Sirius XM Merger Great (in theory) but shit really, for subscribers.

I am a subscriber and early adopter of Satellite radio. I was right there with a Sirius subscription in hand when my hero Howard Stern left terrestrial radio in the biggest media frenzy, and biggest contract ever signed by a radio personality.  I have had Sirius in 2 cars and at home on a Tivoli for years.  Recently i purchased a GM model luxury SUV (he who shall not be named) and it came with XM only.  So, of course i activated this subscription and i have to say that i enjoy the programming more.  Here is my take on each of these companies, and why neither was fulfilling my desires:

Sirius Satellite Radio

• Howard Stern - Hands down the main reason i signed up. They also have NFL, NASCAR, and other exclusives which i don't care about. 
• Faction - enjoy this station because of Ellis, Bam, Tony Hawk, etc.
• Radio programming (music channels) isn't that great.  A LOT of repetition on the music channels
• Overall i think its ok, but...
• No MLB - this sucks.  I drive a lot and LOVE listening to baseball games. XM has em, Sirius doesn't. This blows.  But, they have Howard so i keep it.
• Pause/Record - The device at the office and in one car allows me to pause/rewind, the broadcast, even record it, like a Tivo/DVR. That rocks.

XM Radio

• Forced on you by GM
• Music stations are better.  Less repetition, more variety, better distinction between genres.  All around better than Sirius
• MLB - they have the MLB contract so you can listen to literally EVERY MLB game that is live.  This kicks ass
• No Howard Stern - not an option.
• aside - the XMradio.com website is mostly flash making it useless on a mobile device. nice job dolts.

Both

• They both, just like my cable provider at home, have crap loads of useless (to me) stations that are there for the sake of filler.  They suck.  I wish, like i wish at home, that i could pick the 10 channels i want to watch and put the rest in the recycler.
• Both have streaming websites but neither has an iTunes integration - this is lame
• Both charge for EVERY radio, so, my monthly nut for my "radio privileges" is: $48. A lot these days for a passive bit of entertainment
• Both, 100%, without question, are 10,000 times better than any terrestrial radio feed on the planet.  I haven't listened to regular radio since the day i switched with the one exception, the Adam Carolla Show, which i listen to at drive time, and then quickly turn off after 10am PST. See, i enjoy Howard stern in the morning, but on satellite with an east and west feed, plus a repeat, i can listen to that daily show whenever i want.

Ok enough of the review...here's why i am pissed.  I am pissed because i have both of these dumb services, and i pay them the afore mentioned $48/month for services.  When they merged i expected this to be my hay day.  All the things i am missing from each will be fulfilled. All my fantasies of radio coming true.  Life is grand.  BULL SHIT!  Here's how they did it:

• No notification in writing or email that this was happening...it just "did".
• No explanation of how it was going down or how, as a subscriber, i was supposed to receive the new channel line up or how it was going to effect my devices
• Ok, the stations are there on both (they picked a Sirius heavy music line up which blows, and they didn't give us a chance to vote), but some are missing...hmm.
• Yes, i cannot listen to Howard Stern on XM, even though i am a Sirius subscriber and an XM subscriber...if i want the "best of Sirius" or the "best of XM" I have to PAY MORE, and not just more one time, more on EVERY DEVICE I HAVE.  This sucks you pricks!

These asshole companies wanted us to fight for them in congress and with the FCC. They want us to bandwagon and evangelize their service. But, this merger, once passed is just going to cost me MORE MONEY.  It doesn't benefit me AT ALL! If i want Howard stern on my XM device, i have to pay a new premium (note, this link isn't direct because XM jackasses built their site in flash) if I wanted MLB on my Sirius devices, i have to pay an additional premium.  This seems like racketeering and i am pissed...why?  Because i am probably going to forgo another tipple latte/month and pay! But, i am going to cancel some of my cars which is an inconvenience for me. Frankly i cant justify this much outgoing for the privilege of their feed.  It could have gone down so much simpler, and they could have built such a groundswell without raising prices at a time where people are killing EVERY SINGLE UNNECESSARY expense. Wanna hear my concocted[perfect] scenario:

Bryan's Awesome Deal | A Satellite Service (which carries the acronym: BADASS)

