For those who were hoping for Lucy or XM Decade channels on Sirius ...

[syphix]

They'll need to produce and sell a dual band radio for two reasons:

1) FCC requirements of the merger

2) To (slowly) replace all receivers out there, to at some point take full advantage of both services' bandwidth. Somewhere down the line, they'll ONLY be selling dual band radios.

 

[jwt873]

Because they told the FCC they would.

Actually, the FCC told Sirius/XM that they HAD to market an interoperable radio within 9 months of the merger. It was one of the conditions. Mel has stated that the radio would be available before the deadline imposed by the FCC...

Sirius XM To Beat Dual-Radio Deadline - 8/7/2008 9:14:00 AM - TWICE

New York — Sirius XM CEO Mel Karmazin told analysts today the newly merged company expects to offer interoperable radios even before the nine-month deadline set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

 

[Sandlapper]

I was REALLY wanting the 90's channel from XM. The Pulse just doesn't do it for me.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

I was REALLY wanting the 90's channel from XM. The Pulse just doesn't do it for me.

Unlikely since id doesn't match with a Sirius channel right now. If it did, they would likely replace it with the Sirius channel anyways.

 

[GoodDog]

I was sort of hoping some of the Classic Rock stuff from XM might make it. The Sirius channels are getting a bit stale to me.

Not that I'm a fan, I think XM's country offering(s) will make the cut. The new studios in Nashville will most likely stay. And I think they already announced the head of country programming is from the XM side.

Up front, I know nothing about this but... with the stock below 0.50 a share why would they run an offsite studio and rack up expenses when they have space and staff in the main studios? I think the channel consolidation makes sense to the company (maybe not to the customers). Why have duplicate channels? It’s a luxury they cannot afford. Mel has his work cut out for himself tiring to add value to the company which will be an uphill battle IMO. They will look for synergy anywhere they can find it.

 

[Ehilbert1]

I was wondering..... Are most of you guys XM subscribers? I had XM for a year and then Stern announced and I left for Sirius. I remember hating XM's music channels back then. I just wondered if they got better. I know Boneyard was terrible. I like Hair Nation because they stay within those bands and they play stuff from bands I haven't heard in years. I mean real obscure stuff like Sweat F.A. and Pretty Boy Floyd(Yea I know a lot of those bands suck) but it reminds me of my youth. I hate that people will lose their favorite channels thats the shitty part about a merge. I hope a lof of you guys get to keep some of your channels.

 

[blacknoi]

I was REALLY wanting the 90's channel from XM. The Pulse just doesn't do it for me.

Exactly.

Don't get me wrong, the pulse isn't BAD... but it plays some of TODAY's hits.

The XM version only plays stuff from the 90s.

If the pulse wins-out, I hope they remove the hits of the 2000's and make it a true decades channel.

 

[limegrass69]

When you think about it, Pulse is not really a 90s channel. It is more of a "Hot AC" sort of sound. I think you could have the music lean a little more current and not have too much overlap with a 90s format so that the two channels could exist.

Another interesting "battle" will be Sirius Starlite vs. XM The Blend. I think The Blend has a slightly more rock-ish lean to it vs. Starlite, which to me is more pop-like. The Blend tends to be a little more gold based as well, while Starlite leans more towards the last 5 years or so.

Will Movin' Easy and The Bridge merge? What about Coffee House/XM Cafe? Things ought to get interesting over the next few months.

 

[squigy0]

When you think about it, Pulse is not really a 90s channel. It is more of a "Hot AC" sort of sound.

True. But when Sirius subscribers started complaining in droves at having their 90s channel replaced with The Pulse, they were thrown a bone with certain times an hour when 90s hits would be played, as well as random all 90s weekends.

Initial articles I read about the layoffs and merging channels is that new channel names and logos were being selected. Soooooo I still hold out with hope that there will be some middle ground even though people that have been around since the beginning of XM have been uncerimoniously dumped.

 

[DAB]

Well I hope they keep XM's 90s channel and then if they have to replace a channel, they could do away with XM's Flight 26 and replace it with The Pulse, because in my opinion they are very close. We need a pure 90s channel.

