Orbitcast

XM to launch "Mandatory Metallica"

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:27:34 -0500

XM will be launching a dedicated channel to Metallica starting next week on channel 51.

Starting August 16th, Mandatory Metallica (ch 51), will air music from the entire Metallica catalog, including rare live recordings from the band's personal archives, extensive interviews with the band and more.

James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo will host the six-week long channel.

The channel will also air interviews with other artists who will share their thoughts about Metallica's musical contributions, including Linkin Park, Slipknot, Disturbed, Guns 'n Roses, Chris Cornell, Ashes Divide, Blackstone Cherry, Five Finger Death Punch, Atreyu, Skid Row, Cinderella, Mastodon, Judas Priest, Dragonforce, Triumph, Tesla and many others.

Since their formation in the early 1980s, Metallica has released nine studio albums, and sold over 100 million albums worldwide. The band's 10th studio album, Death Magnetic, will be released worldwide on Friday, September 12th.

[Mandatory Metallica]

Interoperable Sirius XM Radios to arrive in less than 9 months

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:24:14 -0500

Sirius XM Radio Inc. CEO Mel Karmazin told investors during yesterday's conference call that interoperable radios will be available ahead of the nine-month deadline mandated by the FCC.

"We have an FCC deadline," said Karmazin. "You should assume that we will be a lot closer, a lot faster in that deadline."

"We think today an interoperable radio is something that we would like to see at retail," he added. "So you should assume that will be in a number of months sooner than we committed to the FCC."

But, will we see these radios in stores before the Holiday season? Most likely not, Mel Karmazin told Orbitcast in an interview today.

Karmazin did say that we can expect to see interoperable radios in the first quarter of next year, and can also expect see these new devices make their debut at CES 2009. Karmazin described the device as "very cool," but to expect the device to be in stores this fall would be unrealistic.

Remember, there's a difference between interoperable radios and the a la carte radios/packages. Karmazin confirmed on yesterday's call that "an a la carte radio will hit the stores this fall," and told Orbitcast that specific decisions on the programming packages are mere weeks away.

So XM subscribers who want the "best of" Sirius, and vice versa (like Howard Stern and MLB, for instance), won't have to wait long before new programming is within reach.

UPDATE: Sirius SVP of Communications Patrick Reilly made a good point to FMQB about the whole interoperability thing. Sirius-XM did originally promise to deliver interoperable radios within one-year of closing the merger, so the 9-month schedule is already an accelerated one.

Artie Lange checks into rehab

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 23:09:38 -0500

Artie Lange, longtime sidekick on The Howard Stern Show, has checked himself into an intensive outpatient rehabilitation facility.

E! News confirmed the news with Lange's publicist, but there is no additional information on where Artie is being treated, or what exactly he's being treated for.

News of Lange's in-treatment status comes after he canceled a string of stand-up dates, as well as a planned appearance in Los Angeles on the Comedy Central roast of Bob Saget, which was taped Sunday night.

Artie is reportedly still expected to return to the Stern show when it comes back from hiatus later this month.

[E! Online]
Photo Credit: HowardStern.com

Sirius XM Radio selects executive programming team - Report

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:42:46 -0500

Sirius XM Radio has chosen the executives who will lead the newly merged company's programming divisions, according to a report by All Access.

According to All Access, the executive programming team will be:

Jon Zellner (from XM) will be SVP/Music Programming
Jeremy Coleman (from Sirius) will be SVP/Talk and Entertainment Programming
Steve Cohen (from Sirius) will be SVP/Sports Programming
Paul Turcotte (from Sirius) will be SVP/Advertising Sales

Additionally, Tim Sabean will continue to report directly to Howard Stern and President/Chief Content Officer Scott Greenstein (pictured above) in overseeing both Howard Stern channels.

"Please join me in congratulating these people and all who have helped build the foundation of Sirius XM Radio," wrote Greenstein in a note to everyone at Sirius XM. Please welcome them as we continue the exciting though challenging work of being the nation's best provider of audio entertainment."

Sirius SVP/Music Programming Steve Blatter will reportedly remain with the company.

[All Access]

Live Blogging the Sirius XM Radio Inc. Earnings Call

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 07:55:59 -0500

Orbitcast will be live blogging the Sirius-XM Radio conference call today which will be discussing the standalone results for Sirius Satellite Radio Inc.

I'll be posting updates as fast as I can, so keep refreshing the site for the updates.

Currently on hold. Trying to place the name of the song...
Ok, we a go now. Turning over to Paul Blalock.
"Welcome to our first post merger Sirius XM Radio conference call" (yay!)

Sirius losses narrow as a stand alone company

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 07:36:02 -0500

Sirius XM Radio said that the standalone Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. unit posted a narrower quarterly net loss for Q208, beating Wall Street expectations by a penny.

Revenue increased 25% to $283.0 million, total subscribers grew in excess of 8.9 million and the adjusted loss from operations saw a 70% decrease.

Sirius lost $84 million, or 6 cents a share, compared with the loss of $134 million a year before. Revenue rose to $283 million from $226 million year over year. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial were looking for a 7-cent loss on revenue of $283 million.

