it.However,they need to get rid of the banter. I agree one of the DJ’s from time to time gives little tid bits of facts and that was kinda cool.
The more SiriusXM moves to the commercial FM radio format the more reasons there are not to be a subscriber.
Tyler I think your article is very important especially at a time when the retail market should be the focus of increasing subscribers especially with the flat OEM segment.
I hope SiriusXM makes the necessary changes,and Mel keeps a low profile and does not say anything about it.
imho
vaporgold
Ugly financing, now ugly programming.
Wonder what the third shoe to drop will be?
Sorry to address this message board again, but the ONLY reason folks “pay for radio” is to get away from “Radio”.
I, too, am noticing much more “talk” and “cross-promotion” on my music channels of late. Consequently, I’ve gone as far as using my little remote control on my Sportster 5 to do what I thought I’d never have to do with Satellite Radio–Channel Surf! (The beauty of the Sportster 5, for those of you who haven’t purchased one yet, is that you can see in BIG BOLD LETTER the selections being played on other channels before your make your choice.)
During regular business hours, if I’m in the Rover, I don’t mind the commerical breaks while listening to financial news channels…its understood that when a Cable show takes a commercial break, so must the re-broadcast over Sat. Radio. Fair enough.
On the music channels, I initally tremendously enjoyed the experience as song after song was played without ANY interruption. An occasional tidbit by the DJ was welcomed, if it was informative vs. babble. Now, I find myself immediately swapping channels if I hear more than a few words uttered, either in cross-promotion of other channels or DJ nonsense.
The Led Zepplin channel is a good example: lots of good songs, but plenty of self- and cross-promotion.
In an era where diminshing advertising dollars are pulverizing all forms of media, what does Melvin do? He, and his minions, apparently he has decided to make Satellite Radio sound and feel much more like Radio by ditching the very formats missing in Radio with repetive “content” already found on Radio. Why would that be More Attractive? Because Melvin said so.
I wonder how many foreign-speaking channels have more subscribers than those channels canceled as mentioned by disgruntled paying subscribers? Would be another interesting bit of solid data which I’d like to view.
Oh well, what do we unsophisticated people do?
I think Einstein put it succinctly in defining Insanity. I hope Satellite Radio doesn’t go Insane… its CEO is certainly heading in that direction.
What I like best about sirius is the artists as dj’s, and the uniqueness that a dj can provide in mixing songs.
DJ’s are professional music programmers and I think they should be allowed to speak a little during their shows it makes it personal. Anymore than a few seconds is over kill and if your trying to listen to music it becomes bothersome when the talking interupts a “groove”
At first everything seemed fine with the merged channels. Now its just getting ugly. I will have to check my mail and see if I got the survey, seems like they are pumping in more commercials to boost revenue. Not happy about it, and hope its temporary, but I also don’t want the company to go extinct, or file chapter 11.
One channel I listen to now has commercials every 5 minutes!!
I actually enjoy the talk on music channels……when the DJ has something interesting to say, Unfortunately that is NOT the case now. Current management should go to Lee Abrams’ blog and read all of the entries. This is something that they had right and lost it.
Well said.
I sincerely hope you have sent the blog post to Mr. Greenstein who is the chief programmer of XMSirius. I am a PROUD XM subscriber who was not in favor of the merger but hoped for the best. Now it seams that my concerns of decreasing quality due to the merger have been confirmed. In just about every instance a merger results in decreased quality of the product or service because no matter what is said one culture will prevail over the other. Actions speak louder than words and it is becoming apparent that the current management is bent on making SatRad “SatRad Lite” or even worse becoming basically terra FM. That dear people is EXACTLY why most people (myself included) subscribed to SatRad in the first place. Since the merger I too have noticed WAY too much chatter on the 70’s channel to the point of hardly listening anymore. The poster mentioned doing something he/she had never done before and that was to surf the channels. The chatter is SO banal.
Please let me know how I can request a survey.
The management MUST be made aware of how they are running such a great medium into the ground. These programmers don’t have a clue as to how bad a their choices were made in choosing one program over another and allowing such a great service to slide into mediocrity.
If they allow the quality to further errode, what is the point of subscribing? I still use a generation 1 SkyFi that I can move from car to office thus I do not listen to XMSirius solely in the car. I depend on SatRad for 90% of my radio listening.
