Gizmodo: Satellite Radio

Sirius-XM Merger is FINALLY Approved

Adrian Covert — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:52:55 EDT

The Sirius-XM Merger was finally approved by the FCC today following a 3-2 vote by the commission. The final and deciding vote only came after both parties agreed to pay a $19.7 million fine for violating FCC regulations. After 16 months of MTV-esque "drama" and gnashing of teeth, the $3.6 billion merger means that subscribers of both services will now get the best of both worlds. [SF Gate]

XM-Sirius Merger Nears Approval, Comes Down To One Commissioner's Vote

John Mahoney — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:05:45 EDT

And here she is. After FCC commissioner Johnathan Adelstein withdrew his support today, the vote is now deadlocked and awaiting the yea or nay from Deborah Taylor Tate, a Republican who is expected to approve the merger so all of this can finally be over and done with (something tells me a large batch of high-end satellite radio gear is now being priority-overnighted to Taylor's office to make sure everything is greased appropriately). If you're a subscriber, not a whole lot will change once the deal is finalized and the two merge parts of their programming, but you'll need new gear to take full advantage of any new subscriptions once the merger is wrapped up. [WSJ via CrunchGear].

Party-A-Cargo Brings the Bro-Down to Wherever Your Truck Can Park

Elaine Chow — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EDT

Hey dudebro, looking to take a bro-dtrip but afraid you'll make the ultimate braux-pas: not bringing enough beer and having a totally whack sound system? Chill out man, Party-A-Cargo's got your back with its tow hitch mounted kegerator. The Party-A-Cargo Ultimate can store up to 160 glasses of beer and contains a jockey box with two 6 inch by 9 inch speakers and a 10 inch subwoofer.

The case, which hooks up to the back of your SUV, also has a built in CD stereo and Sirius Satellite Radio, a battery charger and a 12-volt power adapter. A locking door ensures that those dickwads at Alpha Gamma Phi won't try to make a grab for your beer while you're gone. Party-A-Cargo offers three different versions of its frat-friendly fun box, ranging in price from $2,895 to $3,795. [Born Rich]

FCC Chairman Backs Sirius/XM Merger

Mark Wilson — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 08:26:00 EDT

It's not official yet, but FCC Chairman Kevin Martin (one of five relevant votes) has decided to allow the merge between Sirius and XM satellite radio providers. However, there are a few caveats that the companies would need to accept—but it's all good news for the consumer.

1. The company(s) would need to freeze prices for three years.
2. "A la carte" options would need to be available within three months of the merger.
3. 8% of their airspace (24 channels) would need to be dedicated to noncommercial and minority programming.

Also of note, the FCC has leaked that Sirius and XM have agreed to open manufacturing on the radios to all companies, creating more marketplace competition (and hopefully some better tech). It's looking more and more like this deal is gonna happen...sometime. [NYTimes]

Sirius Starmate 5 Coming With XM Support?

Elaine Chow — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Sirius' update to its Starmate line, the Starmate 5, is currently in front of the FCC for testing, and it looks like it might have a little trick up its sleeve. The gadget includes the standard abilities to pause, rewind, and replay up to 44 minutes of live radio, a memo feature to store up to 30 favorite artists or songs and a wide-angle 5 line display, but it also might just have the ability to play XM radio stations as well.

Though the function to grab sweet sounds from its partner-to-be isn't listed in the Starmate 5's spec sheet, a memo between a testing firm and the FCC authorization staff hinted at Sirius XM interoperability. In a letter asking the testing firm to do another bandwidth test, the FCC said that it "used the satellite radio signal coming from either XM or Sirius."

If the hint means what we think it means, the Starmate 5 could be the first hybrid satellite radio receiver out on the market — kind of a bold move, considering the FCC isn't even thinking about voting on the merger until late May or early June. [Electronista]

BlackBerry Users Get XM Radio, Excuse to Take Phones Into Bathrooms For $7.99 a Month

Jason Chen — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:44:47 EDT

I used to sleep through class by tuning my cellphone's FM radio to a classical station, sitting in the back, and putting a jacket over my face, so this XM Radio on BlackBerry is pretty spectacular news. All you need is a BlackBerry 8800, 8700, Pearl or Curve and $7.99 a month. You'll get 20 "exclusive" XM channels (list after the jump), and you can download the app here or text "XM" to 47201. Time for a nap. Since this uses the phone's regular data connection, you hopefully won't be forced to wear giant ridiculous looking headphones in order to get reception.

