InsideTheCBC.com » Sirius Satellite

Sirius hits half-million subscribers

author — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 21:01:44 +0000

Sirius Canada, the satellite radio service which carries CBC properties, has now achieved more than 500,000 paying subscribers nationwide, adding more than 200,000 since February, 2007. It’s the first to surpass the key 500,000 subscriber milestone.

Hockey Night goes to satellite radio

author — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 15:42:52 +0000

Hockey Night in Canada will get its own special radio show on the Sirius Satellite Radio network. CBC owns 40% of Sirius Canada. The new host will be Toronto’s Jeff Marek, who is currently at AM 640.

HNIC Radio will air from 4-6 p.m. ET starting October 1.

Marek received the job offer about a month ago and told the Globe and Mail [full article] that he couldn’t say no. “It’s a dream… As try to play it off like, ‘oh yeah, I’m cool and professional and detached.’ Hockey Night in Canada, I’ve grown up watching this thing since I was old enough to turn on the television.”

Listen to CBC Radio 3 on your cell phone

author — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 18:48:23 +0000

Now, you don’t need a Sirius satellite subscription to listen to CBC Radio 3 and its French-language equivelent Bandapart. Some Bell cell phones now offer a monthly subscription ($8) to a subset of live Sirius programming. For some weird-ass reason, only music channels are available, so CBC Radio One is not offered. Hmph.

“Business as usual” for Sirius: CBC

author — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 02:03:45 +0000

It will be “business as usual” for Sirius and the CBC’s Sirius channels, according to CBC veep Michel Tremblay.

His full statement, issued a few minutes ago:

SIRIUS Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellite Radio Inc. today announced a $13-billion merger of equals in the United States, which has been the subject of much speculation in recent months. This proposed merger has raised questions with respect to its effect on SIRIUS Canada’s operation.

Clearly, the proposed transaction is of interest to SIRIUS Canada and its owners, including CBC/Radio-Canada. SIRIUS Canada and its owners will be reviewing the progress of the proposed transaction and closely monitoring developments. However, based on the information that has been released today, SIRIUS Canada and CBC/Radio-Canada believe it will be business as usual for SIRIUS Canada’s Canadian operations.

Although SIRIUS Satellite Radio Inc. does have an ownership interest in SIRIUS Canada, they are two separate and distinct companies. SIRIUS Canada is Canadian-controlled: CBC/Radio-Canada and Standard Radio each hold 40 per cent of the voting shares of the company.

And as an aside, why do p.r. people keep putting corporate or show names in all-caps? Sirius is not an acronym nor an initialism, thus it shouldn’t be all caps. Same with LITTLE MOSQUE ON THE PRAIRIE (seriously, that’s how they write it in CBC news releases). Can someone from CBC Corporate Communications enlighten me?

XM/Sirius merger confirmed, but “not so fast” says regulator

author — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 21:40:31 +0000

It’s confirmed. Both Sirius and XM Radio in the U.S. are planning to merge. Needless to say, both of the companies’ Canadian arms are carefully reviewing the proposal.

Three cheers for competition. Hip hip… oh, never mind.

Canadian Reaction

XM Canada already loves the idea. “This is great news for the satellite radio industry in North America and could offer further benefits to consumers, retailers, partners and shareholders,” said John I. Bitove, Chairman of Canadian Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. “As Sirius and XM seek U.S. government approval, we will diligently review the possible alternatives available to Canadian Satellite Radio.”

Read: “Holy crap, we want to merge ASAP too!!!”

Sirius Canada, XM Canada’s competitor, is 40% owned by the CBC. They put out a release late today, saying, uh, pretty much nothing. “SIRIUS Canada’s 300,000 subscribers will continue to receive the best news, talk, sports, entertainment and commercial-free music programming available,” said Mark Redmond, President and CEO, SIRIUS Canada Inc. “SIRIUS Canada’s board of directors and senior leadership team is working closely with SIRIUS Satellite Radio in the U.S., CBC and Standard Radio Inc. here in Canada to ensure the Canadian operation continues to deliver the best entertainment available.”

UPDATE: The U.S. broadcast regulator is saying it will block such a merger.

