Sirius XM Merger Reveals True Face: Fewer Channels And 'Sanitized' Programming
This week, Sirius XM began consolidating its channels. In reality, this mostly meant jettisoning XM channels wherever there was a tenuous overlap with something Sirius already offered, which is bad news for anyone with a favorite station on XM who woke up Wednesday morning to find it missing. Alex wrote in to tell us that the four Spanish music channels have been condensed to one without regard to genre, and that the uncensored "urban music" station Hot Jamz has been cleaned up, rechristened "The Heat," and now leans toward radio-friendly R&B. The Motley Fool suggests that the new lineup may drive people to downgrade their subscription—it's "an incentive to downgrade to the cheaper plan that costs $6 less a month and lets users cherry-pick 50 stations."
In addition to the latin and urban channels, Alex wants to know why Sirius XM couldn't have better prepared its listeners:
First off, why such secrecy? Millions of subscribers were blindsided yesterday. No announcements of any kind were made over the air to let people know what was going on. To them, everything was fine on Tuesday, but all of a sudden on Wednesday, their favorite channel was deleted or changed fundamentally. This was a breach of trust between the provider and the consumer. We are the subscribers. We are paying for this service. We deserve a voice over what it is we want to hear. More importantly, we deserve input about programming we are willing to pay for.
Second, we the consumers, Congress, and the FCC were assured that allowing the merger would increase diversity and choice. Wednesday's change showed you acted in bad faith. On the XM side, we lost 75% of the Spanish music choice. To clump together the previous 4 genres of music offered by Aguila, Viva, Caricia, and Caliente into one channel shows either cultural ignorance or contempt for diversity. My congressional representatives will be hearing from me about this.
Third, the new censorship. I bought Sirius to free myself from the shackles of FM. Hot Jamz has been neutered into "The Heat," essentially a satellite version of my local R&B station. I simply couldn't listen to it today. The songs were heavily edited and censored. This is the antithesis of what Sirius once stood for, what bringing Howard from FM symbolized. Fact is, urban music is written in the vernacular. What "The Heat" did to Hot Jamz is an insult.
Fourth, continuing on the theme of less choice. Sirus XM acted in bad faith when it shrunk the available choices:
No more electronica from Boombox -- now pop2k... isn't there enough pop with 90's on 9, the Pulse, and Alt Nation?
No more Old Skool. No more Punk. No more Fine tuning/free form.
No more educational radio via Discovery channel. (I'm still raw over that)
Instead we get less choice and shallower playlists on what used to be Fred, Lucy, and Ethel.
Mel et al., you really should listen to what you customers have to say.
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/towerticker/2008/11/xm-radio-sirius.html?cid=138920090#comments
http://www.xmfan.com/viewtopic.php?t=96996 (these are your most ferverent fanatics, and yet their poll shows less that 33% are satisfied)
If you had asked us to begin with, you may have avoided this heartache.
Dual-sub non grata,
Alex
As an aside, if you're a Mitsubishi Outlander owner experiencing problems with Sirius updates, Andy has figured out how to fix it:
Sirius recently merged with XM and my radio received an update as part of the merger. It killed the radio in my Mitsubishi Outlander with an "Antenna Error" message. I argued with 4 or 5 CSRs at Sirius that this was not a hardware issue, the timing is too perfect. I ended up pulling the #7 fuse and it reset the radio. Voila, the radio is back up and running. However, every time they send an update I have to pull the fuse. I hope this helps other MMS owners, and I hope Sirius gets this figured out asap. This is a factory installed radio part of the Mitsubishi Multi Messaging System premium radio system.
Here's a link to my forum post: http://www.mitsubishiforum.com/fb.asp?m=240820
"Sirius XM Has Crossed the LIne" [The Motley Fool]
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"Sirius gets serious, reshuffles lineup, cuts DJs" [Cnet]
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(Photo: docsearls)
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Comments:
I was pretty surprised on Wednesday, too. This guy is right; nothing was said on-air (at least that I heard) that the switchover was happening that day. I will say that they've done a pretty good job of keeping the channel numbers the same on my XM receiver. So far everything has lined up correctly with the new Sirius stations corresponding to the old XM stations. It's still too early for me to render a verdict on how the Sirius stations hold up to the XM stations.
Yeah, I haven't had a chance to view all stations but most of my XM stations are still there but whatever. Once my contract is up, I'm done with them.
Wow, Sirius, way to make me change my mind about getting satellite radio!
