XM To Expand Channel Lineup and Commercial-Free Music Programming

[Scott Greczkowski]

XM To Expand Channel Lineup and Commercial-Free Music Programming

Dear XM Subscriber,

Over the past year, XM Satellite Radio has greatly expanded and enhanced its channel lineup with great music channels, more live sports play-by-play and other exclusive original programming. In just the last year, XM added over 15 channels for a total of more than 160 channels. Soon we will increase that number to more than 170 channels of programming - the most in satellite radio.

We know how popular our commercial-free music lineup is with our subscribers. On March 1 we added two new commercial-free music channels, Big Tracks (XM 49) and XM-Chill (XM 84), bringing our total number of commercial-free music channels to 69 - the most commercial-free music we have ever been able to offer and the most in satellite radio.
This spring we will add a variety of new, commercial-free music channels and exciting new formats, details for which we'll announce in the next month. Because of their early investment in XM, radio broadcasting company Clear Channel Communications provides programming for their music channels (KISS, MIX, Nashville and Sunny and a fifth music channel in development), as well as content for select talk channels. An arbitration panel recently ruled that Clear Channel has the right to include commercials on the music programming that it provides XM. As a result, these channels will start to carry commercials this spring. At the same time, XM will add new commercial-free music channels of its own so that subscribers will see no reduction in the total number of commercial-free music channels. We currently have 69 commercial-free music channels and that number will not change, even after Clear Channel starts to include commercials.

Our subscribers' satisfaction and loyalty is our number one priority. That's why we continue to enhance our programming lineup with the best in music, sports and talk. We recently announced the addition of a new channel, Oprah & Friends, which starting in September will complement our all-star talk and lifestyle programming lineup. In addition, music legend Bob Dylan will debut his historic and exclusive weekly show on XM starting in May. In sports, XM is proud to kick off our second season as the exclusive satellite radio home for Major League Baseball with play-by-play coverage of every team from the World Baseball Classic to the World Series.

We look forward to sharing with you the details of our expanded lineup.
Sincerely,

Eric Logan
Executive Vice President
Programming
XM Satellite Radio

http://www.xmradio.com/lineup/letter.jsp

 

[kevlard1]

Wow! We pay to get away from radio with commercials and now we pay to get radio with commercials. Goodbye XM hello Sirius.

 

[digiblur]

One of the many reasons I went with Sirius....

 

[dkheersink]

^^^ I don't know, kevlard. This letter seems to me to say that XM isn't happy about having the commercials. The facts that they were forced by arbitration with Clear Channel (the evil empire) to put commercials on Clear Channel stations, AND counterbalanced Clear Channel's B.S. demand with the addition of 5 more stations of their own without commercials are evidence to me that they're still (at the moment) committed to no commercials. BUT, while that letter satisfied me for now, IF something else happens and they get commercials in the future then I will be the first to ditch XM for Sirius.

I think if you, me, and other like-minded XM subscribers REALLY want to make a statement to XM you should not listen to the Clear Channel stations, have those stations' ratings go WAY down, and let the bad return for those advertising on the stations receive after they pay for ads nobody listens to show what an idiotic decision this is.

 

[Jim S.]

I don't know why anyone would listen to Clear Channel on satellite in the first place. It's not like there's a lack of terrestrial stations, and they all sound the same.

 

[FIREBIRD81]

SO....clear channel already owns and ruins terestrial radio, but XM thinks they should be allowed into satellite radio as well?? Glad to be aSirius subscriber.

 

[fkostyn]

Personal opionon, I would never get Sirius because of Stern. To each his own opionion.

Of course, I do love one of the billboards here in Phx - "Don't Make a Sirius Mistake - Listen to Holberg's Morning Sickness"

 

[jmd102354]

When Sirius goes under and XM saves it, we will all be XM subs...Just gotta get rid of the taped Sirius programs...

 

[Devil24]

It's quite obvious that this isn't something the fellas running XM are very happy about.

They are being forced by an arbitrator's decision to put up with Clear Channel's Bullsh!t.

