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  1. SIRIUSNEEDTOKNOWINFO is offline
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    11-19-2008, 07:49 PM #71
    Quote Originally Posted by Pinball Wizard View Post
    In addition to all of the print stories in this thread, last night (11/18) on the local TV news here(Washington, DC Channel 9, WUSA) there was a story about satellite radio listener discontent.

    Imagine the negative impact all of this has on perspective retail subscribers.

    I have had it with hearing words with positive connotations like "synergy" and "consolidation." This was destruction of content.

    Now how hard would it of really been for Sirius Xm to use their websites to their advantage and run a small verbal commercial on their channels and conduct an online survey for ALL customers input and make decisions based on the input of the customers since we are the ones who pay for and invest in this company?? That way the blame could be put on the vote and not have overwhelming customer service phone calls bitching and complaing about what we can not change. Majority wins!!! Maybe they would realize that name dropping (Martha, Howard, Oprah) and huge contracts are not what makes this company tick but its the listening information the customers can provide that could make this company flourish and thrive.

    What channels do you most listen to or NEVER listen to or sometimes listen to???

    Have the entire chanel lineup listed across the page and use a check off system to get customer input. Oh yeah right that would be too easy to leave it up the customers to decide what stays and what goes now wouldnt it. I just wish the Corporate idiots would get a clue. They are the ones if this company ever fails that the customer and investors are going to blame. Give the customers a break!!

  2. jmm232 is offline
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    11-19-2008, 08:06 PM #72
    I have made the suggestion to the company in the past, but nobody seems to be listening. Here is my idea:

    Keep the channels that have been nixed by offering commercial-supported verions of them online. By doing this, consumers still have access to the same content they loved AND it provides another venue for them to sell advertising. If the channel is able to support itself via advertising revenue, keep it around. It will cause those channels to work hard to bring in ad revenue for Sirius. Any that are moving to the internet (ie. Modern Jazz) would already be seeking out ad revenue and this gives them the platform to do so.

  3. Pinball Wizard is offline
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    11-19-2008, 11:48 PM #73
    Quote Originally Posted by jmm232 View Post
    Here is my idea:

    Keep the channels that have been nixed by offering commercial-supported verions of them online.
    Yes, that is an excellent idea. But I have to wonder again why the good ideas all come from people who post at internet message boards and not from management.

  4. jmm232 is offline
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    11-20-2008, 02:45 AM #74
    The smart people are too busy making it all work? My job requires me to look at things in order to figure out the problems and come up with outside-the-box solutions. Some stick, some don't. I sent this this idea to customer service and was told it was passed on to management, but who knows.

    If anyone wants to send the idea (again) on to Mel on my behalf, feel free. If he likes the idea enough, use it. Just get my stock price up without dilution.

  5. Pinball Wizard is offline
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    11-20-2008, 12:33 PM #75
    Here's some more great mainstream press. Today's (11/20) Washington Post page D3 lists High-Tech Duds NOT to buy. Here is a quote....

    "The merger of former competitors Sirius and XM has mainly yielded confusion and anger as customers have found favorite channels disappearing from these still-separate programming lineups with no notice. The company says it's giving each service's listeners a chance to enjoy channels once confined to the other, but in the process, good ,original programs have gone silent and familiar DJs have been kicked to the curb."

    Great publicity, huh? No wonder the stock is trading for 15 cents.

    There was a time when I would try to refute negative comments about satellite radio but there just isn't anything in the Post article that I can argue with.

    Entire article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...news-col-blogs
    Last edited by Pinball Wizard; 11-20-2008 at 12:37 PM.

  6. Demian is offline
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    11-20-2008, 02:09 PM #76
    http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive..._collapse.aspx

    Satellite radio risks collapse, censorship following merger of XM, Sirius
    Posted on November 20, 2008 11:48 AM
    Alexa Santoro
    Collegian Staff Writer

    On Nov. 12, I mourned the deaths of Fred, Lucy and Ethel. These are not the characters of the I Love Lucy sitcom, nor are they actual people. They are the alternative-rock stations on XM Radio that no longer exist as a result of the merger between XM and Sirius satellite radio.

    Not only are the alternative stations slimming down, but the newly merged stations are cutting back in general, leaving many to ponder the future of satellite radio.

    Now called Sirius XM Radio Inc, (an inventive title) the satellite stations have gone back on their promises of a new and improved giant satellite radio station and into a ghost of its former glory.