I'm pretty steamed at losing, well, ALL but two of my presets from Sirius. Thanks for this article for reminding me I can downgrade my subscription to ala cart. :3
I only have it because my wife bought me a radio for Christmas a long time ago, once that old receiver dies, I'm cancelling. It's pointless unless you like Howard Stern who refuses to sell podcasts which would be awesome.
Yeah, I've noticed a pretty dramatic decline in the number of channels on my XM receiver since the change. I haven't looked through all my favorites yet, so I didn't know that Caliente is gone. UGH. They sent an e-mail Wednesday, I think, that said they've added six channels, but they all look like total crap. This is exactly what the satellite charter specifying two services was designed to prevent: combination and stifling of the diversity of programming. Unfortunately, I don't see a choice. I travel too much to sit there tuning terrestrial stations, and I'm not trying to sit in my car and flip through thousands of CD's or MP3's.
@hellinmyeyes: I should add that it's terrible enough that I pay $15 a month for this service and they're starting to creep more and more ads into some of the stations. This business model is starting to lose its luster very quickly.
I just bought a new car that has XM free for 3 months. I'm mostly listening to BBC News but this kinda pisses me off. I like to explore what's out there, but if I can't even get my uncut T.I. and Lil Wayne (I don't even like Wayne, but still...), I doubt I'll go ahead and spend the money once my 3 months are up.
But I do love my BBC News...
They killed/bastardized what used to be XM Comedy. Before, it was funny stuff that wasn't censored. Now, it appears to just be as much dirty material from "comics" they can find. And there is a difference- just because it has swearing doesn't mean it's automatically funny.
I also enjoyed Ethel, Lucy, and Fred which appear to have been neutered as well. What used to be POTUS'08 has been reformatted into a more traditional talk channel that I'm not wild about. Overall a big disappointment on the XM side. And my radio is acting weird, slow to load, etc. I'll look to see if there's a reset button on it somewhere like the Mitsubishi owner wrote.
I've been against the merger since I heard it was being considered. Satellite radio is now running under a monopoly - why are people surprised that this is hurting the consumers?
One thing that I'm pissed about is that we were promised an a la carte option. Well, Siruis subscribers do, but people with XM hardware don't and now we're being forced to pay the full monthly price to get all of the stations we want. Personally I wouldn't mind swapping to a music only subscription if it included ALL of the music stations, but alas - all the stations with profanity are cut out from it, and you don't get XM radio online either.
I have a subscription that expires in January. Unless something drastic happens, I'm not renewing.
Lucy - my favorite station - where have you gone?!
They replaced a lot of my favorites as well, but not with comparable stations. Sure Ethel and Lithium are similar, but Lithium (the Sirius version) has a more restricted playlist and doesn't seem to play nearly as many off-beat songs.
I hadn't noticed the sanitizing yet, but I'm already missing XM's free spirit.
Still find it mind-boggling how this merger was approved.
Can we please have some links to Sirius execs so those of us who are pissed can start sending our complaints to the proper folks?
History is written by the victor.
In this case, that is Sirius. As a Sirius subscriber all along, I do sincerely feel about XM users losing their favorite channels...
Also, do you have to sign a contract to receive XM? Or can you just cancel whenever you want?
Anyone know what channels have been taken off or added? My husband has XM and he'll want to know (if he hasn't figured it out already) if his heavy metal stations have been sanitized.
Can you really say you didn't see this coming? Has history not taught us anything?
@Applekid:
Did you buy your reciever before last month? If so, no a-la-carte pricing. A la carte exists only on certain new receivers, the first one wasn't available until about a month ago. They didn't mention that when the merger was being approved....I've also yet to see a mention of a continuation of the discounted second subscription.
If they touch my weekend morning Premier League soccer, bye bye Sirus XM.
"SIRIUS" not "Sirus"
My favorite consolidation was taking off BOTH XM and Sirius' punk channels and replacing them with 24/7 AC/DC.
So you say you can downgrade to 50 handpicked channels for $6 per month eh? Hmmm....
I'm definitely calling a downgrading my XM subscription, or canceling if I cannot find anything I really want.
Most of all that pisses me off is that XM48 - Squizz is GONE!... Replaced by a NEUTERED, BASTARDIZED station that plays the crappiest New Rock/Metal that no one else wants to play.
Did Fungus disappear? Punk Rock Radio was f-ing awesome!!!