Good to see you new posters to DRC.

 

[syphix]

More firings...

From DCRTV.com

More Executions At XM - 10/15 - More cuts at DC's XM today. Soul Street's Bobby Bennett and Leigh Hamilton, Raw's Mz Kitti, The City's DJ Xclusive and Lisa Ivery, Viva's Karla Rodriguez, and Aguila's Mad Mexican. Plus Enlighten and [edit] Ken Smith of '50s-On-5, Pat Clarke of '60s-On-6, XM America's Ray Knight, John Welch, and "Country Dan" Dixon, BK Kirkland of the Groove, plus Bill Evans, Brian Chamberlain, and Cathy Carter from XM Cafe. XM Gospel's Jay Bryant and Suite 62's Vic Clemens. Upwards of 80 have been led to the satrad unemployment gallows, so far, we hear. More soon.....

Based on the names we've heard (from AllAccess and DCRTV), here's a list of channels gutted:

- 50's on 5
- 60's on 6
- 70's on 7
- 80's on 8
- 90's on 9*
- America
- Suite 62
- X-Country
- XM Cafe
- Lucy
- Deep Tracks*
- Ethel
- Raw
- XMU
- Soul Street
- The City
- Viva
- Aguila
- Boneyard
- Fred
- XMLM
- America
- Beyond Jazz
- The Groove


*90's on 9 has no airstaff, but the PD, Kurt Gilchrist was let go. Deep Tracks has GTM retire "voluntarily", though some say he would have been let go eventually anyway.

# The latest update from DCRTV.com has Marlin Taylor's name removed from the list of those let go. So, perhaps 40's on 4, Escape and Enlighten (or something like them) are still safe. I've updated the list to reflect this.

Am I missing some?

 

[limegrass69]

Holy crap. What a hatchet job.

 

[Button]

Sad, sad day for XM Radio

 

[SISO]

Sad day indeed, I noticed that no one being fired is from the hits channels. Surely they won't have Hitlist, Flight 26, 20 on 20, SIRIUS Hits 1, and The Pulse! It will be interesting to see how this all plays out...and it looks like it's gonna happen fairly soon.

 

[roscoryan]

- 60's on 6

This is the one that saddens me the most. 60's on 6 had the best production of any channel in satellite radio IMHO. It's a sad day indeed, especially for those of us who have been here from the very beginning.

 

[syphix]

NOTE: the channels in my post (updated above) does not mean the channel is "gone" or the other personalities on it won't appear on the new, "merged" channel...it just means that in MOST cases the program/music director has been let go.

 

[Xenju]

The one that bothers me the most is the possible demise of X Country. I dual sub currently, and Outlaw Country is really crappy in comparison. X Country was one of the gems of the XM lineup and one of the reasons I kept both services. And I feel the same way about The Groove. But I'm sorry, the Buzzsaw/Hair Nation combo runs circles around Boneyard, which was listenable only during Eddie Trunk's show. Now, when do I get Sirius Disorder, Radio Margaritaville and The Grateful Dead on my XM receivers?

 

[SuperH]

My understanding is that they only have so many slots for xL and they needed 2 for Stern. They changed Squizz as well I believe.

Yeah. Apparently.

My theory got shot right out the window now knowing that Boneyard is on the "axe".

 

[Tgajr]

NO 40s???????????

Now all hope is lost for any type of swing music. Might they bring more channels back?

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

I think we may be reading too much into this. I believe Sirius uses lower paid music co-ordinators to do the programming on their channels with the VPs basically overseeing. XM had a more highly paid PD per channel or set of channels. Removing a PD and replacing him with a music co-ordinator would involve the layoffs stated but would not necessarly mean the channel would be dropped. The 40s channel, given that it is unique to XM, does not make sense to be dropped or combined. The ones which would be an indicator is the channels where the DJs have been fired (XM 80s on 8 for example). This is a good sign that at the very least the Sirius DJs will be retained if not the whole channel replaced lock stock and barrel.