I think if he did it would be one half of the bandwidth, with the other half going to mobile video. I think that's his big plans here, and to use the ground repeater network for that mobile video service. But if he's going to do that why not just dump the music part completely, or just make it another music choice, available on cable and satellite TV services and not much else.
Charlie Ergen making a move for Sirius XM
- Thread starter hank-the-dwarf
- Start date
I think if he did it would be one half of the bandwidth, with the other half going to mobile video. I think that's his big plans here, and to use the ground repeater network for that mobile video service. But if he's going to do that why not just dump the music part completely, or just make it another music choice, available on cable and satellite TV services and not much else.
I'm sure the plan is to keep the radio service operating at some capacity.
With that said, look for MLB, NFL, NBA, Stern, Oprah, Martha, etc to be dropped. Charlie fights for the subscriber, in that he keeps prices low by refusing to overpay for content.
Something neither Sirius OR XM has done to this point. They both overpaid for content, which is why we are even having this discussion. By my math (and I'd have to go look up exact numbers) Stern, NFL, and MLB have easily cost more than $1 billion.
But if SXM can't come up with $67 million by month end, we might lose NFL sooner rather than later anyways.
Damn... Seems like every time I am *this close* to replacing the broken satrad in my truck, something like this comes out and makes me not want to buy a new one.
Now who knows if the company will be around a year from now.
ugh...
Now who knows if the company will be around a year from now.
ugh...
Fights for the subscriber by getting rid of premium content (not counting Oprah or Martha)? If that's what they need to do to survive, then count me out. There are better and cheaper ways of getting music and news to my car.
+1 there I can always listen to my Slacker for Music and get a Iphone for news and talk because I got Sirius for the sports and if they get rid of it I will cancel.
I just don't think that the demand is there for any sort of large scale rollout of mobile video. I really don't see it at all. It would seem to me that it is a niche product.
I'm pretty sure they are interested in taking over control of the satellites as that's what they do best. Then they can just lease them to sirius instead of them picking up the entire tab on R&D and the actual placing them in the sky at the cost of $150M.
Hopefully at some point they'll just launch birds that can cover everything and anything so there's more coverage from more birds.
Hopefully at some point they'll just launch birds that can cover everything and anything so there's more coverage from more birds.
I don't see it either, but the titans of the tech industry seem to think it's the next big thing. Hell, were getting video and movies on tiny little 3" iPod-type screens, maybe there is SOMETHING to it.
I don't believe Sirius XM has been very genuine with regards to the conditions that were set forth by the FCC for their merger.
The raising of rates for multi-subs and online listening were a loophole they exploited and the FCC knows it.
And I think that will bear heavily in the FCC's decision for another takeover.
The raising of rates for multi-subs and online listening were a loophole they exploited and the FCC knows it.
And I think that will bear heavily in the FCC's decision for another takeover.
I have to say, if I wanted any company to take over SiriXM, it would be Dish (as long as they don't decommission sat radio and turn the spectrum into TV bandwidth). While Charlie's way of running things may not be best suited for TV based services, where you're buying pretty much all your programming, I think his way of running business would work great for satrad. He seems to understand you can't overspend for content, and that's exactly the type of leader this company needs right now.
Not saying I want it to happen, just making the point that it could be MUCH, MUCH worse.
Not saying I want it to happen, just making the point that it could be MUCH, MUCH worse.
I agree with you and even though Charlie has done some questionable stuff he could take Sat Radio back to its roots back in 2003.
The story is getting more interesting and I have found out some things which make you go hmm.
First on October 11th former Sirius CEO Joe Clayton joined the XM Board of Directors.
Then this week (before the Sirius / Echostar news broke) a new SVP of Marking was announced for Echostar / Dish Network. That person is Ira Bahr, former SVP of Marketing for Sirius.
Now I am receiving word (and this is just a rumor) that another national music provider that providers music to millions of commercial establishments is about to file for Bankruptcy. What is interesting about this is it is Echostar who uplinks this companies music service.
Just something to make you go hmm....
First on October 11th former Sirius CEO Joe Clayton joined the XM Board of Directors.
Then this week (before the Sirius / Echostar news broke) a new SVP of Marking was announced for Echostar / Dish Network. That person is Ira Bahr, former SVP of Marketing for Sirius.
Now I am receiving word (and this is just a rumor) that another national music provider that providers music to millions of commercial establishments is about to file for Bankruptcy. What is interesting about this is it is Echostar who uplinks this companies music service.
Just something to make you go hmm....
Just have to hope the FCC doesn't allow that (I still have hope that they have a FEW brain cells and realize that 25MHz is a drop in the bucket for video based services, and pissing off the current sub base by dropping 10-20 audio channels for ONE channel of video is not in the "public interest" which they are there to protect.)
I, for one, would welcome our new EchoStar overlords.
Seriously, though, EchoStar would be the most likely savior for the service itself. The debt would go away, and EchoStar would have no problem supporting the 17ish million subscribers with the revenue they're bringing in... Satrad would not only survive, it would get a new lease on life and be able to flourish.
Those that think EchoStar would somehow even wish to lose all of that recurring revenue by turning off the service and repurposing the hardware (they wouldn't be allowed to repurpose the spectrum) are simply being doomsayers. That's an utterly preposterous idea.
The stockholders would be the big losers, but oh well. I'd rather lose a few bucks worth of stock than the service itself.
Seriously, though, EchoStar would be the most likely savior for the service itself. The debt would go away, and EchoStar would have no problem supporting the 17ish million subscribers with the revenue they're bringing in... Satrad would not only survive, it would get a new lease on life and be able to flourish.
Those that think EchoStar would somehow even wish to lose all of that recurring revenue by turning off the service and repurposing the hardware (they wouldn't be allowed to repurpose the spectrum) are simply being doomsayers. That's an utterly preposterous idea.
The stockholders would be the big losers, but oh well. I'd rather lose a few bucks worth of stock than the service itself.