Motley Fool really has zero credibility...they have issued negative stories (literally 2-3) every day for the last year. I couldn't tell the source of their apparant grudge but it has been commented on in many different investment forums. I don't care either way (though I do own shitty SIRI stock) but Motley Fool is hardly a reliable source. I also do think that Sirius will be responsive assuming they can meet their debt obligations. Mel Karmazin (the boss) is known for giving people what they want. XM people should email Sirius and I'll bet their needs are met (by and large).
No more Boombox. Boo.
WHen I refer to Motley Fool's stories, I am referring specifically to Sirius coverage.
Know what pisses me off?
1. That you cannot pick the Howard Stern Channels as part of the Ala Cart as part of the 50 channels for $6.99 deal. (That's mostly what I listen to anyways). Howard 100 and Howard 101 are considered premium channels and the Ala Cart for those two channels starts at 12.99 I beleive.
2. Some radios are not "ala cart" capable. WTF? I have to buy a new radio so that I can downgrade my subcription?
As much as I like Howard Stern, and followed him over when he made the transition to Sirius, I think I'm ready to cancel my subscription soon. This is crap.
Yea I too was upset over this. I have a GMC Yukon that came with XM. Since I listen to mostly urban/rap/hip-hop music I was very disappointed by XM only having two out of four stations uncensored.
I swiftly switched to Sirius and was very happy that I got uncensored music on all four urban stations.
Then Tuesday came and I noticed that I had "The Heat" instead of "Hot Jamz" which I knew was censored because it was an XM station. Then I checked "Hip-Hop Nation" which used to play all uncensored and now its a mix between both, this just pisses me off!
This move is annyoing to be sure but not nearly as annoying as having to go back to terrestrial after 2 seperate providers fold. Grin and bear it, I guess.
@jessi5000: Actually to get a la carte, you have to have a radio that supports it. As far as I can tell, that's only one model. So we're all screwed.
Motley Fool really has zero credibility...they have issued negative stories (literally 2-3) every day for the last year.
@Greeper: Were the negative stories wrong or exaggerated? (Honestly curious; I haven't read anything about this other than on Consumerist)
Wow.. All I can say. I've been with Sirius for a few years now. I have since NEVER listened to FM (well, unless I'm in a car without and am forced to).
I was hoping the merger would mean more sports programming for me. Then I heared they would be requiring an upgrade to my subscription in order to receive the "Best of XM" package. Not a problem! A bit more a month is definitely worth the extra sports I've been waiting to get.
Got in my car on Wednesday and was greeted with a set of updates. 4 of my favorite 12 stations were gone! What the???? The few new stations that were added are all pure garbage, and many of my other favorites are simply not the same anymore.. More garbage.
Is Sirius/XM trying to put themselves out of business? Do they want people to downgrade services? This move will do nothing to bring in new subscribers, and I'm sure many near time to renew will be so angry that they will not be doing so.
I plan on letting my subscription expire and will not renew.
XM was amazing when they first went on the air, they then kept tweaking it over the years, and it kept getting worse and worse for the most part. They just finished ruined it.
They have ruined it the same way they ruined FM. We've gone from specialized niche programming, to homogeneous sanitized programming.
I've had XM for 4 years, and have never really cared for Sirius the times I've had to listen to it. While the differences are mainly subtle, I find Sirius to have less variety and more filler. I'm not too pleased about the merger.
I have it installed in my car, but I'm driving less these days and just may drop it.
I also may drop the house receiver, as I liked listening to XM 112 at night, which is now gone.
But I predict having to battle the retention dept for the right to cancel to be a painful one.
i started listening to xm in 2002. i canceled when they replaced fungus ~2 months ago. i miss it, but i'm sure as shit not paying for the same crap i can hear between 87.5 & 108.0 for free.
screw it, now i listen to npr on my commute & pandora at home. saves me $13/mo. still miss my fungus though...
They killed XM 82 - The System, SATRAD's only choice for real trance music, telling us to get used to the much blander house tastes of Area 38. Boo that. Sure, it's offered online via XMRO, but that's no good when you're on a road trip and don't have access to 3G streaming.
And what of XM's Chrome or Sirius' The Strobe? Thanks to Mel, disco is dead again.
**************
Here's a few things you can do to help set things straight:
**************
1. Call cancellations. This costs them roughly $5.50/call, and you can have them log your comments. Say that you would like to stay, but only if they compromise on your demands within a month. Be firm on this deadline. Many reps will actually credit one month's worth of free service and if you're not satisfied after that, they will refund the remainder of your balance even if you paid in advance.
