Why Satellite Radio?
Howard Kurtz of the WaPo asks the right questions about Satellite Radio in the wake of the XM/Sirius merger: why does Satellite Radio exist in the first place?
The reason these two companies have 13 million subscribers willing to cough up $12.95 a month for something we all grew up thinking should be free is that commercial radio has self-destructed.
All these folks (including me) are paying for satellite because they're tired of cookie-cutter radio formats stuffed to the gills with commercials. They're also fed up with focus-grouped music stations that play the same 60 songs until you start hearing the chords in your sleep.
There's no good reason that the FM dial had to go to heck. When I travel now, I carry my iPod, and listen to that in the car - and the iPod is the only real competition for XM/Sirius. I grew up listening to radio, and - back when it didn't stink - the ads didn't bother me that much.
Technorati Tags: management, radio
Comments
Hope the merger happens
[Brian F] February 21, 2007 16:47:53.951
As a XM subscriber and a Sirius stock holder I hope this deal goes through.
[Tom Sattler] February 22, 2007 8:51:03.609
Brian, why would you be a subscriber to one, and a stockholder in the other? Obviously you preferred the programming of XM to the programming of Sirius, but your investment suggests you think most other people would not. Unless you just so happened to get XM bundled with your new car, this makes no sense, at least to me.
If youo really want to know
[Brian F] February 22, 2007 14:22:37.958
I use to own XM for some time but sold it and purchased Sirius as I thought it had more room to move. I may end up being wrong here but it was my investment strategy.
As to why I use XM it is what comes in Honda.
As you can see has almost nothing to do with which I like better in both cases.