AT&T to discount 3G iPhone to $200?

Wednesday, April 30, 2008 at 10:48 AM
Filed under: Apple, iPhone, Rumors, The Competition
3G iPhone on the cheap?According to FORTUNE, the upcoming 3G iPhone will be discounted by AT&T to bring the price of the device down to $200.

Citing a "person familiar with the strategy," AT&T is preparing to subsidize $200 of the cost of a new iPhone for customers who sign two-year contracts.

Additionally, they say the new iPhone will be 2.5mm thinner than the original and will have a built-in GPS chip for navigation and other location-based services.

The New York Times' Bits Blog sees several holes in this rumor, especially the claim that the subsidized iPhone would be offered in AT&T stores exclusively, and not Apple stores. Still, it's an inevitable part of Apple's strategy to drastically lower the iPhone's price to bring sales closer to critical mass, with or without any fabled "person" to provide the info.

[FORTUNE via Engadget Mobile]

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Is the Sirius Starmate 5 going to be A La Carte capable?

Wednesday, April 30, 2008 at 8:44 AM
Filed under: A La Carte, FCC, Merger, Sirius, Starmate 5
Sirius Starmate 5While speculation abounds about whether the upcoming Sirius Starmate 5 will have the capability to receive both Sirius and XM, there's one piece of the puzzle that was missed... the ability to receive A La Carte channels.

As a refresher: Sirius-XM have said that after merging, they would offer the first-ever a la carte packages in subscription media. These packages would allow subscribers to choose 50 channels for $6.99/month, or 100 channels from either Sirius or XM for $14.99/month. Additional channels would cost $0.25/each.

But a commenter on SiriusBuzz points to the Starmate 5's user manual, which gives a strong indication that this radio could indeed be the first A La Carte capable unit.

The section in question, Page 74 of the user manual (PDF), refers to the "My Channels" category, which "will show all of the channels contained in your SIRIUS subscription plan." The Starmate 5 user manual then goes on to describe that the "category heading bar will show the total number of channels your Starmate ST5 is subscribed to."

A La Carte capable?The manual also differentiates these subscribed channels from channels that are locked by the built-in Parental Control feature (which has been available on previous generations).

Below are select bullet points from the manual highlighting this:
  • "If you try to tune to an unsubscribed channel the ST5 will display a 'Channel Unsubscribed' message."
  • "The ST5 will not display channel information for any unsubscribed or locked channels."
  • "The Memory and Song Seek functions... will only occur on subscribed channels."
Now, before we get all in a tizzy, it is also important to point out that the "My Channels" references in the Starmate 5's manual could be referencing the "select" packages and not true "a la carte" packages. As you can see in Sirius' post-merger channel lineup, there are  other programming packages that would limit the number of channels displayed on the unit, including a "Family Friendly" package, a "Mostly Music" package and a "News, Sports & Talk" package.

Even if that's the case, I still think this is an important development.

[via Orbitcast Forums]

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President Jimmy Carter interviewed on Sirius

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 at 11:09 PM
Filed under: Jimmy Carter, Sirius, Sirius Left
Jimmy CarterFormer President Jimmy Carter sat down for an interview on Sirius Satellite Radio to discuss his recent peace mission to the Middle East, among other topics, with Sirius host Alex Bennett.

Carter also talked about the current democratic presidential primary and his new book A Remarkable Mother about the life and legacy of his mother, Lillian Carter.

In addition, the former President discussed his controversial meeting with Hamas.

"We got what we wanted from Hamas. They agreed to a lot of very important things," said former President Jimmy Carter during the interview. "First of all they agreed to propose a cease fire just for Gaza, where as before they [Hamas] were demanding Gaza plus a West Bank. So they made that proposal, unfortunately Israel turned the proposal down, which could have stopped the rockets going into Sderot and could have brought peace."

President Carter's also added his thoughts on how he believes the Democratic presidential primaries will be resolved.

"I feel after June the 3rd, there will be a fairly clear identity of the winner," said Carter. "And then, in my opinion, the super delegates including me will go along the way the American democrats have."

You can hear Alex Bennett, a self-proclaimed radio gadfly, on "The Alex Bennett Program" weekdays from 9 - 12pm ET on Sirius Left (ch 146).

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XM CEO made $4.85 million in 2007

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 at 6:59 PM
Filed under: 4, XM

XM CEO Nate Davis

An analysis of a regulatory filing by the Associated Press has revealed that XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. CEO Nate Davis received a cool $4.85 million in compensation last year.