    When discussion of this merger arose, it was thought that listeners would receive more options than they had before, in utopia, the best of both satellite radio stations would unite forming the ultimate destination for hardcore music fans and talk show lovers.

    The funneling of my three beloved XM channels into one station, called AltNation (Sirius' sparse version of the alternative rock genre channel) is representative of the entire station.
    The actual results of this merger are far less desirable. Not only were there trade-offs in which XM channels were replaced with Sirius channels and vice versa, but there appear to be less options than before, completely defeating the purpose of satellite radio.

    Fortunately, according to Rolling Stone, many of the premium channels (the Grateful Dead channel) and talent (Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour and Howard Stern) remain intact. However, this alone will not save Sirius XM.

    This merger marks the coming of an even larger death of satellite radio.
    Satellite radio is one of few media frontiers left free from censorship and constraints because subscribers pay for the service. If satellite dies, Howard Stern may have to leave radio for good.

    There are no FM radio stations today that provide the quality and variety of music that satellite does and even if they did, listeners are still frequently assaulted with commercials to improve their sex life.

    Satellite has been my refuge in a FM sea of mediocrity. Where else would you have a channel solely devoted to Led Zeppelin, be able to listen to Vampire Weekend and ponder the musings of Tom Petty?

    While iPods can make a large source of music available at the listener's request, satellite can open his or her ears to new bands through listening to genre stations of choice.

    The suffering of satellite may be attributed to the availability of iPod adaptors for cars. Satellite is normally listened to by drivers (although it is also available online as well).
    While the iPod has its place, would it not be better to challenge and better yourself through the discovery of new music on satellite?

    During my drive to and from Penn State for Thanksgiving break, I may be sent into a road rage, while listening to Sirius XM, wondering what could have been.
    Last edited by Demian; 11-20-2008 at 02:15 PM.

  7. DScum is offline
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    11-20-2008, 05:04 PM #77
    I would recommend checking out...

    http://www.siriuslyscrewed.com

    We have to work together to let Sirius know we will not stand for these changes.

  8. Demian is offline
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    11-21-2008, 03:54 PM #78
    http://www.rollingstone.com/news/sto...msirius_merger

    Satellite Radio Listeners Rankled By XM-Sirius Merger
    Subscribers cry foul over dropped stations as programmers streamline the new service
    BRIAN BRAIKERPosted Nov 21, 2008 9:06 AM

    Now that the Sirius-XM satellite radio merger has gone into effect, the programming has merged as well. And many longtime listeners are not pleased, crying foul over dropped shows and channels that some say they didn't know were going to to be changed. Sirius XM, however, says the newly combined network had to weed out redundancies, and in many respects improved the listening experience for its 19 million subscribers.
    But when Tiffany Bridge, a Washington DC XM subscriber, got into her car earlier this month, she discovered that her indie rock channel called Ethel had been rechristened Alt Nation by the combined network. "The first song they played was by Lily Allen, which is OK but outside the format," she says. "Then the obnoxious DJ comes on and I thought 'Oh God. They have a chatty DJ now.' Before there was no yammering. This guy yammers." By the time Bridge had arrived at work, she says, "I had this sinking feeling that my beloved XM was gone."

    Certainly, many of Sirius' pre-existing 10 million subscribers reported being happy to start receiving XM programming such as the Bruce Springsteen or Jimmy Buffet channels. XM's 9-million strong listenership started getting Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour and BBC Radio One. But blending programming necessitated cutting some channels out of the combined network's lineup. Some listeners were aware that changes were coming, others complained that they had no advance notice and were confused by the new lineups. In the days since the merger has gone into effect, they say, there is a noticeable difference: the DJs talk more, often over songs, and there's more repetition in the playlists.

    A vocal group of subscribers sounded off online, in blogs and directly to the network. Satellite radio, they said, was becoming just a little bit more like FM radio — effectively defeating the purpose of paying for it. "Early on we worked tirelessly to try to differentiate ourselves from FM," says Lee Abrams, XM's founding programmer who left the network before the merger. "I've noted some reverting back to the FM playbook which we tried to burn and destroy and rewrite. The overall feel is a little more traditional and I would prefer it to be exotic and experimental."