Orbitcast will be live-blogging the conference call today at 8am ET.

Read the full press release and financials after the jump...

Mel Karmazin hints to selling Sirius XM Radio?

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:49:51 -0500

Following the successful merger between Sirus Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellite Radio Inc., chief executive Mel Karmazin hinted that he would consider selling the newly minted company in a recent interview with the New York Times.

Karmazin told the Times his goal is turn Sirius XM Radio into a profitable business, something he suggests is just a year or two away. "Then we can argue about what the company is worth," he said.

But he would consider selling Sirius XM like he has the ventures he has run before?

"I'm not a visionary; I'm an operator," Karmazin told the Times. "And I've been a seller. The bankers all want the next transaction."

[New York Times via FMQB]
Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

Penetration of satellite radio rises "dramatically" says JD Power

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:48:27 -0500

According to the J.D. Power and Associates, growth in consumer demand for high-tech features in new vehicles has led to a significant increase in market penetration for satellite radio and navigation systems.

The 2008 Multimedia Quality and Satisfaction Study, released today, found that 55 percent of new-vehicle owners report having satellite radio capability in their audio system.

That's up quite a bit from just 39 percent at year ago.

"New-vehicle buyers are looking for the latest technologies in audio systems, and the presence of features such as satellite radio and navigation systems will only increase as manufacturers try to meet consumer demand," said Allison LaDuc, senior research manager of automotive product quality at J.D. Power and Associates.

Market penetration for navigation systems has also increased - up to 25 percent in 2008 from 20 percent in 2007. Additionally, nearly 60 percent of consumers say they want a navigation system on their next vehicle, said LaDuc.

Competition on the dashboard is mounting though. LaDuc added that 66 percent of consumers say they want the ability to play MP3 files.

"To meet or exceed consumer expectations, manufacturers will need to focus on incorporating high-tech features in multimedia systems while avoiding increases in problem levels," said LaDuc.

The 2008 Multimedia Quality and Satisfaction Study is based on responses from 81,530 new-vehicle owners who purchased a 2008 model-year vehicle. The study was fielded between February and April 2008..

[CNN Money]
Thanks Len & Jon!

Rascal Flatts to take over Sirius New Country

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:58:58 -0500

Chart-topping country music stars Rascal Flatts will be taking over Sirius' country hits channel this week.

Starting on Friday, August 8th, Rascal Flatts will take control of Sirius New Country (ch 60) all weekend long through Sunday, August 10th.

The country superstars will personally introduce their songs as well as share stories about writing, recording and performing. The band will also play their favorite country songs from various artists and talk about other influential country music performers.

Sirius Doctor Radio explores the effects of sports on kids

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 08:58:26 -0500

This week on Sirius' Doctor Radio pediatrics show, renowned pediatrician Dr. Perri Klass and her guests will explore the psychological, emotional and physical effects of sports and kids - and the role parents should play to keep their kids healthy, and sane.

Klass' scheduled guests include Blaine Williams, three time Olympian, 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist, who is currently a coach at International Gymnastics in the Poconos; Ashley Miller, former member of the U.S. National team; Dr. Marianne Engle, practicing clinical and sports psychologist & Clinical Assistant Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the NYU Child Study Center; Dr. Dennis Cardone, D.O./Clinical Associate Professor/ NYU Hospital for Joint Disease/Department of Ortheopedic Surgery; and Dr. Jeff Rosen, Assistant Professor / Director of Adolescent Sports Medicine in Departments of Orthopedic Surgery and Hospital for Joint Diseases. (That's a mouthful isn't it?)

Dr. Klass and her guests will explore:

What is healthy competition and what is damaging?
What are the most common injuries kids deal with from their sports activities?
How are sports programs trying to keep kids safe and is it working?
Is all this extra training harming our kids while they are still growing?

The show, "On Call for Kids," will air live this Wednesday from 10am - 12pm ET. Don't worry if you miss it (I know, short notice) encore broadcasts will be airing on Saturday at 8am ET, Monday 6pm ET and Tuesday 12pm ET on Doctor Radio (ch 114).

Mercedes-Benz to factory install HD Radio

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:18:28 -0500

Mercedes-Benz today said that it will offer HD Radio as optional factory-installed equipment on select 2009 model-year vehicles, joining the ranks of BMW, Jaguar and Volvo.

Funny, amid all that crying over the unfair competition that HD Radio will face against a merged Sirius and XM, HD Radio continued to make strides in signing deals with automakers. No wonder Toyota and GM so vehemently opposed an HD Radio mandate.

The HD Radio option will be available in M-, R-, GL-, G-Class SUVs and E-Class vehicles (GL-Class is pictured above).

These models will feature a new head unit with a 6.5-inch color display screen with an in-dash, 6-disc CD/DVD changer and a Bluetooth interface which runs through the audio system. The new head unit has the option of an iPod/MP3 media interface, Sirius Satellite Radio, HD Radio, and an advanced voice control system for audio, navigation and phone systems.

