XM vent

Ken Ibold

Ken Ibold

Final Approach
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Feb 21, 2005
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Display name:
Ken Ibold
Anyone else noticed the insidious creep of advertising into XM radio? I'm about ready to chuck my receiver out the window. But that would be littering.
 
I have a feeling a lot more advert. is coming down the pipe with the combination of XM and Sirius. Not sure how they got past the 'anti-monopoly' deal considering they were the ONLY two companies providing their service in the country.

Got a letter from XM a couple of weeks ago saying "Get ready for increased services now that we've combined with Sirius!" They failed to mention that their prices will probably double within a year.
 
I listen to XM when I am in the rental cars and am getting it for free. Since day one Sirius and XM said that they would also be carrying ads. Since they have not made their subscription numbers required by their business model the only way to get their revenues in line is to take additional revenues in. I was never happy about the idea of having to pay to listen to commercials and hence would never subscribe.
 
I love my Sirius radio and out of all the stations I listen too regularly, none of them have advertising. The DJ will get on every couple songs with "music news" or to say some annoying things, but that is it.

Howard Stern does have commercials, but I don't listen to him very often.

I have a freind that has XM and he is constantly complaining about ads. I sure hope this merger doesn't mean i have to start listening to them too.
 
The XM/Sirius merger hasn't been approved by the govt yet. Despite there being only 2 satellite radio providers, the potential of a "monopoly" is far from clear, as they have competition from broadcast radio to worry about. A merged XM/Sirius would hardly have full freedom to jack up prices, load up with commercials, etc, as they still have to worry about losing subscribers back to free radio.
-harry
 
mantakos said:
The XM/Sirius merger hasn't been approved by the govt yet. Despite there being only 2 satellite radio providers, the potential of a "monopoly" is far from clear, as they have competition from broadcast radio to worry about. A merged XM/Sirius would hardly have full freedom to jack up prices, load up with commercials, etc, as they still have to worry about losing subscribers back to free radio.
-harry
Click to expand...

Guess that makes sense. I guess they are still basically a 'radio broadcast company' which puts them in the market with public radio. I suppose the 'satellite radio' market isn't too big of an industry right now. ha
 
Ken,

Are they on the music channels or just the talk/sports/etc channels? From the day they announced "commercial-free music", both XM and Sirius were clear that it only applied to the music channels.

Also, IIRC, Clear Channel had a block of channels and sued XM when they went commercial-free music. At one time there was a settlement in the works to allow Clear Channel to run commercials on their controlled channels.
 
mantakos said:
The XM/Sirius merger hasn't been approved by the govt yet. Despite there being only 2 satellite radio providers, the potential of a "monopoly" is far from clear, as they have competition from broadcast radio to worry about. A merged XM/Sirius would hardly have full freedom to jack up prices, load up with commercials, etc, as they still have to worry about losing subscribers back to free radio.
-harry
Click to expand...
The DoJ has to approve and Alberto is doing a heck of a job, so plan on getting that one through. Then the FCC has to approve, but while I hope they don't they probably will. In spite of the license agreement XM and Sirius signed saying that they would never combine.
 
wsuffa said:
Ken,

Are they on the music channels or just the talk/sports/etc channels? From the day they announced "commercial-free music", both XM and Sirius were clear that it only applied to the music channels.

Also, IIRC, Clear Channel had a block of channels and sued XM when they went commercial-free music. At one time there was a settlement in the works to allow Clear Channel to run commercials on their controlled channels.
Click to expand...

All the Clear Channel stations on XM have ad's.
 
I listen to XM, and I can't say as the music stations I listen to have been infiltrated with ads... But the comedy channels are more ads than comedy...

Maybe we'll get ads with our weather in the cockpit? hahahah

"This thunderstorm was brought to you by......" lol
 
Ditched XM 2 weeks ago. If I'm going to listen to advertisements, I'm sure not going to pay to do so.
 
lawingr said:
Ditched XM 2 weeks ago. If I'm going to listen to advertisements, I'm sure not going to pay to do so.
Click to expand...

I'll probably ditch XM this summer. Right now (on days when it's not raining) I spend 12-16hrs/day in heavy agricultural machinery. The local stations get old and seem to only play enough songs to have variety for a couple of hours before starting the loop over again. At least with XM I have a ton of channels to surf through when I get bored of same-o same-o. Once I leave this job, and won't be listening to the radio for extended periods of time, I'll probably ditch it. At that point, it won't be worth me paying for commercials simply for the pleasure of having more channels.
 
