SIRI Intraday Thread Thursday June 18th 2009

[underway]

I think many are missing the point. This is about business, not about loyalty. Sure, the app is very positive and apparently has lots of good stuff. But, make no mistake, the lack of Howard is a VERY BIG DEAL, and not lost on the MSM. It doesn't matter one bit if a news article focused on all the GOOD about the app. That would not distract the negative attention attracted by the lack of Howard Stern. Nothing would diffuse the focus on that. Nothing. Is there a grand plan behind it, who knows? I don't see one, but that's just me. Some have suggested limited iPhone bandwidth as a reason for 'delaying' Howard's appearance. That doesn't add up in my book, but, even if it is the case, why the hell wouldn't SXM say it now, to avoid all this negative BS that is overpowering what should have been a total grand slam PR piece today. Makes no sense to me.

[underway]

there was a huge importance of getting this app well received, and leaving howard off the app was a huge mistake. Sirius xm needed this to be a positive day. While what is on the app is great, people are going to focus on the fact that howard stern is not on the app, and that leaves the perception that the app is not all that it could be.

This release has become a fiasco. It is sad because there was so much potential!

exactly!!!!

[Siriustunes]

supposedly another rumor going around is stern will be free on itunes. dunno they keep giving an itunes link but i dont have itunes installed.

That would be understandable if SXM is out soliticing advertisers for Stern's show through efuel. They have most likely run the numbers and have calculated that more advertising dollars can be had than can additional sub dollars for Howard.

[relmor2003]

There was a HUGE importance of getting this app well received, and leaving howard off the app was a HUGE mistake. Sirius XM needed this to be a positive day. While what IS on the app is great, people are going to focus on the fact that Howard stern IS NOT on the app, and that leaves the perception that the app is not all that it could be.

This release has become a fiasco. It is sad because there was so much potential!

First let me say, I agree with you.
So today you were a critical journalist. Not a fact reporter, but an interpreter for your audience on what they wanted to know. Gotcha. So readers of your site and article will have to look elsewhere if they are curious for other angles...
Content list..
Song download features
App quality
App specific features..
What, did typign these things out hurt your hand? Curious...
Are you busy today?

[RU Sirius]

Well, I think my customer "service" experience (and I use that term very loosely) was way worse than some of you other guys.

Was on the phone for 45 minutes, never did get to a supervisor and both people I talked to (gave up on the first guy after being on hold for 20 min) were pretty much idiots and could not even answer a simple question. I guess SXM is no different than any other company when it comes to having to muck your way through inept customer relations.

Anyway, I was trying to find out why I had to pay $2.99/mo. for the "premium online" content through the iphone app. when I'm already listening for free online with my lifetime XM subscription.

Nobody could actually give me answer on this. Thus, I for one will be listening to XM on my iphone by using ootunes. That app. was downloaded for a one-time fee of $3.99 and I can access the entire on-line station list (which from what I can see is exactly the same as this "premium online" list they want me to pay for monthly. Granted, if you don't have the lifetime subscription then listening for "free" through ootunes probably wouldn't work because you'd still have to pay for the online service.

To me, this seems like a bust on the iphone app launch. Did absolutely zero for me (not to mention it hasn't done much on the SP side for me either!).

Interesting tidbits though.......the second lady I talked to tried to tell me that Stern was available on the iphone app. I told her it wasn't and politely explained why. She then took 5 minutes trying to "read up" on the actual content that was offered only to come back and tell me......"I don't know why...maybe the company will email you". What a laugh! Geesh.

The first guy was even better. He had me on hold for 20 minutes but inadvertently took me off hold while he was on the line with another customer. I could hear his responses to questions about why the caller wasn't getting free SXM....the "download was free". I then heard him respond to a question about Howard saying "it isn't us that's keeping him off the iphone app.....it's Howard who won't let us do it". Thought that was interesting. However, this customer service guy was a total douche so I doubt that he really knew what he was talking about.

So, yes, I'm disappointed in things today. And, I can see that SXM is going to have a customer service mess in the coming weeks. They really need to get their act in gear.

[john]

There was a HUGE importance of getting this app well received, and leaving howard off the app was a HUGE mistake. Sirius XM needed this to be a positive day. While what IS on the app is great, people are going to focus on the fact that Howard stern IS NOT on the app, and that leaves the perception that the app is not all that it could be.

This release has become a fiasco. It is sad because there was so much potential!

Tyler, I just have to ask, doesn't this app do what you and Charles were complainning about (competing with slacker/pandora) does Stern really have to be on an app to compete with a totally music product like Pandora or Slacker. I dont know but I would guess, most of the people that use Slacker/Pandora dont care about Stern they care about the amount of music they have avalible to them.

[SiriusBuzz]

Then wheres the article? SiriusXM app #1 today. You will post the negative comments about no Howard though on the rating though. When is it coming up? How the app is a huge hit? Waiting....

I will write an article about how Sirius XM has been #1 for 8 hours as long as you are OK with me talking about how Pandora has been number one for the last 300+ days and that is who they ousted AND that the rating has more 1 star ratings then anything else. You also have to be ready for me to say that they are no longer #1 as soon a the buzz wears off.

I am happy to report on the big picture. You are OK with that? Seems as though explaining all of that is a big waste of time IMO. If I cheerlead and they drop off at the end of the week, that would be beyond dumb.

[RU Sirius]

We seem to be holding the line on .37 Does anyone think there's a chance to break below that? I need to lock in some profits for personal reasons....but would like to see it go back up some first. As long as .37 will hold I can wait it out.

[SiriusBuzz]

WORD. Charles and Tyler didnt mention that in his article. Nor the new song buying abilities of the app. Nor what it did have.

Because what it doesnt have is bigger news. If you dont see that, you are blind. BTW I mentioned the 120 channels.

Tyler and Charles. Are you NEWS BREAKERS? Are you news reporters? Or are you just critical journalists?
Curious? Or all of the above? Which of these three was your focus on todays articles?

I am subscriber, shareholder, and a guy who writes about the company in his free time. This is far from my Job.

It amazes me that you spend so much time criticizing others rather then going out and doing the job on your own. If you think you can do a better job, the sirius xm community welcomes you to do so... as well as me personally.

[toxdoc]

Wow, what a great run up! Back down to .37. Let's face it. This company is a joke. They can't get anything right and they have no concept of the power of marketing when done right. Leaving out Howard was flat out stupid. Do they even realize that millions of their subscribers are there only because of Howard? MLB, NFL, and Nascar are also left out. The live sports is one thing that sets them apart from entities like pandora and they left it out of the app! A bunch of f'ing indiots running this circus they call Sirius XM. I've had enough of it. This company is going nowhere, except straight to delisting.