The SIRIUS-XM merger killed my inner audiophile.
Yesterday was the big day, it was the day that SIRIUS and XM Satellite Radio became SIRIUS-XM respectively. I expected some sacrifices and big changes to be made because of the merger, but I didn’t expect entire genres of music to be completely dropped from the lineup. SIRIUS used to offer a massive variety of music, something for everyone. Lately they have been replacing quality stations for channels dedicated solely to one artist. I mean who listens to Bruce Springsteen, AC/DC, and Elvis 24/7? Seriously, because I want to know.
But all of that was all pre-merger and to be honest it didn’t bother me until today. I think this week will mark the end of SIRIUS and I when they decided to cancel Boombox 39 and replace it with yet another Top 40 station, and to add insult to injury they suggest an Alternative Rock station as a substitution. For those who don’t know, or for the folks coming over from XM, Boombox 39 consisted of quality break beats, electro rock, and the occasional DnB or experimental electronica. It was good alterative electronic music, not the light bouncy crap you hear in the club. While Area 38 (which managed to make the cut) is tolerable it can’t stand on its own to represent the entire electronic selection of SIRIUS-XM. Some people might suggest the new BPM station which infiltrated its way over from XM, well BPM is crap, it replaced the Dance Hits station which was a joke anyways. Just like suggesting Alt Nation as a substitution to Boombox is a joke, in fact it’s offensive.
My SIRIUS subscription is up for a yearly renewal at the end of December and as it stands right now I’m on the fence about paying for the subscription. I hope the kids coming over from XM are happy they get to keep Pop2k though, as it’s the station that replaced something truly original. I know I’m thrilled to be that much closer to the garbage on terrestrial radio.
Posted in: Life, Music, Technology
November 18th, 2008 at 1:05 am
No, us folks at XM are not all happy. We woke up and found a lot of our favorite stations dead and buried. And replaced with Sirius doppelgangers that aren’t even what the Sirius Listeners remembered them to be 24 hours earlier.
Beyond Jazz was killed off. And Ethel, Fred & Lucy were put to death in a back alley and no-one’s found the bodies yet.
To be fair– I’m trying to give 1St Wave and Lithium a try– but the playlists seem to be smaller than I expect– or rather– as small as a pop 40 list on terrestrial radio. And longtime XM listeners are having a hard time dealing with the talkative DJ format. It’s getting in the way of me trying to give the new channels a chance.
Now, I have only Two channels I like– but the playlists are so UNREMARKABLE that I night as well be listening to my own CD’s. It’s the same stuff over and over and over again.
My subscription is up in April. If the Corporate Suits don’t attend to the smoke alarms squealing now, I will have to cancel– not so much because I’m angry, but because what’s the point of paying for only two channels?
It doesn’t make financial sense– and times are hard now. I’ll be investing in a Multimedia iTune PC to attach to my stereo in the meantime.
November 18th, 2008 at 8:24 am
Thanks for your feedback Lonnie.
I’ve basically been paying for 3 or 4 channels this entire time, now my selection has been cut down significantly. I found out yesterday that one of my favorite shows that aired on Mondays starting at 5:00pm and on Fridays during the day has disappeared.
I guess we’ll see what other changes are going to be made, but I know I’m definitely not gaining anything out of this merger.
November 18th, 2008 at 11:38 am
I’ve been trawling various XM/Sirius forums to see reaction to the merger and I’ve been seeing what amounts to a culture clash– some of it quite angry. Leaving aside the inevitable Like/Dislike of genre/Band selections and DJ formats, it seems that XM catered towards the Music Lover who hated commercials while Sirius catered to RADIO lovers who hated commercials. Merging these two Listener populations may take more than just renaming some channels.
Then there is the simplified notion on the corporate level that the Satellite Listener = Car driver. Here in NYC, I started in 2003 with the little dashboard radio attached to a home audio adapter and then graduated to a Polk Audio receiver.
For me– having music sans commercials for hours and hours in my livingroom was a new experience. I have tons of CD’s but I already know every song. There’s nothing NEW in my collection. With the Satellite receiver, I could experience new songs and groups.
And for my other older friends who use XM or Sirius in their cars for long drives– again, for them they were not just filling airspace while they commuted. They were in a Livingroom on wheels.
Another anecdotal Difference: Amoungst my friends– all the 20-somethings had Sirius. All the Over 40 crowd (Which includes me) had XM. Whether this bears out over the whole listener population, I can’t say, but Sirius-XM’s assumption that someone over 40 can be pidgeon-holed into Watercolors & Sinatra or Modern Adult Hits really speaks to some outdated cardboard top 40 thinking in the Exec suites. Nevermind that they seem to also think that ALL rock can be pidgeon-holed by Age too. And if it can’t be pidgeon-holed, don’t play it.
For example ColdPlay disappeared off the channels I’m listening to.
My last rhetorical question: The wholesale throwing of millions of dollars at Howard Stern and Oprah and the like. On regular Radio– there’s a car maker (Or at least until now) or a soft drink maker willing to drown the radio in advertising dollars to be associated with a show.
But on Sirius and XM, there was only US subscribers– who are already a SMALL, tiny segment of any nationwide audience. I mean, when you really sit down and parse the financial logic– I had to ask “HOW did the Boardroom Execs think this was going to WORK?. . .unless you throw in Advertisers?”
So far– I and other XM listeners I know have been pointedly composing mature, adult and measured complaints to customercare– in the hopes that the Suits have posted someone-who-matters to actually take the temperature of the water.
Thus far– all we’ve all gotten is a standard repeated saccharine message about “How Great the New Lineup is– Go download it now.”
Not a good sign.
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:37 pm
I am very unhappy, I loved my Sirius, now I am unhappy and considering dropping it, I used to have many stations of my favorite genre to choose from, now I have one or two at most and its just not the same.
December 9th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
I am very disappointed with the recent programming changes.
I enjoyed XM over Sirius not only for the diverse programming, but for the hours of music uninterrupted by DJ’s telling me what song is about to play when I could clearly see that on my radio screen.
The playlists are shorter and the music selections are right out of the tired FM format.
I now spend my entire drive to and from work surfing from channel to channel looking for a song that I like.
Unfortunately, Sirius is killing XM and my multiple subscriptions are about to be a casualty.
December 14th, 2008 at 11:48 pm
I was both an XM and SIRIUS subscriber. Although I switched from XM to SIRIUS back in 2005, I am now in the process of cancelling my three receivers. I’m not sure who decided to eliminate channels like The Strobe, The Beat, etc. I can honestly say the $28 a month wasn’t even a thought until my channels dissappeared on Nov 12th. I do not need to pay for terrestrial quality radio. I’ll buy 28 songs a month for my new IPOD instead. Goodbye SAT Radio….it was a fun experience…but it’s over now.
December 23rd, 2008 at 5:51 pm
that is about our experience too. We loved XM and listened for hours. We held off on purchases of 3 units for our cars until after the merger. The quality of sound now is like an old AM radio and the music awful. The decision to declare it a fun experiment while it lasted was easy. We are now listening to CD’s again.
February 14th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
There is life after XM-Sirius….and it’s called Slacker Radio. If you have a Blackberry or Iphone it’s free. There’s a great selection of stations and NO moronic deejays interrupting my favorite music by telling me (1) what station I’m listening to (duh!) (2) How great their station is because they play my favorite music (duh!) (3)The name of the song I’m about to hear (duh!) Like I didn’t already know that stuff!!. Slacker Radio…no commericials. No “Air Personalities” with the “gift of gab”….or should that be “the curse of gab”. Canceling my satellite radio subscription ASAP– Buh bye XM—Buh Bye Sirius