Mercedes' new system can also display maps and directions for the optional GPS nav system, which can also show off Sirius' real-time traffic information and Zagat restaurant ratings.

Opie & Anthony in contract talks with Sirius XM Radio

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:54:01 -0500

Talks are starting today between Opie & Anthony and Sirius XM Radio Inc. over the duo's pending contract renewal, reports FMQB.

Super Agent Bob Eatman revealed on the program today that a meeting to discuss the contract is scheduled for this afternoon with Sirius XM President of Entertainment & Sports, Scott Greenstein.

The meeting comes less than a week after CEO Mel Karmazin appeared on their show (audio) and stated that he wanted O&A to be part of the newly merged company.

Eatman also revealed that CBS Radio is waiting to see if the new Sirius XM deal will allow Opie & Anthony to stay on terrestrial radio. If it does, then he suggested that the duo will likely make a return to WYSP/Philadelphia.

Remember, Opie & Anthony's contract with CBS Radio was only renewed for one-year in April. The reason for the short term renewal, of course, was the merger.

[FMQB via Your Mom's Box]

SIRI Investor Baiting: Clusterstock, 24/7 Wall St "could" do better

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:08:16 -0500

If there's one thing that we can all admit, it's that satellite radio investors are a "passionate" group. So what better way to drive interest (and traffic) from this group than by spewing a list of negative theories that, uhm, "could" happen?

Enter a blog post by Douglas McIntyre on 24/7 Wall St., and subsequently parroted by the great Henry Blodget of Clusterstock.

Now if there's anything that Blodget knows about, it's hot air.

In McIntyre's post, he pontificates of four possible scenarios that could make SIRI "trade under $1 by the end of the year," a statement that Blodget decided to use as his headline. Here's the synopsis:

1. The synergies could be less than expected. Oh, and the merging of the two companies could take longer.

2. Sirius could find that the refinancing of $2.5 billion in long term debt is "nearly impossible in a poor credit market."

3. Satellite Radio growth rates could suffer because of the slowing automotive market. Oh, and then there's the iPod!

4. "Sirius could loss [sic] key management." Because, y'know, Mel will be 65 soon, and now that the merger is over he'll want to retire.

The comments to Blodget's post (24/7 Wall Street doesn't allow for comments, I wonder why?) are particularly hilarious, especially since Blodget had to answer, again, to his dotcom specter. This comment is my personal favorite because it addresses each of the "possible" scenarios.

But why stop at just four? C'mon Blodget could have come up with some better speculative scenarios all in the name of "research and analysis." You're good at that.

Let me help out. Here's five more things that could happen to a now newly merged Sirius XM Radio Inc. that would drive SIRI down the toilet:

5. NAB president David K. Rehr could sneak into Mel's office, sit in Mel's chair, take all his phone calls pretending to be Mel, and issue poor decisions (like he did the past 18 months) that would spell the demise of the company.

6. Military rockets could shoot down one of Sirius' satellites at the perfect moment, and ricochet hurling pieces of space junk to take out all of XM's satellites at the same time. No seriously, it could happen!

7. Rats could eat all the fiber in The Eck, causing a malfunction that would domino nationwide, ultimately making all of XM's repeaters towers to start over-transmitting and making the FCC really really angry.

8. Howard Stern could quit Sirius and go podcast willy instead. (Hmm, actually, that's not very funny.)

9. The iPod is coming! The iPod is coming! Oh wait, the iPod has been here since 2001 and is maturing. Bah, who cares! the iPod is coming! The iPod is coming!

Give me a break.

Just a note to Blodget, McIntyre and other fear-mongers:
If you're going to try to be dramatic about predicting the demise of satellite radio, try basing your "research and analysis" on concrete reasons - there's actually plenty available to work with.

[24/7 Wall St, Clusterstock]

XM's Coolest Car Challenge kicks off its 2nd year

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 08:28:16 -0500

Together with Motor Trend and Automobile, XM has launched the second year of the Editors' Coolest Car Challenge: from Sixty-Four cars to One.

The challenge invites car enthusiasts to test their automotive-acumen by choosing from 64 XM-equipped new vehicles against picks made by Motor Trend and Automobile Magazine editors in a basketball tournament-style bracket.

The editorial team at Motor Trend and Automobile will select the winner of each head-to-head matchup, round by round, to determine the XM Coolest Car for 2009.

The participants who match the editors pick for pick will be entered into a drawing and a chance to win $10,000.

Check the site on or about November 18th to view the final four vehicles. The XM Coolest Car will be announced at the LA Auto Show on November 19th, and a sweepstakes winner will be chosen after November 24th.

[XM Coolest Car]

Mel Karmazin buys 2M shares of SIRI

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 17:54:44 -0500

In a show of confidence, Sirius XM Radio Inc. CEO Mel Karmazin reached into his own pocket and purchased a massive amount of company stock on the open market today.

According to an SEC filing, Karmazin bought 2 million shares of SIRI stock at $1.37 today. The stock buy adds to Karmazin's position, bringing his stake to 8,533,820 shares.

[View SEC Filing]