LAS VEGAS, April 1, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — CTIA Booth #4544 —
XM (Nasdaq: XMSR), the nation's leading provider of satellite radio with
more than 9 million subscribers, and QuickPlay Media, the leader in mobile
TV and video solutions, today announced that XM Radio Mobile has selected
QuickPlay's OpenVideo(TM) as the first media management platform to make XM
Radio Mobile universally available on select BlackBerry(R) smartphones from
Research In Motion (RIM). The service, which can run across major U.S.
mobile service providers' networks, enables consumers to get 20 exclusive
XM channels of commercial-free music and 24-hour comedy programming for
just $7.99 per month with an option for a complimentary 24-hour trial.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070313/XMLOGO )

The XM Radio Mobile offering provides BlackBerry smartphone users with
unlimited access to a wide selection of the most popular commercial-free
music channels, including XM's 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s decade channels,
20on20 (Top 20 Hits), Ethel (New Alternative Rock), The City (Hip-Hop/R&B
Hits), XMU (Indie Rock), Watercolors (Easy Jazz) and Highway 16 (New
Country Hits). Customers can also listen to XM comedy channels, The Virus
(outrageous uncensored talk) and XM Comedy (uncensored comedy).

"Together with QuickPlay, XM Radio Mobile will provide BlackBerry users
with access to a compelling selection of XM's acclaimed music and comedy
programming virtually anywhere they go," said Vernon Irvin, EVP and Chief
Marketing Officer, XM Satellite Radio. "Today's announcement reinforces
XM's commitment to making our industry-leading content available to
consumers in ways that fit their lifestyles."

All XM channels are easily accessed via a simple user interface with
graphical icons for content genres and channels. While listening to one XM
Radio Mobile channel, users can see the song title, artist and album, as
well as what's currently playing on other XM Radio Mobile channels.
Subscribers can also multi-task as XM Radio Mobile can run in the
background while the user accesses other data applications on their
BlackBerry smartphone.

BlackBerry smartphones supported by the XM Mobile Radio service require
BlackBerry Device Software 4.2 or higher and include the BlackBerry(R) 8800
Series, BlackBerry(R) 8700 Series, BlackBerry(R) Pearl(TM) Series and
BlackBerry(R) Curve(TM) Series smartphones with a BlackBerry data plan on
major U.S. mobile carrier networks. The service, and a complimentary
24-hour trial, is available via a downloadable application that can be
easily accessed by visiting http://www.xmradio.com/bb from the BlackBerry
smartphone's browser, or by texting "XM" to 47201 and clicking on the
download link provided. Subscribers can opt to have their purchase charged
to their credit card or where available billed directly to their service
provider.

"QuickPlay Media is thrilled to partner with XM, the leader in audio
entertainment, to offer BlackBerry smartphone users the ability to easily
discover and enjoy music and comedy from XM Radio Mobile, regardless of
which U.S. service provider they subscribe to," said Wayne Purboo,
president and CEO, QuickPlay Media. "Additionally, we are proud to continue
to expand our portfolio of services for the BlackBerry platform, including
the first audio streaming service for BlackBerry, called QuickPlayer; and
the first free video streaming service for BlackBerry, called
VideoStreams."

[PRNewswire]

XM/Sirius Merger: What Happens to My Current Radio?

matt buchanan — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:30:58 EDT

The XM/Sirius merger is all but rubber-stamped. Obvious question: Will this new hybrid with cheaper, shinier programming come in on my current gear? Yes and no. If you keep your old radio, XM customers will keep getting their XM stuff with the added goodness of Sirius programming, and while Sirius people will get their same batch, plus the fresh crunch of XM content. You'll need a new best-of-both-worlds radio that's still in development to take advantage of one of the two a la carte packages that'll be offered, however. It'll hit the market after the merger's got its last i's dotted and t's crossed. [Image via Flickr]

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

matt buchanan — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:25:54 EDT

XM and Sirius just cleared the largest (and longest) hurdle on their path to getting all conjoined: The Justice Department officially okayed Sirius's $5 billion buyout of XM. They said that the growth of mobile broadband "made it even more unlikely that the transaction would harm consumers in the longer term," squashing arguments from radio and broadcasting groups the merger would be anti-competitive. The DoJ thumbs up makes the merger more likely to happen, which Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin has repeatedly promised will make for cheaper, better programming.

Next stop is the FCC. Chief Kevin Martin is vocally hot on competition, so he'll probably squeeze them pretty hard on following through, though he's likely to take the same stance as the DoJ: The environment's so scrambled right now, a single satellite radio company isn't really going to harm consumers. And if they do raise prices and start sucking, people have plenty of other options to abandon them for. On the other hand, they were both already on life support, so this jolt might not be enough to fully re-animte them. [Breitbart]

Afternoon News: Harry Potter Is Too Close for Comfort, DirecTV Breaking Promises?, Best Buy's Profits Soar and More

Benny Goldman — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 16:00:00 EST

