How long will it last?

[broon]

How long before satellite radio goes the way of cable television? Where they begin playing commercials...charging extra for certain programming...censorship...

 

[mugs]

Don't they already play commercials on some channels? And charge extra for certain programming?

 

[Modeps]

I think it will last for quite a while in it's current form.

 

[broon]

I don't have satellite radio so I don't know. I thought it was commercial free and you pay a flat rate for all available channels.

 

[mugs]

It's a question of economics... they have to have more money coming in than going out. Sirius currently does not. Not sure about XM. They can get that money from various sources - subscriptions, ads, premium services... They can't raise the price too much, it's already about as much as most people want to be spending on radio. They could cut cost - that would leave them with less content or inferior content. Commercials are an option.

I don't know.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: broon
I don't have satellite radio so I don't know. I thought it was commercial free and you pay a flat rate for all available channels.

I remember when Opie and Anthony went to satellite I heard it would be an extra $2/month for their channel. Not sure if that's still the case. Stern's channel is going to be free on the other hand (I believe). I think at least one of the services has commercials on SOME channels, specifically the talk channels I believe... it's tough for a talk show host to keep the show going for an hour or more with no commercials.

 

[broon]

Originally posted by: mugs
It's a question of economics... they have to have more money coming in than going out. Sirius currently does not. Not sure about XM. They can get that money from various sources - subscriptions, ads, premium services... They can't raise the price too much, it's already about as much as most people want to be spending on radio. They could cut cost - that would leave them with less content or inferior content. Commercials are an option.

I don't know.

You're exactly right. I hadn't thought about market saturation. The cable market was pretty much saturated long ago and new subscriptions would be minimal in the grand scheme of things. I guess once they reach that level, they begin looking for other ways of income.

What about the censorship thing? How long will Stern get to swear? Why shouldn't the FCC have reign on Sat radio like they do Sat TV?

 

[broon]

Originally posted by: mugs
snip.... it's tough for a talk show host to keep the show going for an hour or more with no commercials.

I can think of some windbags <cough>rush<cough> that could never quit talking.

 

[BlueWeasel]

On Sirius, pretty much all the talk, sports, and news channels have commercials. Channels like CNN mimic exactly what you'd see on TV -- when the live TV goes to commercial so does the show on Sirius.

I don't know of any of the music channels that have commercials -- although, I only listen to a select few and they don't have commercials.

 

[robphelan]

the music channels are commercial free... but CNN / MSNBC have normal commercials as you would see on TV. The comedy stations have cheesy hypno-therapy & gotomyPC.com commercials.

 

[mrphones]

Opie and Anthony are now part of the basic package, listen to them every morning, they are on for 4 hours and take 4 breaks, one an hour.. Nothing like uncensored morning radio...love it....XM radio is 12.95 month and worth every penny. I don't even listen to local radio anymore and the few commercials they do have on XM, well I can change the ch to well 150+ others.

 

[Modeps]

It's already been announced that there will be commercials during Stern's show. They wont be the 1/2 hour epics that we're forced to listen to now, but rumor has it that people are paying top dollar for ad space on stern's show.

 

[Captante]

Hmmm... cable TV is a long way from going anywhere at this point, I know a few people who have satellite TV & I'm seriously considering it myself for its superior
HD picture quality & content but many people won't even consider it & cable internet is still the fastest connection commonly available in the US... I'd say satellite radio is going to continue growing for quite awhile.

 

[broon]

Originally posted by: Captante
Hmmm... cable TV is a long way from going anywhere at this point, I know a few people who have satellite TV & I'm seriously considering it myself for its superior
HD picture quality & content but many people won't even consider it & cable internet is still the fastest connection commonly available in the US... I'd say satellite radio is going to continue growing for quite awhile.

Sat TV isn't much better than cable TV. EVERY channel has commercials. For the uncensored stuff, you still have to buy premium channels.

 

[JoLLyRoGer]

Originally posted by: broon

Originally posted by: Captante
Hmmm... cable TV is a long way from going anywhere at this point, I know a few people who have satellite TV & I'm seriously considering it myself for its superior
HD picture quality & content but many people won't even consider it & cable internet is still the fastest connection commonly available in the US... I'd say satellite radio is going to continue growing for quite awhile.

Sat TV isn't much better than cable TV. EVERY channel has commercials. For the uncensored stuff, you still have to buy premium channels.

Satellite TV beats the everloving sh!t out of any cable provider I've ever had including COX Digital.

