Sirius

[Del_B_Vista]

I have had XM (MyFi which I use at home and portably) for about three years and my girlfriend has Sirius in her car. One thing I can't stand about Sirius is how they have live sporting events just sprinkled throughout the dial. XM has a chunk of consecutive channels for baseball, another for colleges, another for NHL, etc. Sirius is just a huge pain in the ass to search for games while driving.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

Just got a 2005 Mazda 3 that is satellite ready (I think ... it has a SAT button on the deck). Anyone have experience with satellite-ready cars (such as where to find the ID number Sirius needs)? Mazda is among the many cars makers that have a deal with Sirius.

Mazda is Ford. All the Ford brands are Sirius-only. Toyota and Nissan have deals with both XM and Sirius. The American half of DaimlerChrysler throws in a year's worth of Sirius for every satellite-ready Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep car or truck it sells.

As for your car, it may not have come with a satellite receiver preinstalled if you don't have it working already on some sort of a trial deal. You can probably have the dealer or a third-party installer put one in.

 

[tommyp]

Stern's show is the greatest... Sirius had 500K subscribers before they signed Stern and now they have more than six million. As someone else said, he's more than paid for himself.

I don't think your 500k number is accurate, but he's clearly driven a lot of folks to Sirius. From today's NY Times:

Today, thanks in part to the outsize radio personality, the Stern Effect has increased Sirius’s base to about six million subscribers, up 80 percent from one year ago.

I might argue your argument. If the quote if from today's Times, "one year ago" suggests Jan. 2, 2006, where I'm sure he had a buildup of new subscriptions since his announcement date (where the 500K subscriber number probably originates).

 

[Lamar Mundane]

Just b/c Howie says something doesn't make it true. Sirius has nothing close to 6 million listeners. Even if it did, do all 6 million listen exclusively to HOwie or subscribe to Sirius b/c of Howie. I can't find anything more recent but unless Sirius had a monumental year (their stock values would say otherwise) here's something close to the truth.

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1393&CFID=2819713&CFTOKEN=53826299

From Feb. 22, 2006

Since announcing on October 6, 2004, that it had signed Howard Stern to a five-year deal, Sirius Satellite Radio has added approximately 2.7 million subscribers and become a household name in the satellite radio world. The tab: Close to $700 million.

I used to love Howie until he became tired old Howie. Opie and Anthony stole from Howie but revolutionized radio by becoming the largest broadcasters in the US and A. Howie is a commodore 64 and O&A are PS3. Howie couldn't hold Ron's cigar or Fez's jock.

Don't know about Sirius but XM's comedy station 150 is wonderful.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Check the date on that story. It's from February. I'm sure nobody has bought Sirius since then...

 

[tommyp]

Just like an O&A fan, to be so last year.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

Since announcing on October 6, 2004, that it had signed Howard Stern to a five-year deal, Sirius Satellite Radio has added approximately 2.7 million subscribers and become a household name in the satellite radio world. The tab: Close to $700 million.

I used to love Howie until he became tired old Howie. Opie and Anthony stole from Howie but revolutionized radio by becoming the largest broadcasters in the US and A. Howie is a commodore 64 and O&A are PS3. Howie couldn't hold Ron's cigar or Fez's jock.

Used to have XM; listened to O&A a few times. They sucked and are not a counter to Howard 100 and Howard 101; even XM agrees, given that O&A aren't part of XM's advertising. Sirius' Raw Dog comedy station is the equal of SM 150. They didn't revolutionize radio and never had more than 22 affiliates for their old show; As of 2001, Howard had 50 affiliates nationwide.

(And Ron & Fez are not at all the equivalent of Ron & Ron, which was a far funnier show than Howard Stern, R&F or O&A.)

Both companies missed their subscriber targets for 2006; XM dropped its forecast from 9 million to about 7.7 million, while Sirius was expecting to have between 5.9 and 6.1 million listeners. However, it's a fact that Sirius has a higher growth curve in that area than XM does and Sirius should pick up a lot of diehard NASCAR fans when it becomes NASCAR's official satellite company.