• Daniel Radcliffe, a/k/a Harry Potter, just bought an apartment in Manhattan. Coincidentally, it's only four blocks from our NYC headquarters. Luckily we have our own Dark Lord Balthazaar to protect us from his spells. [Gridskipper]
• Less than two weeks remain for DirecTV to add 15 more HD channels in order to reach their promise of 100 by the end of 2007. Hope you like the sound of Drying Paint HD, Growing Grass HD and Water Boiling HD, DirecTV customers. [Broadband Reports] [Thanks, Erin!!]
• Toshiba is joining IBM, AMD, Samsung, and others to work on 32nm chip technology. Now the alliance is just an wind, fire and heart away from summoning Captain Planet. [Reuters]
• XM Satellite Radio has settled its lawsuit with Universal Music Group over the time-shifting recording capabilities of XM's Inno player. Surprisingly, the terms still allow for the creation of more time-shifting devices. [Digital Trends]
• Best Buy's profits spiked 52% this quarter, due to fewer promotions on flat-panel TVs. Thanks a lot, Best Buy. [Market Watch]

Afternoon News: XM-Sirius Merger Gets Serious, Gas Pumps Lie, and Mice Now Fearless

Benny Goldman — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 18:35:57 EST

• XM and Sirius shareholders approve merger, next stop: the FCC. [AP]
• Gas pumps that measure 1/1000th of a gallon really just trick you into thinking you're getting more gas. [Gadget Lab]
• Scientists genetically engineer mouse that isn't afraid of cats; rodent homicide rate expected to spike soon. [Pink Tentacle]

Alltel just launched the MOTOROKR Z6m, Motorola's ...

Wilson Rothman — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 09:08:58 EDT

Alltel just launched the MOTOROKR Z6m, Motorola's musical slider, that comes preloaded with a unique option: XM Radio Mobile for cell phones, delivering 20 streaming XM channels for $8/month. [Alltel]

An analyst at Cowen & Company is pegging ...

Matt Buchanan — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 16:07:48 EDT

An analyst at Cowen & Company is pegging the chances of the XM/Sirius merger netting government approval at "70 percent plus," with a saucy number cruncher at Citigroup putting the odds at 69 percent. Regardless, it's a sexier picture for pro-merger folks than it was several months ago. [Orbitcast]

Wall Street, Analysts Beginning to Bet on XM/Sirius Merger

Matt Buchanan — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 12:45:29 EDT

The long-lobbied-for XM/Sirius merger is starting to pick up some optimistic vibes from Wall Street and analysts, who are beginning to think it might just happen. In fact, one analyst group, Cowen & Co., not only says that the odds are the "best ever," they're wagering on FCC approval before Dec. 4, possibly as early as next month. Of course, analysts' words are far from gospel, but the mood toward the merger seems much sunnier than it did months ago, so keep your ears open. [Orbitcast]

Sirius's Extremely Budget-y $40 InV2 Receiver and Other Bits From The Show

Wilson Rothman — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 19:11:42 EDT

Did you know Sirius makes a $40 receiver called the InV2? Unfortunately, it won't work with docks, but you can't argue with that price. On top of that bit, you saw a lot of major gear today from Sirius's show—the new Stiletto 2, the Altec Lansing dock, the Polk dock, the Sportster 5 with color screen and the Backseat TV system for kid video programming.

And in case you were wondering, the fuel finder shot above is a new feature from the Sirius Traffic software found in in-vehicle navigation systems from Alpine (shown here), Eclipse and Panasonic. [Sirius]

Box Converts XM-Ready Cars to Sirius-Ready Temples of Howard Stern

Brian Lam — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 19:10:44 EDT

The honkin' GM Sirius box, which replaces the XM box currently found in most XM-enabled GM cars 2003 and newer. This new Sirius box is compatible with about 8 million cars on the road. There are boxes from Directed that do the same for Hondas, Toyotas and Lexus autos, too.

Sirius SCV1 Satellite Tuner Brings Satellite TV to the Car

Jason Chen — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 17:01:57 EDT

Sirius' SCV1, also known as Sirius Backseat TV, is their latest product that receives three channels of TV programming as well. The three channels—Nickelodeon, Disney and Cartoon Network— are all geared to keep kids entertained in the backseat while you're listening to regular Sirius music in the front seat. The SCV1 brings in 130 channels of audio, and works in 4:3 aspect ratio in just about any car with an on-board rear-seat video monitor. Retails in the fall for $300. [InfoSyncWorld]

Hands-On Altec Lansing's SR4021 Stacking Sirius Speaker Dock

Wilson Rothman — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 15:41:07 EDT

Today, Altec Lansing was at the Sirius line show in New York, showing off a new attractive creation. It's a speaker dock, the $149 SR4021, that fits all dockable Sirius radios, including the Stiletto, Sportster (shown), Starmate and Stratus lines. Its mandatory subwoofer contains most of the audio electronics; you can hide it somewhere or leave it on the floor, but if you think it's sexy—and you just might think it's sexy—Altec designed it to stack with the speaker dock itself, as shown in the gallery.