Best bang for the buck without question or competition.

DirecTiVo + NFL Sunday ticket is pure bliss.

Plenty of HD content to go around (including said NFL Sunday Ticket)

Digital surround sound like a DVD when available (which also includes said NFL Sunday Ticket)

You can't get all that with cable and having a cable Internet connection does not mean you have to subscribe to the television service.

Just my opinion...discuss.
JR..

 

[geckojohn]

has anyone listened to howard's new satellite show? how is it so far? Did you hear the farts?

 

[JS80]

Both XM and Sirius have huge outflows in cash due to enormous net losses. And what happens when their satellite malfunctions/falls from space?

 

[broon]

Originally posted by: JoLLyRoGer
Satellite TV beats the everloving sh!t out of any cable provider I've ever had including COX Digital.

Best bang for the buck without question or competition.

DirecTiVo + NFL Sunday ticket is pure bliss.

Plenty of HD content to go around (including said NFL Sunday Ticket)

Digital surround sound like a DVD when available (which also includes said NFL Sunday Ticket)

You can't get all that with cable and having a cable Internet connection does not mean you have to subscribe to the television service.

Just my opinion...discuss.
JR..

You're right. It is cheaper than cable (I have Dish). But one of the things that no one has talked about is the censorship. According to media reports, Stern will be able to do whatever he wants and will not be censored. How long before the FCC steps in? They did it to cable tv (I'm using "cable tv" as a generic for cable and sat tv).

 

[Rudee]

Satelite radio definitely does have commercials - and lots of them. If they didn't have commercials they wouldn't exist. Not to mention they couldn't afford to sign Howard Stern to a $500 million contract on Satelite radio.

 

[mrphones]

Originally posted by: geckojohn
has anyone listened to howard's new satellite show? how is it so far? Did you hear the farts?

Stern is not on Sirrius yet, Jan 06..

 

[Modeps]

mrphones, his station is on and active and he's filling it with ludacris content like people farting and his parents arguing.

 

[mrphones]

Originally posted by: Rudee
Satelite radio definitely does have commercials - and lots of them. If they didn't have commercials they wouldn't exist. Not to mention they couldn't afford to sign Howard Stern to a $500 million contract on Satelite radio.

Don't know about the "lot" part of that my friend. I have XM and listen for 2 hours in the morning and 2 in the evening when going home and the commercials are not like anything that commercial radio does. The 80's ch for example will play music for 2 hours straight without a commercial, then maybe 3 min of commericals.

Again you have 150+ ch's to choose from, plenty to listen to without ever having to listen to an advertisement.

 

[JoLLyRoGer]

Originally posted by: Modeps
mrphones, his station is on and active and he's filling it with ludacris content like people farting and his parents arguing.

What channel is it on?

<--Been a Sirius customer for 2 years but I have not followed Stern's progress...

 

[mrphones]

Originally posted by: Modeps
mrphones, his station is on and active and he's filling it with ludacris content like people farting and his parents arguing.

My bad, well wow, let me run out and buy a sirrius radio. I guess all the Stern fans will run and buy a radio, but Howard has not been on top of it for sometime now. He will have full reign to do what he wants but he will still have to put on a good show, something he hasn't done in long time.

Anyone who wants to try out Satellite radio, just go to xmradio.com and sign up online for free internet radio. You can listen for 3 days free, the content is amazing. If it wasn't for my 4 hours of sitting in traffic I wouldn't need one, but it sure does help pass the time.

 

[JoLLyRoGer]

Originally posted by: mrphones

Originally posted by: Rudee
Satelite radio definitely does have commercials - and lots of them. If they didn't have commercials they wouldn't exist. Not to mention they couldn't afford to sign Howard Stern to a $500 million contract on Satelite radio.

Don't know about the "lot" part of that my friend. I have XM and listen for 2 hours in the morning and 2 in the evening when going home and the commercials are not like anything that commercial radio does. The 80's ch for example will play music for 2 hours straight without a commercial, then maybe 3 min of commericals.

Again you have 150+ ch's to choose from, plenty to listen to without ever having to listen to an advertisement.

Hmm.. That kind of sucks. Sirius keeps commercials out of the music stations altogether (including the '80s channel ).. They do have a boat load of them on the talk radio and news channels.

Exception:
Raw Dog Comedy and the 'Sirius Brand' Sports talk stations do not have commercials unless they're broadcasting a syndicated show from a terrestrial station or unless Sirius is advertising for itself.