Both companies' stocks have lost value in the last year, but XMSR has lost more percentage of value (50 percent at this writing) than Sirius (46 percent, which also isn't an impressive number). And if there's to be a merger, most stock analysts say it will be a Sirius-dominated company --- assuming the FTC approves. Given the monopoly that would be created, FTC approval would be a stunning surprise.

 

[Pastor]

Just like an O&A fan, to be so last year.

I don't really get this kind of argument. The shows are different while holding some similarities (they talk and joke).

I was never a big Howard Stern fan but it cannot be denied that he was a driving force in obtaining a tremendous amount of listeners for Sirius. He isn't the only reason that people jumped on and probably isn't a reason at all for some.

It is interesting how this is all playing out. I am also interested in seeing what other technology is offered to oppose satellite radio.

 

[DrRosenpenis]

Diehard NASCAR fans do NOT listen to the races on the radio. They watch it on TV or they attend the race.

 

[Lamar Mundane]

If those Sirius numbers are accurate, why would the stock only go up about a quarter in a year. IT more than doubled its subscibers is a year and can't move it's stock. Something doesn't compute.

It's sad that O&A had a two-year absence from terrestrial radio and can become the nation's top show, adding more affiliates each month. Howie, along with Rodman, revolutionized dressing like a woman. Nice LEtterman appearance in a Ms. Claus Suit. Hoo Hoo hilarious.

Not quite baby bird magic.

 

[Lamar Mundane]

Buy Sirius stock. Now, at a 52-month low. Boosted by Howie's 3.3 million subscribers in 2006, Sirius has skyrocketed all the way down to $3.55.

http://quote.morningstar.com/Quote/Quote.aspx?ticker=SIRI

12-27-06 SIRI hits 52-week low (M*)

 

[patchs]

Get XM - Opie and Anthony plus Ron and Fez are worth the monthly subscription price alone. Howie has sent Sirius into the dumper and likely will merger with XM by 2008.

"I invented radio, Robin. Hoo. Hoo."

Stern stinks. Plus, he puts out a live show only three or four days a week now.

And who listens to the NFL on radio? Baseball, sure, but not NFL. Most people are at a bar or in front of the TV at home for NFL games. Do people just drive around on Sunday afternoons listening to the NFL on Sirius? Doubtful.

Baseball is a far better selling point for XM because there's games every night of the week.

Stern is the reason I got Sirius. Stern's show now is funnier, more irreverent and more of a must-listen than it ever has been. And geez, the guy has set parameters, spawned imitators (O&A the most well-known of the bunch), and fought with the government and radio assholes for 25-plus years. In my estimation, he has earned a right to work a four-day week.

As far as the sports offered, I can agree that MLB would be a nice thing to have, but on a Sunday afternoon, if I am out and about, I have no problem listening to an NFL game, as I did Saturday night.

And then there's commercial-free music, unlike what can be found on XM.

XM has 69 commercial free music channels and just 4 with ads, which a court forced them to air because of a previous contract with Clear Channel.
Every CC channel that XM carries has an ad free counterpart.
Sirius has 69 commercial free music channels.
Call it a wash.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

Buy Sirius stock. Now, at a 52-month low. Boosted by Howie's 3.3 million subscribers in 2006, Sirius has skyrocketed all the way down to $3.55.

http://quote.morningstar.com/Quote/Quote.aspx?ticker=SIRI

12-27-06 SIRI hits 52-week low (M*)

And loses 81 cents a share annually.

XM loses $2.53 a share annually.

If I had money to invest, I wouldn't buy either. That said, I remember when Apple stock went for under $7 a share. The year was 2003. It's trading at almost $85 per share today. Things turn around.

 

[Webster]

Each company would be a hell of a lot more profitable if the other were not around -- that's why the rumors of mergers always pop up.