XM/Sirius merger gossip

author — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 19:08:22 +0000

There’s a buzz growing today that suggests XM and Sirius in the U.S. will announce a merger shortly. Personally, I don’t understand how the FCC would allow these two companies — the only two in their category — to merge, and thereby eliminate all competition from the market. This would have an impact on the Canadian operations of the same name, as they are partially owned by their American parents.

Listener’s Choice: The you pick-it podcast

author — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:29:02 +0000

Have you ever been listening to CBC Radio and heard something so good you wanted to hear again? Maybe it’s an interview that excited you. Or a documentary that touched you. Or maybe it’s something you remember from years ago that you just want to hear one more time. CBC Radio One’s Sirius channel and CBC’s podcasting group are coming out with a new show called Listener’s Choice. To get your pick selected, fill this form out and tell them what you’d like to hear, and why.

NPR goes younger, iPod mixing board, and BBC woes

author — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 18:46:08 +0000

In today’s edition of Todbits:

NPR to launch news show aimed at younger listeners
An audio mixing board for your iPod?!
Neilson introduces the 27-hour ratings day
BBC facing nearly $4 billion funding gap
No merger for Sirius and XM
…and will Jim Shaw’s temper tantrum kill the CTF?

NPR to launch news show aimed at younger listeners

NPR, whose Morning Edition newsmagazine is the top-rated morning radio program in the U.S. with 13 million listeners weekly, will launch a new morning news and information service aimed at adults 25 to 44. Starting in March, the concept will be introduced publicly through a digital media “open piloting” process NPR recently launched to test-drive show and segment ideas and solicit listener feedback.

An audio mixing board for your… iPod?!

A new device called TuneStudio puts a four-track mixer with two XLR inputs around your iPod and lets you record to the built-in CD-quality (16-bit, 44.1 kHz) WAV recorder. It will also interface via USB to your computer, and includes a hardware compressor. It should be out in the summer for $180 USD.

BBC facing nearly $4 billion funding gap

BBC director general Mark Thomson said Thursday that the BBC faces a £2 billion ($3.9 billion) funding gap over the next six years under the long-awaited license fee settlement announced by the British government. The BBC says it is “too soon” to give details of where the pubcaster will have to make cutbacks. The cut severs the traditional relationship between the BBC’s income and the annual rate of inflation, effectively amounting to a net cut in income.

No merger coming between Sirius and XM

Investors hoping to profit from a potential merger of North America’s two satellite radio giants have been dealt a significant blow after U.S. regulators indicated yesterday that such a deal would likely be blocked. Speculation about an alliance has been rampant since last summer, with executives at both companies stating publicly that a deal would save billions in costs.

Jim Shaw’s funding threat could kill TV fund

If Shaw Communications’ head Jim Shaw goes through with his threat to hold back his company’s legislated funding to the Canadian Television Fund, other distributors may follow. That could mean that independent producers of programs such as Degrassi: The Next Generation, Trailer Park Boys, Little Mosque on the Prairie and most documentaries won’t have the financing they need. But, argues Shaw, Canadian channels that buy their programs should pay out of their own revenues.

Introducing the 27-hour day

Nielsen Media Research is changing the way it measures TV viewing in the U.S. The changes, which are not expected to be implemented in Canada, use six different data streams to account for PVR playback. Nielsen will measure “one day” as 27 hours, “because of a strong feeling among clients that a 24-hour window would not capture people playing back their 8 p.m. Sunday shows at 8 p.m. on Monday, which is the most likely viewer behavior.” Hat tip to Paul Gorbould

More media mergers, a XM/Sirius marriage? and VOD

author — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 15:07:12 +0000

CanWest, Goldman join forces to bid for Alliance Atlantis

One of the biggest players in private equity, Goldman Sachs & Co., has teamed up with CanWest Global to make an offer for Alliance Atlantis. according to media and investment banking sources. Together, the pair could offer up to $2.1-billion for Alliance, which was formally put up for sale in December. ‘Cause, you know, we really don’t have enough media conglomeration in this country yet

Mixed signals for Canada’s Fledgling Satellite Radio

Talk of a possible merger between two competing U.S. satellite radio services refuses to die, a scenario that would create a messy situation for Canada’s two fledgling services that rely on XM and Sirius in the United States for programming. It would be tough for XM Canada and Sirius Canada — the two Canadian satellite radio services that just passed their first birthday — to continue as separate companies with distinct programming if their U.S. partners were to merge. “I don’t see any way that that’s possible,” said an equity analyst. “You wouldn’t merge the two [U.S.] companies together unless you planned to have one [programming] signal.”