Davis received a salary of $560,416, plus $747,500 in nonequity incentive-based compensation in 2007, according to the SEC filing. In addition, he also received stock awards valued at $3.54 million.

By comparison, XM's former-CEO Hugh Panero received a compensation valued at $3.71 million including $3.075 million in stock awards in 2006. Then in 2007, Panero received compensation valued at $7.27 million, including $538,522 in salary, a severance payment of $4.95 million and stock awards of $1.77 million.

[AP]

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XM's Unmasked returns for a new season in May

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 at 4:59 PM
Filed under: 4, XM
Lewis BlackXM's original comedy series "Unmasked" will be returning for a new season on May 3rd with comedic legends such as Lewis Black, Margaret Cho, Janeane Garofalo and The Kids in the Hall.

Recorded before a live studio audience, "Unmasked" offers up candid, one-on-one interviews with comedic talent for an uncensored look into their creative process and the lives that shape their comedy. "Unmasked" originally launched in September with George Carlin as its inaugural guest.

Lewis Black (pictured) will kick off the 2nd season, sharing stories of his early, broke years working in the theatre, and the night he spent in jail. Then every two weeks a new episode will air, with Marget Cho (May 17), The Kids in the Hall (May 31) and Janeane Garofalo (June 14) in the queue.

The season premieres on Saturday, May 3 at 8pm ET/5pm PT on XM Comedy (ch 150).

Click the jump to see a photo of Lewis Black with XM's EVP of Programming, Eric Logan.

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Why Arbitron's satellite radio ratings are wrong

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 at 2:43 PM
Filed under: 5, XM

"When the only tool you have is a hammer, then every problem begins to look like a nail."
- Abraham Maslow

In the world of statistics and research, methodology is paramount. That's pretty basic. If you're going to draw a conclusion from the polling of a sample, the methods you use to extract those answers had damn well better be solid. Because in the end, the way this data is gathered defines the final outcome.

And this is exactly why I say that the Arbitron ratings for satellite radio listening are wrong. Indeed, they're bullshit.

Maybe that was a bit harsh, I'm sorry. Let's instead say that these ratings are for "information purposes only," because that's how Arbitron refers to them.

Mind you, the criticism that's about to ensue has absolutely nothing to do with terrestrial radio and how its listenership is measured. That's a whole different issue. This is meant to point out the flaws in how Arbitron measures satellite radio listenership and nothing more. So when I say that "Arbitron's ratings are wrong" I mean for Sirius and XM, and not regular radio.

So let's begin.

Arbitron Diary

Reason #1
The Arbitron Diary.

Actually, it's the methodology for terrestrial radio ratings that's screwing it all up. Arbitron's diary is built from the ground up to measure AM/FM. Not Internet Radio. Not Satellite Radio. Not even HD Radio (that is, if anyone was listening to HD Radio). It's meant for good ol' regular radio and nothing else.

Here's a big problem: There is no checkbox for a listener to select "Satellite Radio." None. Nothing for Sirius. Nothing for XM. Nothing. Diarykeepers need to actually physically write in the service and the channel info, in addition to the time they started and stopped listening to the program as well as the location of where they did this. Do you think people will actually write in all that information? Right there, the data becomes tainted.

Follow the jump to keep reading...

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Directed Electronics extends contract with Sirius

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 at 10:05 AM
Filed under: Directed, Retail, Sirius
Directed ElectronicsDirected Electronics has extended their contract with Sirius from August 31, 2008 to January 31, 2009.

The extension also includes a contract amendment that reduces Directed's exposure to warranty costs incurred from satellite radio products.

"In the third quarter of 2007, our earnings were adversely impacted by a $4.3 million increase to our warranty expense principally related to our satellite radio business," said James Minarik, President and CEO of Directed. "With this new amendment, the risk of unexpected satellite radio warranty expense is expected to decrease significantly, while concurrently improving our ability to provide superior service to our satellite radio customers. Cumulatively, we believe these changes will lead to improved financial results for this business."


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Sirius and XM postpone 2008 Annual Stockholder Meeting

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 at 8:14 AM
Filed under: 4, XM

XM
Sirius
Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. have both announced that they have postponed their 2008 annual meeting of stockholders.

The meetings were originally scheduled for May 20th and May 23rd for Sirius and XM respectively. A new date will be set when they have more information relating to the timing of the merger.

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The FCC meetings continue: NAB joins the fray

Monday, April 28, 2008 at 1:58 PM
Filed under: Merger, NAB, Satellite Radio, Sirius, XM
David RehrThe meetings at the FCC continue occur as we rapidly approach the May 1st deadline for the extended merger agreement between Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. This time, the National Association of Broadcasters is the latest group to enter the fray.

