XM and SIRIUS want to merge. I don't know if the deal will happen or not but as a SIRIUS customer I hope it does.
I didn't think I was going to like satellite radio. A year ago I picked up a new car and it came with SIRIUS built in and a free 30 day trial. By the end of the 30 days I was hooked. Commercial free, subscription music is great. I also love getting the track info. It's funny to pay for radio but I'm a happy subscriber. My favorite channels are The Coffee House (Channel 30) and Alt Nation (Channel 21).
But there are areas that need improvement:
Programming. They need to beef up the playlists. Sometimes they get into a rut and the playlists feel stale. Feels like it happens every few weeks.
Products. The combined company should doubledown with Zing and ship more killer products. I wish other service providers worked with startups like SIRIUS did with Zing.
Better Internet services. I'd love to see better internet functionality/API needed. Sonos support would be sweet. Build community around the online offering. Current forum is weak.
I'm really thinking about this as a consumer. I want satellite radio as a long term viable service.
There are others that are better at following this deal as a prospective public investor. My friend Howard is pretty negative on this deal and he's a smart guy.
Update: Jeff Jarvis has a great link that spells why satellite radio has arrived.
The passionate user issue is why I wold never shor the industry despite my belief that it will end in financial ruin :)
Posted by: howard Lindzon | February 20, 2007 at 07:55 AM
welcome to the satellite radio fan club!
you will love a merged sirius/xm -- xm has no h.stern but has excellent programming, better products and internet services
btw, i hear the "churn" on satellite in epr-installed car radios is horrible -- most people love the service during the free trial but then wont pay. and without the auto pre-installed base paying, satellite radio may never make money
alas
Posted by: Grand Egress | February 24, 2007 at 05:45 PM