Canada b’casters tested on VOD

This year promises to be a crucial one for video-on-demand in Canada as industry players scramble to forge a business model that will resonate with footloose digital TV viewers. Initially licensed for the Canadian market by the country’s TV regulator in 1997, VOD has been slow to develop here. Broadcasters early on offered on-demand movies to reel in viewers and reduce subscriber churn. Now Corus and rival Canadian broadcasters are beginning to secure on-demand rights for high-profile U.S. network and cable series as well as homegrown dramas — albeit slowly.

CBC’s Galaxie dodges a bullet… for now

author — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 20:08:55 +0000

The CRTC will not permit satellite TV provider Bell ExpressVu to offer subscription radio services (like XM or Sirius) on its service without getting Commission approval first. [ruling]
     The CBC complained to the Commission in March that both Bell ExpressVu and StarChoice were said to be readying deals with satellite radio services. The CBC said to do so without specific prior CRTC approval would contravene federal regulations.
     ”The concern is that [the providers] would have done it outside of existing pay audio rules,” Bev Kirshenblatt, CBC’s senior director of regulatory affairs told InsideTheCBC.com. “And because Galaxie is a discretionary service, it would seem likely that either [providers] would drop Galaxie or it could have driven down prices.”
     Under current regulations, both CBC-owned Galaxie and its competitor MaxTrax can carry only music — no talk.
     Bell ExpressVu says it’s disappointed by the decision. “It denied Bell Xpressvu the right to immediately carry out these exciting licenced Canadian services,” said Bell spokesperson Jeff Meerman. “It seems inconsistent of the Commission to permit content to reach Canadians in their vehicles and homes using one form of receiver, but not using a satellite receiver.”
     Sirius Canada, 40% of which is owned by the CBC, opposed the CBC’s original petition. “We’re interested in getting our content out in a different way to a different audience,” Sirius Canada spokesperson Jeff Roman said. He declined to comment on if talks are underway with various providers.
     The door is not closed, though. The CBC says Rogers, Bell, Videotron, and Telus have each asked the commission to amend their licence so they can add such services. The CBC has already intervened in these cases. A CRTC decision is expected within two months.

Introducing the Unofficial Sirius Listening Guide

author — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:15:47 +0000

I’m a big fan of radio, so it’s no surprise that I’m enjoying listening to the various Sirius channels. But I’ve got one big problem with Sirius — they don’t make it easy to find out what’s on right now, or what’s coming up on the various channels.
I suppose the common wisdom is that people just tune into a channel and stay put — that they’re passive listeners, happy to be spoon-fed whatever comes next. I’ve always thought that theory is wrong: I believe fans of radio would love a proper radio guide, like TV Guide, so they can plan their listening.
For instance, I’d love to visit a web site and look up what’s on Sirius right now. But Sirius’s very pretty web site makes this a miserable task involving many, many clicks. And the Canadian version of Sirius’ site barely have any schedules listed so you’ve got to track them down on the U.S. site.

To help make it easier, I’ve set up a quick-and-dirty unofficial Sirius listening guide. Please note that it covers the Canadian lineup of channels.
It’s not perfect, but it’s a hell of a lot better than what Sirius offers. Here’s hoping this will fill the gap until they come out with a decent listening guide of their own.

UPDATE: Mark from CBC pointed out that a better directory already exists. (Maybe I should try a Google search in the future to see if something exists before I try to duplicate the wheel! {grin}) It’s Sirius Radio Schedule Grid. There’s also It’s On Sirius, but it just displays the metadata for each channel so, not as helpful. Thanks Mark!