NAB President and CEO David Rehr (pictured) and NAB Executive VP of Legal & Regulatory Affairs Marsha MacBride, met with FCC Commissioner Michael Copps and his Senior Legal Advisor/Media Advisor Rick Chessen last Friday, according to a FCC filing.

At the meeting, Rehr and MacBride argued that a merged Sirius-XM will "harm consumers" as well as "undermine fair competition in local radio markets."

The NAB stuck to the same stale argument from over a year ago that approving the merger would "violate the Commission's long-standing prohibition against a merger of the nation's only two satellite radio licensees" that the FCC needs to be mindful of Sirius and XM's "record of violations of the Commission's rules."

How much longer does this need to drag on? Seriously. I think we've exhausted all the angles and it's time to make a decision. Nothing new is being added that hasn't already been said.

[View FCC filing (PDF)]

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Sirius users: Are you getting signal dropouts?

Monday, April 28, 2008 at 11:49 AM
Filed under: Issues, Reception, Signal, Sirius
Sirius SatelliteOver the past week or so, I started noticing my Sirius signal cutting out frequently, and sometimes for quite an extended period of time.

At first I thought it just normal behavior (spring is in the air here in Connecticut, and the leaves are starting to return), but the frequency and length of the dropouts had me wondering. When I noticed the same behavior in my wife's OEM install, I knew that something was going on.

There's now an extensive thread on Sirius Backstage talking about several experiences with Sirius signal cutouts. And so I'm curious, has any readers here had any problems picking up their Sirius signal?

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Dale Jr. welcomes Danica Patrick on his XM show

Monday, April 28, 2008 at 10:31 AM
Filed under: 4, XM
Dale Jr and Danica Patrick
Two of the biggest names in auto racing will go one-on-one on XM Satellite Radio this week when Dale Earnhardt Jr. interviews Danica Patrick on Earhnhardt's XM show "Dale Jr. Unrestricted."

Danica will talk shop with Junior this Thursday, May 1st, on XM Sports Nation (ch 144) at 7:30pm ET/4:30pm PT. Encores to air Thursday at 10:30pm ET and then again on Saturday at 1:30pm ET and 6:30pm ET.

"Dale Jr. Unrestricted" every week brings you into Dale Jr.'s living room to listen to him and his friends talk about anything and everything.

Patrick is on a media tear in the wake of winning the Indy Japan 300 last week, which made her the first female to win a major auto race.

So far Danica's been on the front page of USA Today and the New York Times, plus she's made appearances on "Good Morning America," CNN, Conan O'Brian, "The View" and David Letterman... not that I'm tracking her every move or anything.

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Fall '07 Arbitron Ratings for Satellite Radio: Howard Stern still #1

Friday, April 25, 2008 at 5:50 PM
Filed under: 6, XM
Ratings show that Howard Stern still leadsYesterday, Arbitron released its Fall 2007 ratings for Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio. Below are some key takeaways from the ratings report, but check back later when I explain why Arbitron's ratings are all wrong (well, for satellite radio at least).

Overall, Arbitron reports that XM leads Sirius in listeners, 10.4 million versus 7 million respectively. Combined, there were approximately a half-million more satellite radio listeners in the Fall than in Spring 2007 when Arbitron last released its satellite radio ratings report.

Here's a breakdown of the Top 5 channels (in terms of "cume" - or the total number of unique listeners) from both Sirius and XM:

Sirius Arbitron RatingsSirius Ratings -
  1. Howard 100: 1,210,000
  2. Sirius Hits 1: 584,800
  3. Howard 101: 501,000
  4. Sirius New Country: 468,300
  5. Sirius Big 80s: 417,900
  6. Sirius Octane: 383,700
  7. Classic Vinyl: 347,100
  8. Classic Rewind: 335,500
  9. The Pulse: 330,700
  10. Totally 70s: 309,400



XM Arbitron RatingsXM Ratings -
  1. Top 20 on 20: 1049200
  2. Flight 26: 741600
  3. 80s on 8: 698300
  4. 70s on 7: 667400
  5. 60s on 6: 581300
  6. Highway 16: 579500
  7. Top Tracks: 534900
  8. The Blend: 532400
  9. The Heart: 493400
  10. Fox News: 464800

For those that want to compare how the "shock jocks" line up, Opie & Anthony's The Virus channel had a cume of 171,300. For a comparison of AQH (Average Quarter-Hour), which is the average number of people listening for at least five minutes during a 15-minute period, here's how the three channels compared:

  • Howard 100: 97,600 AQH
  • Howard 101: 33,200 AQH
  • The Virus: 18,500 AQH
So there's the numbers, and numbers don't lie... or do they?