Polk miDock Portfolio Dock Hooks Up With All Stilettos

Charlie White — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 15:00:00 EDT

In the midst of all this guff about the Sirius Satellite Radio-receiving Stiletto 10, 100 and the new Stiletto 2, speakermeister Polk Audio decided to announce its miDock portfolio, a speaker dock especially made for the portable receivers. It runs on either AC power or AA batteries, and the company says it folds flat, making it easy to carry on the road. Like most docks of this ilk, it'll charge up that Stiletto, and has a remote control, too. It'll be available in October for $129.99. [Polk Audio]

Sirius Stiletto 2 Grope and Gallery

Wilson Rothman — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 14:30:07 EDT

I'm not ready to swap out my 80GB iPod, but the new Stiletto 2 is the best looking, best designed portable satellite-radio player I've yet seen.

We've already given you a rundown of the specs, but probably the coolest new attribute is its MicroSD card slot. There's no limit (yet) as to the capacity you can use to amp up the onboard storage. The slot is stashed under the battery, because Sirius doesn't think you'll be passing those tiny memory cards around. Also new are 802.11g for Sirius' internet audio stream up to 128Kbps, and redesigned car and speaker docks, shown with details in the annotated gallery below.

Sirius Stiletto 2 vs Original Sirius Stiletto

Wilson Rothman — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 14:06:14 EDT

How much smaller is the new Stiletto 2 from Sirius? See for yourself, because I just shot it alongside its predecessor. Notice that the older unit has the chunky extended battery. That's because it takes the extended battery on the old Stiletto to get the same battery life that the new one gets right out of the box: 4 hours of live satellite radio, 10 hours of Sirius Internet Radio over Wi-Fi and 20 hours playback of stored content.

Sirius Sportster 5 Goes Color

Mark Wilson — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 10:15:26 EDT

With Sirius' new Sportster 5 their dockable line has finally gone color. Featuring both a color display and a customizable backlighting to match your dash, the new Sportster is sure to offer hours of heated discussions over the merits of various schools of color design. Other than that, upgrades seem scant. The unit will offer 16 more minutes of recording (now you can record up to an hour of Sirius broadcast) but otherwise the same FM transmission and other (Fill in Special Feature)™ stay intact. Look for the Sportster 5 debuting this fall at $169.99. Hit the jump for the feature list in full.

FEATURES:

* Large multi-color display: easy viewing and use
* Selectable colors: match your dash lights and mood
* SIRIUS Universal docking capability
* SIRIUS Replay™: pause, rewind and replay up to 60 minutes of live radio
* FM transmitter or stereo audio output to connect your vehicle's radio
* FM preset function: allows you to store the best FM frequencies in your area for optimum integration
* 30 presets: enjoy fast access to your favorite channels
* S-Seek™ Alert: so you won't miss your favorite artists, songs and sports
* One-Touch Jump™ button: direct access to local traffic and weather, or your favorite channel
* Personalized sports ticker: real-time updates of your favorite sports
* Rotary tuning knob: surf channels on the fly
* Sports Alert™: track your favorite sports team and race driver
* Parental controls: easily lock and unlock channels
* Alarm clock w/snooze: wake up to your favorite channel
* Complete vehicle kit includes radio, dock w/suction cup mount and vent mounts, remote control,
vehicle power adapter, magnetic mount satellite antenna and FM extender antenna

XM's XpressRC Features Color Screen, Preset Channels, Instant Replay

Wilson Rothman — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 02:08:22 EDT

In spite of having hardware partners, XM still develops its products in-house, which explains why every XM product has the same basic look and feel. The XpressRC, technically from Delphi, marries the color screen you've seen on the Samsung Helix/Pioneer Inno product with the XpressR-style split screen for browsing without losing "now playing" info.

It's also got a buffer that records the last 60 minutes of programming so you can go back to hear what you missed, and it stores 10 of your favorite songs (as opposed to hundreds or thousands, presumably satisfying some pledge to the feisty recording industry). It also lets you select 10 channels as presets for instant recall—just like my car radio has done for like 20 years. [XM]

XM REDEFINES THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE WITH ALL-NEW RADIO FEATURING ADVANCED BROWSING TECHNOLOGY
XpressRC, first-ever satellite radio featuring full-color split-screen display, 60-minute replay and song storage, will be music to subscribers' ears

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Aug. 13, 2007 - XM (NASDAQ: XMSR), the nation's leading satellite radio company, today unveiled an all-new radio that provides the richest possible listening experience, allowing listeners to fully immerse themselves in XM's impressive breadth of dynamic content. The XpressRC features advanced browsing capability with a real-time programming guide displaying multiple channel information, artist names and song titles. The XpressRC will redefine the music lover's listening experience with a vibrant full-color split-screen display, 60-minute pause and replay, and the ability to save up to 10 favorite songs to listen to later.

"You don't live in a black and white world, so why should your XM experience be limited to black and white? The XpressRC is vibrant and offers a wealth of features and functions, ensuring the richest satellite radio experience available," said Vernon Irvin, XM Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. "The debut unit promises to take music, sports and entertainment lovers by surprise, reinventing the way they receive and experience XM content. The listening experience will never be the same."