 

[kevlard1]

^^^ I don't know, kevlard. This letter seems to me to say that XM isn't happy about having the commercials. The facts that they were forced by arbitration with Clear Channel (the evil empire) to put commercials on Clear Channel stations, AND counterbalanced Clear Channel's B.S. demand with the addition of 5 more stations of their own without commercials are evidence to me that they're still (at the moment) committed to no commercials. BUT, while that letter satisfied me for now, IF something else happens and they get commercials in the future then I will be the first to ditch XM for Sirius.

I think if you, me, and other like-minded XM subscribers REALLY want to make a statement to XM you should not listen to the Clear Channel stations, have those stations' ratings go WAY down, and let the bad return for those advertising on the stations receive after they pay for ads nobody listens to show what an idiotic decision this is.

I see too that they are not happy but why should I pay to keep a service with commercials when I could switch to another service without commercials for the same price. Also, although they are adding other channels the channels that I like to listen to will still have commercials.

 

[minorthr]

yeah XM got screwed on this one. I wonder how long they are going to be forced to do this. I guess thats what they get for allowing clear channel to invest in them early on.

 

[jlhugh]

I have a feeling this will start a trend. Don't be suprised if Sirius has the same thing happen to them in the future. Stuff like this gets worse before it gets better.

 

[Bunnyman]

Clear Channel truly is a subsidiary of Satan Inc. and should be destroyed. Along with its sister plague, Microsoft.

Best thing to do would be to completely ignore the Clear Channel outlets on XM and let them wither away and die.

 

[fayrich]

Just thrilled to death to hear that the A*holes at XM/Clear Channel will be adding commercials to my favorite channel (Sunny). I went with XM early on years ago because there were no "beautiful music" stations any more in Cleveland. I know that I'm in the minority here, but I just can't stand todays so called music. Guess I'll just have to live with the commercials, or listen more to my second choice - the 40s channel. If I didn't have so much invested in XM (home, car, boombox & 2 subscriptions), I would consider changing to Sirius. But chances are that they will follow suite sometime in the future.

 

[minorthr]

I hope XM takes the channels with commercials and announces non commercial versions programmed by XM. Hopefully no one will listen to the commercial channels and they will eventually go away.

 

[joedekock]

I gotta believe that these channels will not last long. They are music channels WITH commercials, and XML is adding 5 Commercial free channels in place of the Clear Channel Stations that make up for that content or music style that Clear Channel will have commercials on. Let's face it, people don't buy satellite radio to listen to music channels with commercials, when they can turn the dial to a station with the same content without commercials.

I will still keep my XM, I love the sports content, the FOX news talk Channel and the bigger variety of music channels over sirius.

 

[M Sparks]

What do you want to bet that the 5 new commercial-free channels have the exact same format as the Clear Channel stations. Go E-Lo! Hopefully they'll compress the heck out of the Clear Channel stations as well to make room.

It says they are working on a fifth CC music channel. Hopefully this means Extreme XM is going away. During Opie & Anthony's feud with Philips Phile last summer, it was hinted that Extreme was supposed to vanish and that O&A were going to be given more control over the talk lineup. (Hence the "Golden Ticket" promotion.) They later pulled all references to the "Golden Tickets" due to "stuff behind the scenes." O&A also recently told a caller that Ron & Fez's lousy timeslot (11-2 ET) was supposed to be temporary, but that there were "things going on we can't talk about."

For those who are complaining, have you forgotten that MOST of the music channels used to have commercials? Bravo to XM for making the best of a bad situation, and PFFFFT to those who only see the negative and are incapable of reading between the lines.

 

[Sirius_Rich]

One can only hope any new commercial free music channels would include a heavy metal channel. i still don't understand XM's thinking on this issue.

 

[Grimlok]

When Sirius goes under and XM saves it, we will all be XM subs...Just gotta get rid of the taped Sirius programs...

I think it'll be the other way around. Sirius is quickly becoming the #1 sat. company...

 

[M Sparks]

I think it'll be the other way around. Sirius is quickly becoming the #1 sat. company...

How do you figure?