Point one: XM and Sirius are both losing money. It appears there is not yet sufficient demand to make two providers profitable (remember Iridium? Not even one provider was profitable), and they seem to feel that merger is essential to survival.

Point two: To my knowledge, DoJ has not yet approved the merger, and has indicated that they have a lot to prove to obtain that approval.

Point three: I listen almost exclusively to XM12 (XCountry) in the car and in the plane, and have heard no adverts other than the occasional promo for other XM channels and shows. In fact, the only real adverts I've ever heard have been on the sports channels where they merely rebroadcast other commercial providers, including whatever commercials come down the line.
 
We have Sirius in the Jeep Commander. I don't recall commercials on 6 (60s rock) or 86 (classical pops). And I DON'T listen to Howard Stern.
 
Ghery said:
We have Sirius in the Jeep Commander. I don't recall commercials on 6 (60s rock) or 86 (classical pops). And I DON'T listen to Howard Stern.
Click to expand...

I listen to XM Real Jazz at home and I don't have an XM subscription. It doesn't have commericals (yet). It has breaks where they have jazz artists telling you how hip Jazz is.











I have DirecTV.
 
I love listening to Sirius, none of the music channels I listen to have ads, or more than 30 seconds of a DJ jabbering away. It's nice to have the variety at your fingertips, along with current news and sports. One thing I don't like so much is that it seems like they use a ton more bandwidth for music, which leaves news/talk sounding like AM.
 
We listen to XM in the work van during the day (Mostly America Right, although when Michael's not there, I put on Rhymes...the old school rap station), and I've found commercials on America Right, but not on any of the other ones I've tried.

There are, however, a WHOLE LOT of XM commercials. "Listen to XM Blues, XM Beyond AM, beyond FM, its XM!" And a lot of stuff telling me to listen to Oprah, but that's about it.

Oh yeah, the comedy channels have a lot of commercials too.
 
SkyHog said:
We listen to XM in the work van during the day (Mostly America Right, although when Michael's not there, I put on Rhymes...the old school rap station), and I've found commercials on America Right, but not on any of the other ones I've tried.

There are, however, a WHOLE LOT of XM commercials. "Listen to XM Blues, XM Beyond AM, beyond FM, its XM!" And a lot of stuff telling me to listen to Oprah, but that's about it.

Oh yeah, the comedy channels have a lot of commercials too.
Click to expand...

My presets are: Ethel, Lucy, Top Tracks, 90s, xL Comedy, Laugh USA, Fox Sports Radio, ESPN Radio, and a few other classic rock stations. The Comedy stations and Sports stations are full of commercials (like Ron said, the Sports Radio stations are simply being rebroadcast from their provider). I *think* Lucy and Ethel are commercial free other than the inner-XM advertisements.

Either way, once I'm not listening to a radio for 12+ hrs/day the cost/benefit doesn't fit for me.
 
I like my XM because I travel so much. I travel about 40k miles a year and I hate having to tune in local stations and letting them fade out a few miles down the road. Bought XM, problem fixed.
 
ptucker said:
I like my XM because I travel so much. I travel about 40k miles a year and I hate having to tune in local stations and letting them fade out a few miles down the road. Bought XM, problem fixed.
Click to expand...
iPod or similar. Rip all your albums to it, plug it into your car stereo via either transmitter or cassette adapter, and you're set. Variety and NO talk. Of course, it helps if you have 400+ CDs ripped in, and it takes time to do that. :)
 
gprellwitz said:
iPod or similar. Rip all your albums to it, plug it into your car stereo via either transmitter or cassette adapter, and you're set. Variety and NO talk. Of course, it helps if you have 400+ CDs ripped in, and it takes time to do that. :)
Click to expand...

Grant, are you talking CD albums or Real Albums? Is there anyway to turn real vinyl albums into digital?

Barb
 
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One Short said:
Grant, are you talking CD albums or Real Albums? Is there anyway to turn real vinyl albums into digital?

Barb
Click to expand...
I did CDs, which are a little quicker. As Mike said, though, it can be done with LPs too.
 
Ghery said:
I've got my turntable hooked directly into the computer through a pre-amp. Works fine.
Click to expand...

The audio in ports on most PC sound cards and laptops are usually pretty low quality and often will pick up EM noise from other stuff inside. Even an inexpensive external audio interface like that Griffin iMic gives better results.
 