The XpressRC features:

• A stunning customizable, color display that allows XM listeners to view the content they want, including channel, artist name and song title. The split-screen lets listeners view the current channel information on the left side, while browsing to view what is playing on up to three different channels on the right side. The split-screen allows listeners to easily browse to discover what XM content is playing on multiple favorite channels without having to change the dial.

• A buffer that saves the last 60 minutes of programming so listeners can easily replay what they just heard. XpressRC users can also pause the XM programming they are listening to with the option to play that programming as long as it is within the 60-minute timeframe and the unit is not powered off. Never miss a beat, sports play or news item again.

• The ability to easily save up to 10 favorite songs for future listening. The split-screen option enables listeners to see the artist and song that is currently playing on the left side of the screen, and view up to five other saved songs on the right side at the same time.

• Quick channel navigation with the option to pre-set up to 10 favorite channels, or press number buttons to enter and move directly to the desired channel. The new radio also features a remote control with pause, replay and direct channel entry buttons. The radio display automatically adjusts brightness from day to night while in the car and includes a customizable stock and sports ticker. It also includes a TuneSelect feature that alerts listeners whenever their favorite songs, artists or sports teams are being played on another channel.

The XpressRC is compact and lightweight and can move easily from the car to a second vehicle, the home and the office with additional accessories.

The XpressRC includes a new FrequencyFinder feature, which conveniently scans and locates FM frequencies for listening to XM through your FM radio.

Manufactured by Delphi, the new XpressRC radio will be available beginning fall 2007 for a suggested retail price of $169.99.

The XpressRC joins a family of Xpress plug-and-play radio products, including: the entry-level XpressEZ, mid-tier Xpress, and the XpressR split-screen radio with 30-minute pause and replay.

To learn more or pre-order the XpressRC, visit www.xmradio.com/xpressrc.

Today discovering new XM content just got easier. With 170 channels to find what turns you on, there's always something surprising just a channel away: a new song, an old favorite, a story, breaking news or a big game.

Sirius Stiletto 2 and Sportster SP 5 Coming Soon?

Jason Chen — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 15:08:00 EDT

Straight from the mouth of Jim Meyer, Sirius' President of Operations and Sales, comes this quasi-announcement of the Sirius Stiletto 2 and Sportster SP5:

We are preparing for the launch of some new after-market products, including a new wearable product, Stiletto 2, and a new Sportster SP5. Stay tuned for more details on these exciting new products next month.

We now believe that Sirius has reached market share parity in the wearable category and we expect to be the leader with the introduction of the new Stiletto 2 this fall.

Seeing as there haven't been any announcements, featurewise or otherwise, on the Sirius Stiletto 2, Jim's mention of the player is probably an unintentional slip. We just hope that the second edition fixes all the horrible headphone requirements the first version had. [Orbitcast]

Sirius Radio Posts $134.1 Million Loss

Brian Lam — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:46:49 EDT

And that's a GOOD thing. Last year, this quarter, they lost $237.8 million. The improved performance was attributed to a half-million new subscribers, which helped revenue grow 50%. Oh, just let them do their little get-together with XM already. Clearly, they are eating shit while people go out and buy MP3 players. [NYTimes]

XM and Sirius Promise Cheaper A La Carte Offerings if Merger Deal is Approved

Charlie White — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 13:15:00 EDT

Picking and choosing your favorite stations on XM and Sirius Satellite Radio might be a delightful result of the merger between the two companies, at least that's what the companies are saying will happen if their proposed deal goes through the FCC gauntlet. That's just the beginning, too, because the companies add that their subscriptions will cost 46% less. Here are a couple of examples the companies announced today.

How about 50 channels of your choice from either XM or Sirius for $6.99 per month? The two companies also say you'll be able to add additional channels for 25 cents apiece. This is a far cry from the $13 a month Sirius and XM subscribers are paying now.

The companies are gunning to get this merger done before the year is out, and they're trying to calm down complaints that the result would be a monopoly, leaving a company that could charge whatever it wanted for its one-of-a-kind services. One thing we're wondering, though: What's going to keep this monopoly service from raising its prices as soon as it gets regulatory approval?

We're now paying $13 a month for Sirius Satellite Radio, and find that to be an excellent value, considering the high quality of its radio stations and high fidelity of its signal. For $6.99 per month, we're thinking this new service would be irresistible. No wonder old fogy radio companies are opposing this merger so strongly. Bring it on. [Reuters]

Satellite Radio Receivers Already Capable of XM & Siruis?

Mark Wilson — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 11:52:21 EDT

In highly technical communications to the FCC, a man named Michael Hartleib makes a strong argument for the possibility of current satellite radios becoming interoperable—or gaining the ability to switch between Sirius and XM as easily as traditional radios do AM and FM. A firmware download could be all that's needed to upgrade the players...that is, if XM and Sirius followed FCC regulations and produced interoperable receivers in the first place. From the way Hartleib tells the story, XM and Sirius are more interested in selling you newer, "dual-mode" tech...

"Dual-mode" allows both signals to be downloaded to a radio at once, as if you were receiving AM and FM concurrently. But that difference—between needing or not needing to switch between music providers—would not be worth the cost of upgrading components to most consumers.

