Siri Stock Thread March 2011

[Sirius Roadkill]

Don Imus dubbed Mel the Zen Master almost 20 years ago on the air. And the nickname stuck. He has only been called that about a million times in the press over the years.

Yes muscle, true, true in deed . . . but did the press include a meditating/levitating smiley emoticon in any of those million or so mentions? That is my own innovation.

Now as to the Zen Master . . . I would love for him to buy my beloved NY Mets out from under the Wilpons and forever change the "Karma" of the franchise, however, Howard Stern would likely claim that without him, Mel would never have been able to afford to "gobble-up" the team and therefore One Twelve should be entitled to having the past 4 years attendance figures included in Howard's bonus subscriber-targets . . . plus a 10% consulting fee to Don Buchwald of course!


My All-Time Favorite Met Pictured Below:

[Sirius Roadkill]

You speaketh too soon SRK. Hammer away at Spencer, and remember to keep your feet on the ground as your launch those attacks. We wouldnt want to let all this adulation go to your head now would we?

As to the former, yeah, I just noticed . . . we had that story in the forums yesterday; more competition in an already crowded field.

Should the latter happen, I have no doubt you guys will cut me down to size

[MUSCLE13]

As to the former, yeah, I just noticed . . . we had that story in the forums yesterday; more competition in an already crowded field.

Should the latter happen, I have no doubt you guys will cut me down to size

Retail and Radio

2 totally different business models that are best served in partnerships. The last thing investors should want is for Sirius to get into the retail business. That is why we see this

Siriusbuzz excerpt -

Ironically Sirius XM refers users of their own app to Amazon as well as iTunes.

http://siriusbuzz.com/amazon-launche...ge-service.php

The blogger seems perplexed. He shouldn't be. Radio is partnering up with music retail services in the digital age. They are complementary not competitive. How long has their been personalized music playlists in the car - from 8 tracks to tapes to Cds to ipod and iphone docks, it has been in the car forever. Radio listening in the car has thrived throughout.

http://messageboards.aol.com/aol/en_...Unhidden=false

[MUSCLE13]

PS - If anybody suggests that Sirius should get into the retail business (which I certainly hope is not being suggested here) it would totally destroy their margins and put their EBITDA growth rate prospects in the toilet. If Sirius ever became a music retailer, any sensible radio investor, including yours truly, would sell their stock immediately.

Partnerships are fine. Owning a download service is beyond ludicrous for sat radio. To be fair, I don't believe that is being suggested here.

[Sirius Roadkill]

Bloated attorney Dominic Barbara speaking about Sirius XM CFO David Frear:

www.marksfriggin.com
December 7, 2010

Dominic Barbara called in and said that they should look at history. He said that if Howard leaves they'll find themselves in trouble. Dominic said that a CFO should be worried about the stock prices.

SRK says: and lawyers should worry about their billing practices . . .

ORDERED that the respondent, Dominick A. Barbara, is suspended from the practice of law for a period of 18 months commencing March 10, 2011, and continuing until further order of this Court; the respondent shall not apply for reinstatement earlier than March 9, 2012, and in such application, the respondent shall furnish satisfactory proof that during said period he (1) refrained from practicing or attempting to practice law, (2) fully complied with this opinion and order and with the terms and provisions of the written rules governing the conduct of disbarred, suspended, and resigned attorneys (see 22 NYCRR 691.10), (3) complied with the applicable continuing legal education requirements of 22 NYCRR 691.11(c)(2), and (4) otherwise properly conducted himself; and it is further,

http://www.courts.state.ny.us/report...2011_01023.htm

btw, speaking of time sheets . . . .

If I were Howard, before I'd pay my legal bill for the month of March, I would require the One Twelve lawyers to produce the time sheets related to the filing of that complaint. From what I can see, the billing shouldn't be for any more than 15 minutes at paralegal rate or, worst case, junior associate rate.

[Sirius Roadkill]

By MIKE GRAHAM and ROB HOELL

wpix.com

10:50 a.m. EDT, May 5, 2010


GLEN COVE, N.Y. (WPIX)� Matrimonial attorney Dominic Barbara, who made headlines for representing infamous clients like Joey Buttafuoco, is now the subject of a scandal himself.

The flamboyant lawyer was arrested Tuesday after he approached his ex-wife in a bagel shop in Glen Cove Sunday morning, violating an order of protection, police said.

While in Glen Cove court Wednesday to finalize living arrangements over a posh home the two share, Barbara became agitated. At one point Judge Richard McCord ordered Barbara to stop staring at his ex-wife. "Stop staring at her, you are making me nervous," said McCord. "This is a sensitive matter, you're expressing emotions. I don't want it to explode into anything more than that."

http://www.wpix.com/news/local/wpix-...,1823662.story

[Sirius Roadkill]

but at the end of the day, it�s a playlist.

Tom Casey, CFO
Clear Channel

The acquisition of Thumbplay � �What Thumbplay does for us is accelerate some of the development we have on our digital platforms. It allows us to provide Pandora-like experiences for our listeners, as well as leverage the content we currently have.� Tom Casey says the goal is to �provide our content wherever and however our customers like to get it.�

Pandora � �We definitely think Pandora�s got a great product�[but] at the end of the day, it�s a playlist. Radio is a playlist that lives.� Casey says a CC-programmed service has the advantage of �curation�the ability to research what people want to hear. If you get tired of a song, it goes away.� But on the Pandora-like side of the business, �Customers like that experience, and we can provide that for them. We will be offering our custom type of offering�, as another feature of iHeartRadio � which drew a lot of interest from the Goldman Sachs crowd.

http://www.radio-info.com/news/clear...d-cost-cutting

[Sirius Roadkill]

Sirius XM Senior VP of Communications Patrick Reilly says the company is "heartened" by the dismissal of the claims that sprang from 20 different states related to the satcaster's subscription management practices. But (says Bloomberg) Sirius lost on the question related to higher music royalty fees, following the merger of the two rivals.

http://www.radio-info.com/news/feder...ws-a-class-act



Matt Harrigan of Wunderlich Securities (pictured below) is in the process of analyzing the impact of this monumental decision . . .

[MUSCLE13]

Bloomberg

Patrick Reilly, a Sirius XM spokesman, said in an e-mailed statement that the company was “heartened” by the portions of the ruling in its favor.

“The surviving claims in this suit -- that the Sirius-XM merger lessened competition or led to a monopoly -- are matters that have already been passed upon by the United States Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission,” Reilly said. “With new competitors emerging almost daily, we continue to believe these claims are without merit and intend to vigorously defend this matter.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-0...udge-says.html

Also what Spencer failed to mention in his post today is that both Karmazin and Frear stated at recent media conferences that the FCC may not even have the authority to extend the price freeze. Even if they wanted to. The 3 year agreement was voluntary. Very interesting indeed.

[Sirius Roadkill]

By Joseph Palenchar -- TWICE, 3/10/2011

Washington - Final comments on whether the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) should extend satellite-radio rate caps beyond July 28 are due tomorrow at the FCC.

During a Deutsche Bank conference earlier this week, SiriusXM executive VP/chief financial officer David Frear said the caps would "probably expire," claiming most of the comments sent to the FCC argued for expiration.

When it approved the merger, the FCC said the voluntary commitment to freeze prices, excluding passthroughs of any increase in music royalty fees, "would mitigate the harm from any post-merger price increases." The FCC also stated that "it did not know what the competitive landscape would be like in three years" and that it would seek public comment "on whether the price cap continues to be necessary in the public interest and whether the price cap should be modified, removed, or extended."

http://www.twice.com/article/465064-...hp?rssid=20310