• I pay a family plan and get 5 devices for a reduced fee - encouraging me to spread the word.
• Different programming could be controlled by the subscriber at each device (parental controls and minimizing the station count so I can scroll through them faster).
• All the channels are there, or, i get the option on my plan to choose the stations i want and pay only for them. Currently you cant OPT OUT of a channel, but on BADASS you can kill all the gospel, country music, political slur, all pop music, and the lame ass overpaid radio personalities who have a place on Sirius and XM.
• No Oprah (and any of her associated nonsense (NOprah))
• No Martha Stewart (better than Oprah, but still see above)
• No Playboy channel (seems controversial from a red-blooded male, but this is as watered down as the brand is...maybe even worse)
• I would develop a pyramid scheme for billing...every person a subscriber refers reduces their monthly...worked for Amway, why not radio.
• I get to stream from my iPhone with a 3G or WiFi connection
• I can only be authenticated in 5 places (including my streams) - meaning i have a 5 user license
• I can be authenticated in iTunes and play through iTunes as a device
• The premium (if we must charge) content should come AD FREE - currently to listen to Howard Stern, BTLS, MLB, etc. you have to sit through commercials, just like regular radio.
• When i sell a car, or want to turn on/off a device, i can do so on an easy to navigate, standards compliant website that works on all screens.
• When new content is added, and new software is available, it streams right through to the device (like an iPhone)
• My services and traffic and the like will be GEO TARGETED, using those fancy satellites to do something more than stream, how about real time traffic on my Nav, how about Nav period? Maybe a concierge concept powered by Yelp.
• I would have a limited Internet browser on the next gen device, for sure hands down. Voice commanded.

Thats just my roll out plan developed in the heat of this post.  I am full of [shit]ideas so just ask you SiriusXM jerks. The process you are going through turned from something i was excited about, talked about, and wished for, to something i am confused about, angry about, and frankly, considering taking away subscriptions.  Is that what you wanted you scallywags?

I have to go, I need to go find my radio ID and try to make Howard come on in my SUV by the morning...any bets on how much it will cost, how many phone calls, and how much time (that I don't have) this will take?

SUCKIT Sirius XM.  If there was an alternative, I would consider it.

Signed,

Disgruntled BADASS

Comments

[Mark says...]

Mel Karmazin is an idiot that only cares about P&L. He couldn't care less about subscribers like you and me as long as we keep paying our monthly fee.

I said all along this merger would be bad for us. Go figure all those that wanted it are now saying WTF!

[Lonnie says...]

I'm an XM subscriber who woke up to ALL my favorite channels GONE. Told by the Customer Reps to settle for 1st Wave, Lithium-- and I gave them a try-- but they're not as deep as they could be-- and I have a niggling sense that they really cater to the younger Teen rock listener.

The rest of the adult offering seems to assume that I'm half in the grave already and will happily go to sleep on Sinatra and Classic Old Jazz.

And as an XM Listener, the DJ format on Sirius is very aggravating. To me, a DJ who habitually talks for more than a minute is really training me to accept a commercial in the near future. And that's what I left Terrestrial radio for.

I don't have much hope. I don't have a car-- I have a Home PolkAudio unit which I treasured. Now it's $400 of metal crap.

I'm already researching a Media PC to attach to my stereo and use it solely for iTunes and copy my entire collection into it-- Disc by Disc.

'Cause Neither Sirius or XM are listening. Everyone gets a saccharine 'Just Wait, You'll Love the New Line-up' Email after posting to customercare. Or they're giving away free months to get us to stay on.

In fact, the company is behaving a lot like a Cable Company. I find that ominous.

[Bryan Landaburu says...]

Lonnie & Mark, you guys are dead on. Karmazin is a smart guy when it comes to stocks but when this change happened its almost as if they put no thought into it at all. As lonnie says, XM had the better stations and theyre toast.

One other huge RIP, all the stations lead with "Sirius XM" + Channel. So, when you program this in your car, your presets all say: "SIRIUS" 6 pages of "SIRIUS" makes recall lika a g'damn game of concentration.

Skeevie they are.

BL

[Kristen Power says...]

You hit the nail on the head with this one. What a jumble they've made of XM. I can't find anything and can't tell if they've just renamed stations or created new ones (as XM will often change station names without any notification to users). And, the other morning I caught a woman DJ yacking about sitting in a steam room with a man she didn't know. Is this the benefits we'll be reaping from the merger? Sucks.

[Chelsea Otakan says...]

XM has/had O&A!

Looks like Sirius/XM is headed for a bigger downfall now anyway ...