Portable Sirius PVR radio leaked?

author — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 05:20:42 +0000

Word is leaking out of a new Sirius receiver: The “Stiletto.” As Sirius’ first portable receiver, this one is a long time coming. Comes with 100 hours of storage, a special satellite antenna built into the headphones (don’t lose the headphones!), and the ability to act as a PVR by scheduling recording events in the future.

Terror plot trips Sirius alert system

author — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 21:42:10 +0000

The first known use of the SIRIUS Emergency Alert System occured this morning. The blogger at the Satellite Standard Group site reported:

On my drive this morning I was enjoying the Jay Thomas Show on Sirius Stars when an “Emergency Bulletin” came out regarding the terror plot that was foiled in London. The message stated the basic facts, gave an update as to the status of the alert code color, and referred people to Fox News, CNN News, CNN Headline News, or BBC World News. The message also gave out the appropriate Sirius channel numbers.

Two things. First, the Jay Thomas show isn’t that good. Second, what’s important here is that Sirius is fighting back against the widely held opinion that satellite programming is so “locked down” into its format (some of which on computerized autopilot) that breaking news can’t, well, break.
The U.S. government is requiring both Sirius and XM to participate in the country’s Emergency Alert System by the end of this calendar year.

Factoid: About a year and a half ago, an employee within the Connecticut Office of Emergency Management inadvertently activated an EAS message over radio and television stations telling residents to evacuate the state immediately. Turns out the button used to conduct weekly EAS tests is located next to a button that is used to issue an emergency alert to evacuate the state. Oops.

Sirius Backstage and Wikipedia

(Incidentally, Sirius Canada has some job openings if you’re looking around.)

Customized radio ads

author — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 18:57:15 +0000

With the news that Google will start selling ads for XM Satellite Radio, it got me thinking that this was the beginning of direct-to-ear advertising — custom-programmed ads. You can read more on my radio blog, iloveradio.org.

XM’s new service leaves plenty of room in the Galaxie

author — Mon, 17 Jul 2006 18:00:49 +0000

{yawn} XM Radio proudly announced last week it had upped the ante in the competitive and growing satellite radio field with the launch of XM Radio Online, ostensibly an online music service. (XM Canada is a competitor to Sirius Canada, of which CBC is a partner.) With the service, XMs existing customers who own satellite receivers can listen to about 60% of XM’s channel lineup (XM Online reduced channel lineup).
     I’ve tried the service. You can too for free for three days. It sounds like hell. It’s compressed down to what sounds like 32k to my ears. (Note to XM: If your brand is built around crystal-clear audio, why on Earth would you allow this quality to stream under your name?) Internet audio can sound great. Check out CBC Radio 3‘s site to hear how good.
     But worst of all, XM Radio Online requires customers to already own a XM satellite radio and plan. I suppose they’re positioning it as a value-added service for their existing customers — a serious strategic blunder. This ignores a large and fast-growing market of Internet-connected folks who gladly pay for good-quality audio with a choice of channels.
     But imagine. Imagine if we had our own network with dozens of digital-quality music channels operating 24 hours a day. And imagine if the music rights-holders would come to an agreement (the same agreement, presumably, they signed with XM) about letting us stream it. Imagine the amount of serious ass we could kick if we put it online and charged for it.
     Well, we’re working on it. Eric Albert (no, not that Eric Albert), the new GM of Galaxie Music has several projects in development currently, including an initiative to offer Galaxie Music Channels through the Internet. Like XM, the service will be first be offered through CBC’s commercial partners free of charge to the customers of those partners as an added value to their digital cable or satellite subscriptions — the difference, of course, is that many more Canadians already have cable or satellite. But Galaxie is also considering offering the service to consumers directly on a subscription basis as well.
     As for quality of the audio, Eric told me listeners will get a level of service “much better than the one offered by XM. We will be streaming at a higher rate, resulting in better sound quality for the listener. Since all of our channels are programmed in Canada, we’ll have the ability to offer a service that will be better suited to the taste of Canadians, including the French speaking population, which XM can not do currently.”
     Plus — and here’s a nice killer-app — customers will be able to purchase songs heard on the service, tickets to concerts and other items related to the artists directly from the music player.
     Hope it comes soon. Customers are waiting.