I'm a Stern fan from way back, but haven't followed him to Sirius -- I rarely drive, so it doesn't make sense to have the radio in my car. I thought that the radio which you carried around was too expensive and I didn't like that I'd have to pay so much to plug it into a boombox at work. So I passed. If the hardware wasn't so inconvenient/expensive, I'd have no problem paying the monthly fee. If they had stuck with the all Boss station, I would have gotten the service.

As a Stern fan, I grew sick very quickly with the "Howard Stern imitators" rant when he was at K-Rock. If someone is funnier than you, so be it. Having said that, I've listened to O&A a few times on FM here and wasn't that impressed. Anthony is pretty funny and Jim Norton is decent, but I didn't like it so much as to make it part of my walk to work.

 

[BYH]

I can't believe all this bickering back and forth about Stern and O&A.

They both suck. Hard.

I have XM because Stern sucks and I'd much rather listen to baseball than football. But as long as you ditch terrestial radio, you win.

 

[Columbo]

Stern's show is the greatest... Sirius had 500K subscribers before they signed Stern and now they have more than six million. As someone else said, he's more than paid for himself.

I love Sirius. I go crazy without it. I got the Stiletto for Christmas and it's just ****ing incredible...

I'll take the iPod.

Matching up an FM station as a platform for the Sirius signal is ridiculous.

Drive 200 miles and then spend 5 minutes putzing around to find the right new non-claimed frequency.

 

[Del_B_Vista]

Stern's show is the greatest... Sirius had 500K subscribers before they signed Stern and now they have more than six million. As someone else said, he's more than paid for himself.

I love Sirius. I go crazy without it. I got the Stiletto for Christmas and it's just ****ing incredible...

I'll take the iPod.

Matching up an FM station as a platform for the Sirius signal is ridiculous.

Drive 200 miles and then spend 5 minutes putzing around to find the right new non-claimed frequency.

Uh, if you use an FM transmitter on an iPod you have to do the same thing. If you use a line input on an iPod, you can use a line input on XM or Sirius.

 

[BTExpress]

Diehard NASCAR fans do NOT listen to the races on the radio. They watch it on TV or they attend the race.

I would say it could be argued that diehard ANYTHING fans (football, baseball, basketball) tend not to listen to their sport on the radio.

But sometimes you're out driving and have no other way.

That being said, I predict one day an XM or Sirius listener will practically drive right into a tornado . . . missing the warning, which was only available by way of his terrestrial local station.

 

[Columbo]

Stern's show is the greatest... Sirius had 500K subscribers before they signed Stern and now they have more than six million. As someone else said, he's more than paid for himself.

I love Sirius. I go crazy without it. I got the Stiletto for Christmas and it's just ****ing incredible...

I'll take the iPod.

Matching up an FM station as a platform for the Sirius signal is ridiculous.

Drive 200 miles and then spend 5 minutes putzing around to find the right new non-claimed frequency.

Uh, if you use an FM transmitter on an iPod you have to do the same thing. If you use a line input on an iPod, you can use a line input on XM or Sirius.

Headphones.

ZERO static. Perfect playlist.

 

[BYH]

I got the sportster and boombox for XMas.

I installed it in the car (antenna on the back roof of our SUV, stringing the wire to the front of the car.... whole nine yards) and have been very disappointed how often I "lose antenna" when driving around in open spaces, and the boom box is OK as long as you don't want to use it to listen to programming in the house.

Whatever my wife spent on this, plus the two-year plan they swindled from me..... has been close to an utter waste.

Buy XM.

Seriously, and I'm not saying this to be a wiseass, but you might want to get it installed by someone at Best Buy or some place like that. My equipment was installed there and, outside of one or two severe thunderstorms last summer and a very occassional (and brief--like a handful of seconds long) outage, I haven't had a single problem with losing the signal. And I travel to bum**** to see my parents and have been to Cooperstown with the XM.