Let me make this one clear to Sirius and XM: if you offer me both services through the stuff I already own, you have a much better chance of up-selling my subscription.

[orbitcast]
We stole their nice picture, too.

XM To Rebroadcast Original D-Day Radio Broadcasts

Travis Hudson — Wed, 30 May 2007 14:04:28 EDT

XM is doing something really unique next week and I can't wait to listen. Beginning Wednesday, June 6, XM is going to air the original radio news bulletins from NBC Radio for the D-Day invasion, in real time almost exactly how the reports were heard 63 years ago. It will begin at 12:41 am Eastern time on Channel 4, The 40s, to correspond when the actual first reports were going live.

In addition to the actual reports and updates from the war, there will be era music and commentary about the day from members of NBC's news staff. I am particularly interested because I really want to hear the reports and get a feeling for how media treated war 60 years ago, compared with what it has turned into today. It is also a great way to reflect on the servicemen that lost their lives on that day. –Travis Hudson

XM recreates D-Day radio coverage in real-time [Orbitcast]

XM Offering Two-Days Credit for Downtime

Travis Hudson — Wed, 23 May 2007 19:20:41 EDT

After all of the downtime shenanigans, XM is making it worth your wild, your 87 wild cents. All you have to do is call up their customer care number (800-967-2346), complain and XM will credit you with two days' worth of service, which equals 87 cents. More after the break (including a sweet video).

Commenter elvindeath does bring up an interesting inquiry in this post— since Opie and Anthony were suspended for 30 days, does the two-day outage mean that they will have to go two more days suspended? I assume not, but I could see those XM assholes pulling a move like that.

By the way, people are still smashing the hell out of their receivers because of the O&A shenanigans.

–Travis Hudson

XM offering two-days credit for downtime [Orbitcast]

XM Back at Full Strength

Travis Hudson — Tue, 22 May 2007 15:52:28 EDT

That's right, kids. It was a long day yesterday at the XM headquarters, but everything seems to be up and running with all of the repeaters and SAT1 back online and at full strength. Here is the official word from earlier today:

"We quickly identified the problem and are working hard to return to our normal levels of service. The problem occurred during the loading of software to a critical component of our satellite broadcast system, which resulted in a loss of signal from one of our satellites. We expect normal service to resume midday today (eastern daylight time)."

David Cavossa of the Satellite Industry Association has a more interesting quote about the situation: "Once they're launched we can't just send the Maytag repairman up there." That got me thinking, why not? Maybe that is a potential new career path for me. Screw blogging, I want to be a space Maytag man.

Oh well, at least XM is back just in time for the afternoon replay of Opie and Antho... oh wait. –Travis Hudson

XM's full signal is back! [Orbitcast]

XM is Down, Blame Opie & Anthony (not really)

Travis Hudson — Mon, 21 May 2007 17:02:51 EDT

Some shit is going down at XM today. Apparently one of the satellites has lost its downlinking capability and XM is currently working to resolve the issue. Our buddy Ryan at Orbitcast is also reporting that repeaters are down due to a "software upgrade." Some have heard that it may be fixed within hours or it may not be fixed until days, but XM is officially saying:

"We are experiencing a temporary degraded performance issue, which has affected some of our customers. We expect to return to normal service levels this evening."

If you have a long commute home, you may want to load up the iPod with podcasts and tunes or burn a CD. Check out this cool Frappr map to see if your area is affected.

And if you want to blame someone, I would suggest Opie & Anthony for making comments that pissed off the world. Karma is a bitch. –Travis Hudson

BREAKING: Is XM down? [Orbitcast]

People Smash XM Receivers in Response to Opie & Anthony Suspension

Travis Hudson — Wed, 16 May 2007 17:40:58 EDT

People are going bonkers about The Opie & Anthony show being suspended—so bonkers that they are even smashing their XM receivers and canceling their XM service. According to a Digg member XM is now offering three to six months of free service if you call and cancel because of the O&A suspension. Even if you aren't a normal O&A listener this could be a good way to get some freebies and show XM that they are douchebags.

Opie and who? Get the backstory and hear the very NSFW clip that started all of this nonsense after the jump. Oh, and that merger may also be in trouble.

To catch you up, Opie and Anthony had "Homeless Charlie" on the air recently. Charlie spoke very vulgarly about what kind of things he would like to do to the Secretary of the State Condoleeza Rice and George Bush's wife. In the age of Don Imus, XM decided to suspend Opie, Anthony and their popular morning talk show for 30 days.

This could also have massive implications in the current XM and Sirius merger. XM and Sirius are trying to woo Capitol Hill for a smooth merger amid heavy scrutiny from antitrust forces, and I'm sure a homeless man describing what things he would like to do to two of the most powerful ladies in Washington, D.C., can't be helping things along.

