SiriusXM Multicasting and Channel Numbers

When SiriusXM begins multi-casting what do you think will happen to the channel numbers on each service?

 

Just a guess, but I'd figure that they would just continue using their current numbers, at least for the next few months.

 

They have to change (to be the same) or else they will need two different station IDs. That would be more of a hassle than changing the numbers. Hell, Sirius already changes numbers, at least, twice a year. This is the 3rd or 4th number that the Reggae station has had, for Sirius, since Howard came aboard.

 

They will want to upset the customer base the least possible, so I would assume they would try not to change too many numbers if at all possible. Once they go to dual tuner radios they 't probably don't want to overlap.

 

Well I think Manco maybe right on this one. However, if you are going to upset folks by taking way their XM channels and basically replacing them with Sirius Channels. You might as well clean up the channel number line up as well. Just do it all at once and be done with it.

 

They will be (at least) re-numbering and re-arranging the music channels. Jon Zellner (SIRIUS XM's VP of Music Programming) said in emails to me:

I asked, "Is the channel restructuring only in the music channels, or are talk/news channels in the works for November, too? Otherwise, wouldn't the need for production of a "dual-band" radio (as required by the FCC) be negated?" To which he responded:

Sounds to me like IDENTICAL channel lineups to come...starting with music in November. The unique channels will maybe get moved to a "SIRIUS EXCLUSIVE", "XM EXCLUSIVE" block of channels? <-- just speculating.

 

Yep, you're gonna see a complete overhaul and both will be identical. Like someone said, you'd have to produce different station IDs, which costs money which in some ways defeats the purpose.

I do want to add that if this is going to happen on November 5th we should be getting notified within the next week or two, if we don't then I doubt that's the date. However, that date may be the date when they do let us know not when they actually do it.

 

OK, I thought so. As I said, it wouldn't make sense to have multiple bumpers (one or more for each "company").

 

Station ID's are most likely produced in house, with contracted voice overs...whom are most likely already on retainer anyway. Probably won't cost THAT much, really. Just a lot of work by their production staff.

 

I think the key with programming is SiriusXM reducing confusion and making it clear that they are ONE service.

We need to eliminate consumers choosing either Sirius or XM....they need to be choosing to subscribe to satellite radio!

 

:bigclap:

 

If we have to go with Sirius channels ... they should use XM numbering. Its more logical for the most part and more adjustable. I personally don't look forward to changing presets.

On a side note, with an identical channel lineup, channel 1 and channel 184 would be unusable.

 

Replace my XM music lineup with Sirius music lineup and I will choose to unsubscribe, and I won't be alone.

 

I agree with you satradfan, I think we do need to get to a place where folks are subscribing to sat radio and not one service or the other. However, until everything can be combined on both services this will just about be impossible to accomplish.

I can also clearly see Fergz point as I think a lot of the die hard XM'ers or even those that just really like the programming will likely unsubscribe. One can only assume that SIRIUS has weighed this out and decided the potential lost in subs vs the cost savings of combining is negligible.

 

I don;t know the last time you were on XM 411, but if decide to go all Sirius then they really haven't planned for the churn. I can't find too many happy XM subs at this point.

 

There will no doubt be some unhappy people...but XM411 has 25,431 registered users (presumably the most die hard XM fans) out of the +9,000,000 subs that XM has.

Just remember you're basically looking through a key hole to make your judgement and reach your conclusion.

 

Well if they haven't thought it through and planned on then they are even more foolish than I thought. Still right now I see that SIRIUS has no choice given their financial situation. However, I still think they should have done more of a consolidation and kept channels and removed channels from both services. But apparently they have decided it is best to alienate the XM side while leaving the Sirius side intact. Good strategy, bad strategy, I guess we'll find out. This just maybe the calm before the huge churn storm.

Now with all that said, I do think if they make it past this and can get some financing in place, they'll likely be okay.

 

I also think it is silly to be making rock hard decisions when you have few facts. You can cancel just as easily on 11/06 as you can today except maybe it won't be as bad as you thought and might not need to then.

 

Yeah, I am certainly not ready to make any decisions about this just yet. Much of what we've read has just been rumors. It all seems to click when you think of all the lay-offs though. But in the end we really don't know. Perhaps the channels will change. You take on 70s maybe they'll add Wolfman Jack. Maybe on some of the other channels they will add Rick Dee's Countdown. I mean they may combine a lot of the programming. The service may totally rock when it is all said and done. I am waiting to see because all my options are on the table. But I am not going to cancel first and then find out later it really not as bad as I convinced myself it maybe.

 

I did the math on a thread on XMFan...add all the registered users from here, XM411, and XMFan...and not even taking into account duplicate accounts, we account for only 0.6% of all SIRIUS XM subscribers. If they lose 1%, I'd be surprised.