Ken Ibold said:
Anyone else noticed the insidious creep of advertising into XM radio? I'm about ready to chuck my receiver out the window. But that would be littering.
Click to expand...

I've noticed it on the channels that rebroadcast commercial sources. But
the XM channels I listen to I don't hear any. I have XM in my car, truck,
and on my Harley. I listen to it almost exclusively except for once in a while
playing a CD. I subscribed to get away from over the air stations that played
about 10 min of music every half hour and the rest commercials. Should
XM go that route I'd just unsubscribe .. as I'm sure tons of other people
would.

RT
 
ptucker said:
I like my XM because I travel so much. I travel about 40k miles a year and I hate having to tune in local stations and letting them fade out a few miles down the road. Bought XM, problem fixed.
Click to expand...


Same here. That is the only reason subscribe. Not having to re-tune every 15 minutes on the road is such a convenience on long auto trips. I first got hip to satelllite radio on the boat. Hearing my fav stations (or, sometimes, anything at all ) at the dock, in the Bahamas or 50 miles offshore.

I would think pilots would LOVE satellite recievers in their planes.
 
Dart said:
I would think pilots would LOVE satellite recievers in their planes.
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I found that I don't like music in the airplane. I'd rather pay attention to flying. Of course, I didn't find this out until after I'd spent almost 1 ASU installing a CD player and rewiring my intercom for stereo. I'd had this notion that doing acro to music would be fun. NOT.
 
Ken Ibold said:
I found that I don't like music in the airplane. I'd rather pay attention to flying. Of course, I didn't find this out until after I'd spent almost 1 ASU installing a CD player and rewiring my intercom for stereo. I'd had this notion that doing acro to music would be fun. NOT.
Click to expand...

i heard the music every now and then between Chip praying in the back. it was kinda nice actually. some jazz funk stuff.
 
tonycondon said:
yep just FYI, it is illegal in the state of IL to drive with earbuds in.
Click to expand...

Just FYI, Chicago made it illegal to use a cell phone WITHOUT it being hands free and the Illinois Secretary of State ran commercials showing his recommendation to use a headset when driving with a cellphone.

So you could get pulled over for having a headset and for not having a headset. :dunno:


The studies that show it's concentrating on the phone conversation, not holding the phone that causes accidents have no bearing in knee jerk America.



Foie Gras is still illegal in Chicago. Trans Fat is next. Come to think of it, look for the ban to be lifted in time for the Chicago Olympics campaigns. Dont' want to upset the French delegations.
 
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Ken Ibold said:
And in fact it was one of the Clear Channel stations -- 22 -- that was usually tuned in. The hunt goes on for the right mix...
Click to expand...

Sirius Super Shuffle was the best I found on satellite, but they're not nearly as good as 105.1 "Charlie" FM in Madison - They actually guarantee that they will not play the same song twice within a WEEK. Sweet.
 
wsuffa said:
Ken,

Are they on the music channels or just the talk/sports/etc channels? From the day they announced "commercial-free music", both XM and Sirius were clear that it only applied to the music channels.

Also, IIRC, Clear Channel had a block of channels and sued XM when they went commercial-free music. At one time there was a settlement in the works to allow Clear Channel to run commercials on their controlled channels.
Click to expand...

Other than the traffic/weather channel for my area I only listen to music, mostly rock and at least two of those channels have begun to include commercial advertisements. That always gets me to change the channel and so far I haven't had a problem finding one I like without commercials. If ads become prevalent I probably won't continue to subscribe as this was one of the primary enticements for me.
 
My gf had a month of XM free when she bought her new car... she decided not to renew it since she just didn't listen to it enough. She's happy with her iPod and broadcast radio.
 
I have one of the receivers with a 30 minute buffer, and use it like TiVo.

Leave the receiver on so the buffer is always full, and presto -- the right arrow indexes past the commercials.

It is amazing how much cr*p is in a typical commercial broadcast when you start skipping through it.

______________________________________
Jeff
El Paso
 
ElPaso Pilot said:
I have one of the receivers with a 30 minute buffer, and use it like TiVo.

Leave the receiver on so the buffer is always full, and presto -- the right arrow indexes past the commercials.

It is amazing how much cr*p is in a typical commercial broadcast when you start skipping through it.
Click to expand...

I have TiVo. You learn that a 30 minute show on basic cable or commerical TV can be viewed in 22-24 minutes or less.

What I want on my radio and in life is the 8 second jump back - the "Wait. What was that?" Button. I really miss it when I'm listening to a car radio.
 
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