–Travis Hudson

XM Subscribers backlash over O&A suspension [Orbitcast]

Senate Introduces Net-Radio Bill; Pandora Asks Giz Readers to Keep Bugging Congress

Wilson Rothman — Thu, 10 May 2007 22:00:54 EDT

The Senate today introduced a bill to prevent outlandish increases in net-radio royalties, a companion to the bill proposed by the House of Representatives last month. I decided to check in with Pandora's founder Tim Westergren again to see how he and his fellow webcasters got such sudden political clout.

"Congress is calling this the grassroots campaign of the year," he says. "Office staffers say they have never received this many emails and inquiries on any issue in their congressional careers. The whole fax infrastructure of Capitol Hill was jammed for two days." (Ah, those crazy faxers.) If any of you doubts your ability to make a difference in DC, by all means keep reading.

Westergren says that the groundswell is really evidence, like the Digg riot of 2007, that people are more in control of messages thanks to the Web. "Information is becoming decentralized—now people are getting to participate. You can't mess around anymore with consumers or artists—they've got a huge megaphone. This is really the power of the people here. But this kind of power needs to be thoughtfully wielded."

I asked Westergren what it was like to find support from such unlikely allies as arch-conservative Sam Brownback. Although I assumed the cause was relatively liberal, Westergren says you can't pigeonhole net radio that way. "There's no correlation," he says. "This is not a partisan issue."

Unless something changes, July 15 will be the day that webcasters are presented a bill covering all of owed royalties dating back to the beginning of 2006, calculated using the current, oppressive rates. "Starting then," he says, "every webcaster is bankrupt, except for a couple."

The only answer, says Westergren, will come from the Capitol. "We are 100% focused on bill passage. Call your congressman or senator and ask them to support these bills. Bug them until they do it." He adds, "We're not a well-moneyed lobby, we're a young industry. There's no K Street presence here."

Well, what are you waiting for? Get to them faxes!! You may even try one of these newfangled systems for communicating with congresspersons—I'm told this "E" mail works pretty good. – Wilson Rothman

Internet Radio Coverage [Gizmodo]

Dealzmodo: AudioVox Xpress XM Receiver, $6 AR

Travis Hudson — Tue, 08 May 2007 16:20:17 EDT

Baseball season is going strong (go Rangers!) and there is no way to catch all of the games unless you have XM (or one of those insanely overpriced TV packages). Buy.com has the AudioVox Xpress XM receiver for $6 after $54 of instant savings and a $30 mail-in rebate. The rebate is only valid for new subscribers. The receiver includes everything you need to get started, including an integrated FM transmitter, DC power adapter, mounting brackets and antenna for your car. The rebate is valid through June 30 and shipping is free. –Travis Hudson

Product Page [Via Dealhack]

Proposed House Bill Kills Internet Radio Royalty Rate Hike

Matt Buchanan — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 17:44:36 EDT

A new bill in the House sponsored by Reps. Jay Inslee and Donald Manzullo, dubbed the "Internet Radio Equality Act," would neuter the CRB's much-maligned royalty rate hike, setting rates at 7.5 percent of revenue—the same rate satellite radio broadcasters are charged. The new rate would be in effect from 2006 to 2010 and would be assessed according to the same standards as satellite radio.

Since the CRB's new rates go into effect on May 15, let's hope that the bill can make its way through Congress more quickly than legislation typically does, so Internet radio broadcasters don't get slammed by the CRB's exorbitant fees. Here's an easy way to get a hold of your representative to tell them to save Internet radio and get the legislative juices flowing. – Matt Buchanan

Bill Could Save Internet Radio [Broadband Reports]
Press Release [House of Representatives]
Image via Flickr

Audiovox Express EZ XM Receiver is Pretty, Cheap, Functional

Travis Hudson — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 21:00:52 EDT

The Audiovox Express EZ XM receiver is the little brother to the Expressr receiver. This little guy is smaller, cheaper and in my opinion, prettier, than the Expressr. It has a simple user interface with a large display screen, three buttons and a do-it-all control knob. This device will be available in June for a cool $70. –Travis Hudson

Audiovox Express EZ features [Orbitcast]

Dealzmodo: Samsung NeXus XM Player Free After Rebate

Jason Chen — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 19:00:56 EDT

If you've been waiting to get on satellite radio for pricing reasons, this deal should be enough to get you in the game. Buy.com has a discounted Samsung NeXus player for $50 with a $50 rebate, which means all you're paying for is tax (there's free shipping).

And hey, some states don't even need to pay for tax. Price is good for today only, so get to buying already. – Jason Chen

Product Page [Buy.com - Thanks Zach!]

Onkyo Debuts World's First XM, Sirius, HD Radio Tuner

Louis Ramirez — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 15:25:09 EDT

We hit up Onkyo's press event in Jersey City this afternoon where in addition to its new line of uber-receivers and HTiBs, the company also quietly unleashed the world's first three-way radio tuner (it's the one on the bottom). The T-4555P is a radio lover's wet dream come true, with built-in tuners for Sirius Radio, XM Satellite Radio and HD Radio. The $499 tuner is scheduled to ship soon, so all you radio fans who like having multiple options will benefit from waiting an extra week or so. Oh yea, it has AM and FM, too.