    XM fans have mourned decisions like dropping the Soul Street show and its host Bobby Bennett, the folding of four distinct Latin stations into one, and the renaming of stations like Ethel as the less-distinctive but more-descriptive Alt Nation. One name that vanished temporarily from the combined company?s personnel list — to online howls — was the popular New York DJ Meg Griffin of the now-defunct Sirius Disorder freeform channel. On Monday Sirius XM announced that the plan all along was to have Griffin appear in a dialed-back role on alternative rock channel, the Loft. Lou Reed and Hal Wilner's New York-themed show as well as David Johansen's "Mansion of Fun" will also appear on the Loft.

    Some of the programming decisions certainly make sense — there is no reason, after all, to have two channels that play the same fare. "It seems like a prudent business decision on behalf of Sirius XM: they're saving money on programming," says Motley Fool analyst Rick Munarriz, who has subscribed to both for years. He says he had no idea what programming changes were coming (even though DJs had announced them on the air), and wasn't always thrilled with what he heard. Still, saving money ought to be a top priority: Sirius XM has $1 billion in debt and its stock has lost 91 percent of its value this year, and now hovers at an abysmal 15 cents. "This isn't a time when you do something new," adds Munarriz, "definitely not something that may alienate people already on your side."

    Sirius is the second largest radio company in terms of revenue, behind only Clear Channel. Subscription growth has slowed, but they are track to have 20.6 million subscribers by the end of the year, according to a company spokesman. The company claims that the programming decisions were largely not made with financial considerations in mind — and that the haters are outnumbered by the silent majority of happy listeners. "There are people who didn't like the Beatles or Elvis when they came out," says Scott Greenstein, Sirius President and Chief Content Officer. "There were de minimis complaints, I mean minor. The ones that did complain were loud and had a lot of time on their hands to do it." Presumably because they weren't listening to the radio.

  9. Demian is offline
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    11-24-2008, 11:34 PM #79
    http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/cul...-do-you-think/

    11.24.2008 11:46 am
    Call to Sirius-XM listeners: Changes in classical channels - what do you think?
    By Sarah Bryan Miller
    Post-Dispatch Classical Music
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    When the FCC approved the takeover of XM satellite radio by its rival, Sirius, it became only a matter of time until major changes were rolled out.

    They’ve now rolled out and over most of XM: Although Sirius promised to keep XM’s distinctive channels, while eliminating those that were redundant, it hasn’t worked out that way for classical listeners. All the Sirius programmers seem to have kept of XM’s offerings are a lot of sports…. and Oprah Winfrey. All three of XM’s classical channels are gone.

    The change is most obvious in the vocal offerings. XM’s Vox channel offered choral and solo vocal music, as well as a variety of opera recordings. Sirius has the Metropolitan Opera, a worthwhile channel, but one with a much narrower and more specific focus.

    I’ve already heard from a number of former XM classical channels listeners about the changes. If you’re one, and you live in the St. Louis area, I’d like to hear from you. Please send an email containing your real name to sbmiller@post-dispatch.com.

  10. Demian is offline
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    11-24-2008, 11:36 PM #80
    http://www.collegenews.com/index.php...ming_11242008/

    11/24/08
    New Sirius-XM programming
    While it’s still not FM radio, consumers are saying Sirius-XM is reverting to old habits and the new programming isn’t as strong
    Matt Kappel

    Sirius and XM at one point thought they would never merge into one satellite radio company. Now that time has come and passed. Recently Sirius-XM rolled out their new programming to the 19 million paying subscribers.

    The new programming added channels that either Sirius or XM didn’t have before. Along with the additions of new channels came the cancellations of other channels. According to Rollingstone.com Sirius-XM has been trying to merge channels that are of the same structure. For examples, they folded in several Latin stations into just one. They also took XM’s indie station and wrapped it into Alt Nation, which was a Sirius channel.

    Rollingstone.com reports that such specialty programming like Bob Dylan’s show, Tom Petty’s show, the Jimmy Buffet Channel, the Grateful Dead Channel, Willie Nelson Channel and Bruce Springsteen channel will be available for all consumers.

    Consumers are also reporting their distaste for DJs for many channels. They are saying that the Sirius DJs are too chatty and they even talk over the music, reported by Rollingstone.com. Consumers of XM miss the old days where there was next to no chatting or obnoxious DJs involved. Consumers are also saying they find that satellite radio has been going back to old habits and reverting to the way of FM radio. According to Rollingstone.com Sirius-XM will be re-evaluating certain things to make sure they remain edgy and experimental. Sirius-XM also believes that many of the complaints are from the minority and not the silent majority.

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