Multi-casting Decades and other like channels

DAB

Mod Emeritus
Oct 9, 2008
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Sirius Programming bosses are at XM in DC this week to determine what channels stay or go, or blended, will be interesting to see what goes down.:)

We know there is no way they can make everyone happy regardless of what they decide. But somehow they have to try not to alienate too many especially on the XM side.
 

sjb4

Member
Oct 12, 2008
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I have Sirius in my car, my wife has XM. I have to say I greatly prefer Sirius' channels over XM's. The music selection and placement of genres is much better than on XM. I have listened to Xm's 80's channel for 45 minutes and never once heard anything I had ever remembered on the radio in the 80's. Decades channels and genre specific channels shold highlight the best of whatever era they are from. I'm fine with a B side or deep cut here and there but not all the time. Sirius channels actually line up almost identicla to my Ipod playlists (80's, Hair bands, classic rock, classic rap, alternative, etc)

That being said, Sirius does overplay some artists and songs. A little new variety woud be nice.
 

DAB

Mod Emeritus
Oct 9, 2008
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How long has it been since you listended to XM? I know paticuarly since the merger that the decades channels on XM has slowly moved to be more hits based. We know these channels will be merged and of course they will be hits based and the side b cuts will go away.

However, I want to say that I think they do need to open up the playlist with less repeats, fresh playlist and they can do this a still be true to being hits based.
 

sjb4

Member
Oct 12, 2008
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How long has it been since you listended to XM? I know paticuarly since the merger that the decades channels on XM has slowly moved to be more hits based. We know these channels will be merged and of course they will be hits based and the side b cuts will go away.

However, I want to say that I think they do need to open up the playlist with less repeats, fresh playlist and they can do this a still be true to being hits based.

I was listening to XM today. I have noticed their decades channels have played more hits recently, and noted that it coincided with the merger.

I agree with your statement, keep the Sirius style but open up the playlists more.
 

limegrass69

Confused
Oct 12, 2008
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How long has it been since you listended to XM? I know paticuarly since the merger that the decades channels on XM has slowly moved to be more hits based. We know these channels will be merged and of course they will be hits based and the side b cuts will go away.

However, I want to say that I think they do need to open up the playlist with less repeats, fresh playlist and they can do this a still be true to being hits based.

They could certainly accomplish that with some "jukebox from hell" sort of features or specialty blocks (i.e. lost hits, "B" sides, etc.) at given intervals.
 

Clevey

New Member
Oct 13, 2008
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How long has it been since you listended to XM? I know paticuarly since the merger that the decades channels on XM has slowly moved to be more hits based. We know these channels will be merged and of course they will be hits based and the side b cuts will go away.

However, I want to say that I think they do need to open up the playlist with less repeats, fresh playlist and they can do this a still be true to being hits based.

That would explain why I am listening to less and less music on XM. If they go to the Sirius model for the decades channels, there won't be any reason for me to keep a Sat. radio subscription, I can hear the same songs on any local oldies station.
 

RoadRunner

Member
Oct 13, 2008
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I personally prefer the more mainstream approach of the Sirius channels. But I do like the old countdown shows (Casem/Dees) on XM.
This is what I hear when Mel talks about giving subscribers to each service the best possible channels. He's right that if you have great 80's programming on one service, it doesn't make sense to not let the listeners on the other service hear it, now that they are one company. The problem, of course, is who defines "great programming"? Before the merger we had 2 competing visions of what constituted the best way to program a station, and folks could choose which approach they thought was better. That was not always an ideal situation , as so many of us had to subscribe to both, in order to get the best in varying genres.
 

DAB

Mod Emeritus
Oct 9, 2008
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That would explain why I am listening to less and less music on XM. If they go to the Sirius model for the decades channels, there won't be any reason for me to keep a Sat. radio subscription, I can hear the same songs on any local oldies station.

That maybe true, but you can also hear 20 or more minutes of commercials too and that I am just not down with. However, I do have to say we have a couple of oddies stations here and Sirius still beats them hands down in the size of their playlist. But the biggest way is as I said commericals and dj talk. You get about half as much music in the same listening period.
 

Bark

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Oct 15, 2008
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They're still trying to expand the subscription base, so they'll go more mainstream. No subscriber will get points for being an early adopter. They're a business, and if they can pick up ten new subscribers by alienating one early subscriber, they won't hesitate to do so.