If you're wondering what's sitting on top of the T-4555P...

it's Onkyo's DV-SP405, a DVD player that'll upconvert your standard DVDs to 1080p via HDMI. It's slated to come out in July for $149, which is nothing revolutionary, but nicely priced nonetheless. – Louis Ramirez

Onkyo USA

NAB's XM/Sirius Satellite Radio Merger Poo-Pooing Debunked

Matt Buchanan — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 09:30:19 EDT

According to a new study by Arbitron and Edison Media Research, the National Association of Broadcasters' fears of a merged satellite radio company unfairly competing with terrestrial broadcasters are mostly unfounded, since digital radio listeners actually listen to more traditional radio than everyone else. The NY Times writes that "The data suggest that, generally speaking, fans of digital radio are seeking to supplement, not replace, traditional radio."

Moreover, Arbitron exec Bill Rose told the Times, "Heavy users of digital media don't think, 'If I'm doing this more, I'm doing the other thing less.' "

This directly contradicts what NAB President David Rehr wrote in a letter to the chairman of the House Judiciary Antitrust Task Force in March: "Simply put, every person who listens to satellite radio is one person not listening to a local radio station..."

Isn't there a way to let the customers decide what they want? If the XM/Sirius lovechild is as horrible as Rehr makes it out to be in his anti-monopoly spiel, they'll simply quit paying for it, and look for programming elsewhere, won't they? This study implicitly backs that up, beyond its more obvious conclusions. When it comes to media consumption, perhaps people are just little bit smarter than you've giving them credit for, Mr. Rehr. – Matt Buchanan

Digital Subscribers Like Free Radio, Too [NYT]

NAB President: XM-Sirius Merger "Not About the Consumer"

Matt Buchanan — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 21:40:30 EDT

Today, Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin hit Capitol Hill again to tell a Senate committee that the proposed merger would bring "more choice, lower prices" to consumers since it's trying to compete with a larger ecosystem that includes traditional radio and MP3 players. Yet at NAB '07 yesterday, NAB President David Rehr told attendees that it "certainly would not be in the consumer's benefit."

His full remarks on satellite radio after the jump.

This next clip is Mel Karmazin, familiar to some of you as the CEO of Sirius satellite radio, testifying before Congress recently. As you will see, he is attempting to define moving from two companies to one company as a merger, not the duopoly to monopoly that it is.
And on this point, Mel and I agree.

This merger will not be approved.

No matter how much Mr. Karmazin and everyone else at Sirius and XM use the word, it is not a merger they seek. It is a monopoly. It is a government sanctioned monopoly.

Now some of you might not be aware I am an economist by training. I ask you, when has a monopoly ever served the interests of the consumer?

In 1997, when the FCC authorized two nationwide satellite radio operators, it specifically prohibited them from merging. The bad business decisions of XM and Sirius — should not be rewarded with a government bailout in the form of a monopoly.

This certainly would not be in the consumer's benefit.

It will be a huge consumer headache because the companies use two different technologies which are not compatible with each other. Like beta and VHS. No, this is not about the consumer. It is not about advancing technology. It is about lining the pockets of financiers and corporate executives.

A monopoly is a monopoly is a monopoly, and we at NAB will continue to adamantly oppose it.

But as Orbitcast points out, NAB has "a long history of lobbying in Washington against the development of satellite radio." Its intense opposition—detailed at length in Orbitcast's post—bespeaks its vested interest. In September, speaking about satellite and internet radio, Rehr said he had "news for our competitors: 'We will beat you - as we have beaten those change agents in the past.' "

Of course, everyone has vested interests even as they spout that they're only acting on your behalf. Whether or not the merger is truly anticompetitive or totally consumer friendly remains to be seen, though if Karmazin keeps his word, it's looking more like the latter. – Matt Buchanan

The NAB: A history of hypocrisy [Orbitcast]

Never-Before-Seen Shot of Audiovox XpressR XM Portable With Hot Split-Screen Action

www.gizmodo.com — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 19:40:00 EDT

Apparently, everyone has been so caught up debating the XM-Sirius merger that they stopped paying attention to new hardware these guys are still working on. Audiovox decided to sneak out a product announcement in the middle of March for the XpressR XMCK20 portable receiver, the first, says the release, with a split-screen display that can shows the current program plus five other channels. We commend eCoustics for getting the release up on time, but there was no picture. So here we are, late on a Friday nearly a month later, sharing a low-res but perfectly decent shot of it. For you. You're welcome. Experienced readers will recognize that the interface was probably developed in-house by XM, so chances are you'll see split-screen models introduced soon—if not already—by other brands. This one goes on sale in June for $130. –Wilson Rothman

Audiovox XpressR and XpressEZ plug-and-play XM Radios Introduced [eCoustics.com]