Respectfully submitted,
A XM subscriber since 2002 (with 1 year left on my multi-year contract) & Sirius stockholder who voted for Mel’s & others ouster via proxy vote last week.
P.S.:I am seriously thinking about sending a certified letter expressing my sentiments to Mr. Karmazin & Mr. Greenstein. Would it make any difference?
I don’t want to hear mindless chit chat from DJ’s. If I want that shit, I’ll turn on THE VIEW. Does Mel ever read any of these articles and comments? He’s got a virtual treasure trove of great advice sitting right in his lap!
He should have that BA BA BOOEY mug of his glued to Siriusbuzz and the few other reputable sat rad sites… all the time! Come on Mel, we’re giving you the answers and solutions to many of the problems. All you have to do is trust the subscribers, or at least the savvy, well intentioned ones who post great comments on a daily basis. We want to save this company; if you want to save it too, you might want to pay attention to the best consultants you could ever wish for – THE SUBSCRIBERS!!!
I used to be a happy XM subscriber- content with my 16 channnels that I usually listened to- Glad to have the ability to step off into other areas of listening pleasure, if I chose to- the merger has kind of changed everything- of my 16 pleasures, I consider only one of the changes, an improvement- I like the new classical music station and maybe the acoustic jazz station- I have never found it necessary to have a DJ and the ones that exist now, talk to much and spend way to much time identifying their station- Perhaps if I develope alzheimers, I will appreciate it- The programming has gotten much worse- I have always been impressed with the the wide range of music that the genres had to pick from- I have heard songs that I hadn’t thought of for 30 years- I always enjoyed High Standards- The american song book from the Ink Spots to today and only the best of perfomances- The programing was obviously done by someone who knew and liked his genre- I think some of the new programing is done from a top 100 list by clock punchers- None of us will ever agree on music choices,but within a genre we all want the best of perfomances from the widest array of performers- Its questionable how long I will remain a customer- Even an old fart like me sees choices out there in the market
I agree…way too much chatting djs. Before there was only music now it is extremely annoying!!!
i subscribed to hear commercial free music and no chatter like we sirius subscribers used to have on our old music stations.
I do like the content on our newer Sirius/XM oldie music stations. they seem to have tunes that the sirius oldies ch’s never played.
however i don’t like gabby DJ’s and i hate when they step on the beginning or end of a song.
if Sirius/XM is strapped for cash may i recommend doing away with the announcers?
after all they are as annoying as having commercials on terrestrial FM radio.
I got a Sirius radio because I like music and it helps me while I’m working and writing, but I’m not a music-head. I.e, I love a smorgasbord of music, but I don’t care where it comes from most of the time, and I hate conversations about it. So I do find the increasing amount of DJ talk distracting and annoying. I positively love the music on the merged XM stations, especially The Loft, but to hell with the DJs. I don’t keep up with the music; I don’t care to. I just want to hear it. I don’t want to hear ABOUT it. So I hope that a web survey or something is conducted, yes.
Could not agree more. For the first time since being a satellite subscriber I am now regularly listening to terrestrial radio.
The Highway in particular has SO much DJ talk, themed segments, little interruptions…it drives me crazy.
They have such an advantage over terrestrial radio…why are they trying so hard to be exactly like a terrestrial radio station?
People tune into satellite for commercial free AND uninterrupted music (as much as possible.) New Country played song after song and had the Nashville Minute every once in and while. That was it…98% music.
Now I get DJ talk and jokes at the height of drive time. I hear about local festivals that I will never attend – and my favorite: I get updates on Tenn. sports teams….. Do they know it is a national show?
Poor job…and it will cost them subscribers…mainly those from Sirius who know what they are missing. If I did not have my account set up to auto debit me at the beginning of the year I would have canceled my subscription. Hopefully they get better this year or I’m out.
Now it is 2011 and it’s not getting any better. More and more of the “music only” stations have DJ chatter and it’s annoying as hell.
If I wanted interviews with bands and history I’d just listen to FM.
It may not be ads, but it’s just as annoying and unwelcome.
I will be quitting the service in a few months when it comes up for renewal – what a shame.