Check back soon when I explain, in detail, why Arbitron's numbers - for satellite radio ratings at least - are all wrong.

[Arbitron Fall 2007 Satellite Radio Ratings (PDF)]

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Kevin Martin's lips are sealed over Sirius-XM merger

Friday, April 25, 2008 at 2:03 PM
Filed under: FCC, Kevin Martin, Merger, Satellite Radio
FCC Chairman Kevin MartinMums the word for FCC chairman Kevin Martin about the merger between Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. at a recent meeting with reporters at the agency's DC headquarters.

Martin said he had no comment on the timing for a decision. When asked whether the FCC had waited for the Justice Department's decision to issue its own ruling Martin told Radio Ink,  "I wouldn't say that the DOJ was slowing us down."

He also rejected the suggestion that the FCC is holding out for a unanimous 5-0 commission vote on the deal, but said, "I always think it's preferable that we have a unanimous decision."

In related news, representatives from Sirius and XM met with Chairman Martin and Daniel Gonzalez on Wednesday (PDF). The subject of the meeting focused on - once again - the review of "pending issues raised in recent filings."

The Department of Justice approved the Sirius-XM merger over a month ago.

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State AGs have found the answer: Free Satellite Radio!

Friday, April 25, 2008 at 11:36 AM
Filed under: 6, XM
XM / SiriusAttorneys General from Maryland, Connecticut, Ohio and Washington - who all greatly oppose the Sirius-XM merger - feel they have found the answer to preserving competition in satellite radio: offer it for free.

This revelation was uncovered in a recent letter (PDF) to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, where the state Attorneys General suggest that the Federal Communications Commission lease a portion of Sirius and XM's bandwidth to a 3rd party. And that leased portion, should be made available, for free.

Does this plan sound familiar?

Radio & Records nicely sums it up for us, "the only entity that has made a pitch to lease satellite spectrum from a combined Sirius-XM is Georgetown Partners."

R&R adds that should the deal win approval, Georgetown Partners "would be willing to take a long lease on the spectrum and form a free, commercial-based satellite radio company," which it promises "will be richly diverse."

It's so nice to see these AGs coming to the rescue.

[View letter (PDF) via Radio & Records]
Thanks Nathan!


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Scott Ferrall renews contract with Sirius

Friday, April 25, 2008 at 10:37 AM
Filed under: Scott Ferrall, Sirius, Sirius Talk
Scott Ferrall
Scott Ferrall will continue to host his live sports call-in show, "The Scott Ferrall Show," every weeknight because he's renewed his contract with Sirius Satellite Radio.

"I work for Howard Stern, 'The King of all Media,' and Sirius Satellite Radio," said Scott Ferrall. "I couldn't walk away from the revolution -- it's too much fun."

On Saturday, April 26th Ferrall will host a special live broadcast from NFL Draft Fan Central outside Radio City Music Hall in midtown Manhattan. The one-time show will air from 3pm - 4pm ET on Howard 101 and will feature Ferrall in front of a live audience talking directly to fans in attendance as the 2008 NFL Draft kicks off.

This weekend Ferrall makes his feature film debut in Redbelt, the mixed martial arts drama written and directed by David Mamet. Ferrall plays himself, an "opinionated" sports broadcaster. Redbelt premieres today, April 25th at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City.

The Scott Ferrall Show airs live Monday-Friday from 8pm - 12am ET on Howard 101 (ch 101).

Photograph by Matthu Placek

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Source: Randi Rhodes returning to Air America... on XM

Thursday, April 24, 2008 at 5:19 PM
Filed under: 4, XM
Randi Rhodes
XM Satellite Radio is talks with former Air America personality Randi Rhodes, and Air America Radio, about bringing the talker back to the channel on XM, according to Orbitcast sources.

Randi Rhodes quit the Air America radio network earlier this month after being suspended for using derogatory words about Senator Hillary Clinton at an event in San Francisco.

XM is working on a deal with Air America, and the exiled host's new syndicator Nova M Network, about bringing Rhodes back to XM's Air America (ch 167) channel. An announcement can be expected in the coming weeks, according to sources.

