News and musings on Sirius, XM, DirecTV and the DISH Network.

Canadian Satellite Radio awarded licence to offer XM satellite radio service in Canada

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today granted Canadian Satellite Radio (CSR) a broadcasting licence to deliver commercial-free music and premier news, sports, talk and entertainment to Canadians from coast-to-coast-to- coast, subject to certain programming requirements.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for […]

XM Satellite Radio Adds Audio Books to the Mix

In 2006, consumers can expect to use a handheld, portable device to listen to XM Satellite Radio’s music stations, and after Tuesday’s announcement, to audio books and other spoken-word tracks courtesy of Audible Inc.

The two aural entertainment providers on Tuesday announced their exclusive partnership, which will bring […]

Napster, Yahoo and XM Radio Compared

Ever since Napster’s Super Bowl half-time commercial I have been thinking I should take another look at subscription based music services. I decided to try out Napster, Yahoo, and XM Radio services. Each service is different but they all give you some type of unlimited music each month for a […]

The kind folks at ColorMatchAntenna recently sent me a Sirius antenna color-coded to my car, a Mazda 6 S in grey metallic. The package came in a USPS envelope and appeared to be the standard Sirius radio car antenna. It was carefully wrapped in cloth within a well-packaged box.

After unwrapping it, I placed […]

XM Radio asking interesting questions

XM Satellite Radio emailed me, one of their “selected XM Subscribers,” a little survey today. I thought I’d share some of it with you to give you something to speculate and pontificate about. So here are the juicy parts:

Suppose that XM Radio were to offer you a service that would allow […]

XM Radio Opens Lincoln Center Studio

In what may be described as an answer to the Sirius announcement about using the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame studio, XM Satellite Radio came back with word it has signed to produce programming from Jazz at Lincoln Center’s studio.

Highlighting the press release is this (rightful) claim that XM […]

8 Million Ears Ago

What do you make of XM Satellite Radio’s announcement yesterday that it landed its 4 millionth subscriber last week? That places the popular satellite radio service on track to close out the year with 5.5 million accounts. In a recent Motley Fool interview, CEO Hugh Panero projected that “XM could have well […]

XM radio surpasses 4 million subscribers

XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. said Monday it had surpassed the 4 million subscriber mark and was on track to hit its goal of 5.5 million subscribers by the end of the year.

XM said it added 1 million subscribers since late December. XM’s rival in the satellite radio business, the […]

Satellite slugfest: Sirius and XM Radio fight for pay listeners

“You’re in The Mansion with Johansen,” crows the rocker David Johansen, queuing up six hours of Friday-night serendipity - Mary Wells into Big Bill Broonzy into Bread - in a corner studio at Sirius Satellite Radio. “We’re getting our hip ticket punched.”

He has no idea […]

Apple Gets Sirius

Aren’t you sick and tired of hearing how the popularity of Apple Computer’s iPod and other portable streaming devices is going to kill not only traditional radio but also Sirius and XM Satellite Radio as well? It’s a lot like saying that the DVD will be the death of cable television or […]