2. Fire off an EECB, including the CEO Mel Karmazin. The email address format employed is f.lastname@siriusradio.com
Be sure to include regular XM customer (separate via form on their website) as there is a team that is currently compiling comments regarding the new lineup.
3. Call CEO Mel Karmazin directly. The number for XM corporate is 202-380-4000, and you can use the dial-by-directory to get transferred. Leave a message if you get voicemail.
4. Open up an XMRO stream of XM 82 - The System at work or home, and just leave it running. You can mute the stream if you like, but this way at least they have statistics of how many people actually listen to this "canceled" station and can modify the Area playlist accordingly.
5. Go viral. Post in blogs, join the Facebook group demanding the return of our stations, and tell your friends to make a stand for the integrity of satellite radio. We're not PAYING to listen to single artist stations or the same crap that's on terrestrial FM.
@Applekid: Good luck. From the looks of it, only the Starmate 5 can do a la carte, or any of the other new plans. My old s50 can't, and neither can my Murano's head unit.
GAH! No more Disorder! No more Punk! No more Backspin! WTH were they thinking?
When I called to cancel one of my four radios and eliminate my automatic renewals, they were completely unphased and uncaring. Didn't even offer me some free months.
Very bad move on their part. If they were trying to retain customers, this was the wrong way to accomplish it.
just for having no warning about the switch is enough for my cancelation... but to censor AND/OR remove good stations that i loved on XM... it not worth it... i signed up so i could choose my stations, not have them choosen for me. you f'd up guys... you f'd up!
It's a pretty awful change, really. The Sirius "decade" stations have been replaced with XM's (50s on 5, 60s on 6, etc.), and XM's versions really reek. Sirius Disorder (in my opinion, the best station on Sirius) is gone, along with about half its talent (the other half has been dispersed up and down the dial.) But, hey, I get Willie's Place now, which is nice.
7 of the 8 XM channels I listened to are gone, and the remaining one, the former XM Comedy, is a poor facsimile of it's old self. SIRIUS appears to favor a terrestrial-radio format that favors DJs and On-Air personalities over content. That's not why I chose to add satellite to my vehicle. Now that there's little difference between the two, I'm giving careful consideration to simply dropping satellite radio altogether.
The only real notice they gave was in a full page ad in USA Today.
I'm a Sirius sub who had XM originally but switched for the NFL. I'm not terribly disappointed with what happened because the only channel I lost was Sirius Disorder, but the bastardization of what was a great product (XM's music channels) is terrible. If I weren't in it for the NFL, and was still an original XM subscriber, I'd cancel. I feel their pain.
It doesn't look like they have Special Xmas listed, either. I think we'll be canceling soon. Special Xmas got me through the holidays. Where else can you hear John Water's xmas albums on the radio?
And there's more talking now - XM didn't have that many "talking dj" stations.
My free Sirius subscription is almost up - I was looking forward to going back to Lucy, Ethel, and Fred, but no such luck. Oh well, at least it's free until January, then I'll probably switch to CDs.
As bad as Sirius is, at least it's better than terrestrial radio.
Wow, there's a lot of angst out there! I'm a long time XM listener and was thrilled to find a pile of new music stations. I definitely like XM's DJ's better, but the music selection has been similar on the replacement Sirius stations. I miss Ethel and Lucy, but their replacements seem fine so far. Is there nobody else willing to give this a chance?
On the one hand, suddenly having BBC Radio One is pretty sweet. On the other hand, everything I'm reading about sanitized stations isn't going over too well with me. God help them if they did ANYTHING to Coolguy (on XM 42, Liquid Metal).
I'm putting a laptop in my car with a 3G wireless card, and just frigging streaming internet radio straight into my dashboard. Free, faster than waiting for sirius to acquire sats, and WAY bigger selection of music. I tried sirius for about a month and realized I didn't love Jesus or Country nearly enough to make the "hundreds of stations" worthwhile to me.
They killed the Vault. XM's "Deep Tracks" is not nearly as good. The kids channel is garbage now too. That's bad news b/c when my toddler isn't happy, i'm probably not happy :)
My Wednesday was ruined when I discovered XM 66 Raw was replaced by Eminem's hip hop station from Sirius. XM moved its best show (Leo G's Blaze) to a censored station. Needless to say I will NOT be renewing my subscription.