During a curse-filled standup routine Rhodes ranted about Clinton and called former congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro "David Duke in drag." Rhodes then referred to Clinton as a "big #$%&ing whore," subsequently causing Air America to suspend Rhodes for "abusive, obscene language." Rhodes quit the progressive talk network a week later.

Rhodes' routine was not broadcast, but a video of it circulated the Intertubes.

The Air America channel on XM carries not only Air America programs, but also some non-Air America progressive talkers like Ed Schultz and Bill Press.

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Steve Winwood to takeover on The Spectrum

Thursday, April 24, 2008 at 3:26 PM
Filed under: Sirius, Sirius Music, Steve Winwood, The Spectrum
Steve WinwoodSinger-songwriter Steve Winwood will take over Sirius' The Spectrum channel for an entire weekend to celebrate the upcoming release of his latest album, Nine Lives.

"The Spectrum of Steve Winwood" will air on Saturday, April 26th at 8am ET through Sunday, April 27th at 8pm ET on - wait for it - The Spectrum (ch 18).

Throughout the weekend, Winwood will give a personal track-by-track introduction to each of the nine songs that he recorded for his latest album, Nine Lives, which will be previewed on the channel before hitting stores on Tuesday, April 29th.

"The Spectrum of Steve Winwood" channel will showcase the music of Steve Winwood throughout the weekend, with Winwood also sharing stories about a his rock & roll career spanning over 40 years. Winwood will discuss his musical influences and improvisation, starting from his days as a 15-year old in the Spencer Davis Group, his work performing with Clapton in Blind Faith through Traffic and his acclaimed solo work.

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GM: Auto sales entering worst months of the year

Thursday, April 24, 2008 at 1:01 PM
Filed under: Auto Manufacturers, Auto Sales, General Motors, OEM, Satellite Radio, Toyota
2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid
General Motors said yesterday that the US market slowdown had led to a sales decline that has given Toyota an early lead for this year's global auto sales.

For the first-quarter, Toyota capitalized on growth in China and Europe as GM saw its North American sales drag down gains in other markets. Toyota said sales grew 2.7 percent, selling 2.41 million vehicles for the period, compared with GM's 2.25 million, a decline of less than 1 percent. As a result, GM is about 160,000 vehicles behind its Japanese rival.

On Wednesday, GM became the latest automaker to predict that the industry was entering its worst months of the year. GM said that the second quarter, which typically has strong auto sales, could end up being the slowest period of the year.

Ford officials echoed the sentiment this month, stating that they believed Spring would be the slowest season for automakers in 2008.

Chrysler too said it was not counting on a significant improvement in the market this year.

"The big caveat is gas prices," said Michael C. DiGiovanni, GM's chief sales analyst. "This is clearly a head wind we didn't anticipate would be to this level."

The average price of regular gas has reached a record high of $3.533 a gallon, according to the AAA motor club. And that doesn't bode well for the belt-tightening consumer, who will continue to be less likely to purchase a new vehicle, and as a result become a satellite radio subscriber.

[New York Times, AP]
Pictured: The 2009 Cadiallac Escalade Hybrid, © General Motors.

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New Citi analyst sees 55M subscribers by 2011; gives SIRI/XMSR rating

Thursday, April 24, 2008 at 10:13 AM
Filed under: Analysts, Merger, SIRI, Sirius, XM, XMSR
XM and Sirius MergerNew Citi analyst Tony Wible issued a client note this morning, assuming coverage of the satellite radio industry with a "Buy" on Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and a "Hold" on XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc.
"Satellite radio should continue to change the audio entertainment industry and gain share as its proves to be fresh (no need to create play lists or buy MP3s), original, cost effective, and a simple way to access premium/long tail content that can not be supported via radio or MP3 models," wrote the Citi analyst in the note. "Given the highly fixed cost base of the companies, we view the sub growth as the key driver of the stocks and we see the industry having up to 55 mil subs by 2011."

Wible also rated SIRI as a "Buy" with an $8 target based on a 70% probability that the deal closes. He rates XMSR with a "Hold" with a $12.25 target price.

The Citi analyst believes that the SIRI stock - as a merged entity - would be worth $10.


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Audio: Listen to Bam Margera interview about sex tape

Thursday, April 24, 2008 at 9:50 AM
Filed under: 5, XM

And if you missed the Opie & Anthony show this morning where Bam Margera flat out denied the existence of a sex video featuring "an X-rated romp" with Opie's fiancee, you can hear the audio below:

UPDATE: Oops, sorry. The audio autoplays everytime the page loads - I've moved it now so you can listen to it after the jump.

[via FoundryMusic]

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