I agree with this business model. Cult followings are nice, but until this company starts earning a profit, they can't afford such luxury when they could get more people to pay by appealing to the masses instead of the cult following.

Now, they may do this and still go broke. If that happens, then I'll rethink my opinion. :D
 
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VinnyM27

Active Member
Oct 14, 2008
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This makes me nervous but maybe Sirius music could use a slight change, too.
 

VinnyM27

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Oct 14, 2008
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The Bridge is unique to both services. It should make the cut. They do need someplace to put the all Celine Dion channel they will announce shortly.

All Celine Dion? That's probably temporary like the Abba and AC/DC ones She can't have that much of a catalog to play it for more than a month.
 

russlay

New Member
Oct 19, 2008
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Washington Post

I saw an article in the Washington Post where it was announced that all of XM's announcers for the decade channels were let go and that the Washington, DC office will be vacated. The write also said the channels would be merged and reflect a more Sirius-like character. I get both (Sirius by subscription and XM via Direct TV) and much prefer XM's Decade channels because they re-create the old radio sound (jingles, etc), especially from the 40's through 70's era channels. Sirius just plays the music ans makes no attempt to recreate the old experiences of listening to AM radio.

The link to the Post article is here:

Washington's Loss: XM Empties Out - Raw Fisher
 

Fergz99

Member
Oct 14, 2008
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I saw an article in the Washington Post where it was announced that all of XM's announcers for the decade channels were let go and that the Washington, DC office will be vacated. The write also said the channels would be merged and reflect a more Sirius-like character. I get both (Sirius by subscription and XM via Direct TV) and much prefer XM's Decade channels because they re-create the old radio sound (jingles, etc), especially from the 40's through 70's era channels. Sirius just plays the music ans makes no attempt to recreate the old experiences of listening to AM radio.

The link to the Post article is here:

Washington's Loss: XM Empties Out - Raw Fisher
Get ready for some major churn if all of the music is programmed by Sirius.
 

DAB

Mod Emeritus
Oct 9, 2008
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Get ready for some major churn if all of the music is programmed by Sirius.

Well again I am going to wait and see. Maybe with them knowing that they are going to have to satisfy the XM side, they may just go with a bit deeper playlist. Many of the channels may also include programs/shows from XM's side. Wolfman Jack, Rick Dee's. If they are smart they will take these channels and do a blend, not just pipe over what they are doing now to the XM side. This would work to benefit both sides if done right. But then we know SIRIUS rarely does much right.
 

TX WJ

Intelligent Donkey
Oct 15, 2008
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While overall I like Sirius channels better than XM i do hope that some of XM's channels survive for the XM'ers plus if we alll get the same music channels it would be cool to discover some new channels.

I almost wish they would do it one channel a day so that we can enjoy the changes more.
 

Bigrock

Member
Oct 15, 2008
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I really think it is funny that people refer to XM programming as B sides. XM decade channels rule to this Sirius lifer because they play ALL the hits from that era. Not just the rock ones from Def leppard and Bryan Adams day after day.

It will be a huge mistake if they just do Sirius style programming on both because you will see a ton of XM people dropping.
 

roscoryan

DRC Graphics Guru
Oct 13, 2008
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I really think it is funny that people refer to XM programming as B sides. XM decade channels rule to this Sirius lifer because they play ALL the hits from that era. Not just the rock ones from Def leppard and Bryan Adams day after day.

It will be a huge mistake if they just do Sirius style programming on both because you will see a ton of XM people dropping.

Hey bigrock, welcome to DRC! It’s great to see another one of the original SBS members join in.

I remember when you and I would spar over the whole XM (me) vs SIRIUS (bigrock) debate back in 2002 during the infancy of satellite radio…I even got challenged by bigrock to a Car Audio Duel in Detroit! :cool:

But here in 2008, I can’t agree with you any more. It would truly be a shame if XM was gutted of its music philosophy. Although I have come to prefer SIRIUS over the years, there were still many times on XM I would hear those “WOW!!†songs you just don’t get on SIRIUS. If they would blend the musical philosophies of both services into one happy medium, basically combining the best of both, it would have potential. But that’s easy, and the satellite radio industry NEVER seems to take the route of common sense.