Public | |
Traded as | NASDAQ: SIRI NASDAQ-100 Component Russell 1000 Component |
Industry | Radio broadcasting |
Founded | July 29, 2008 |
Founder | Martine Rothblatt David Margolese Robert Briskman |
Headquarters | 1221 Avenue of the Americas, , U.S. |
Area served | United States and Canada |
Key people | Greg Maffei (Chairman) James E. Meyer (CEO) Gene Balboa (President and CCO) |
Products | Satellite radio Internet radio |
Revenue | |
Total assets | |
Total equity | |
Owner | Liberty Media (68.5%) |
Number of employees | 2,323 (2015) |
Divisions | Sirius Satellite Radio XM Satellite Radio Pandora Radio Automatic Labs |
Website | www |
Footnotes /references [1] [2] [3] |
Sirius XM Holdings, Inc., doing business as Sirius XM Satellite Radio, is an American broadcasting company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. The companies Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio are now merged into Sirius XM Radio. The company also has a minor interest in SiriusXM Canada, an affiliate company that provides Sirius and XM service in Canada. At the end of 2013, Sirius XM reorganized their corporate structure, which made Sirius XM Radio Inc. a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of Sirius XM Holdings, Inc. [4]
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum, in a one-to-many model. Broadcasting began with AM radio, which came into popular use around 1920 with the spread of vacuum tube radio transmitters and receivers. Before this, all forms of electronic communication were one-to-one, with the message intended for a single recipient. The term broadcasting evolved from its use as the agricultural method of sowing seeds in a field by casting them broadly about. It was later adopted for describing the widespread distribution of information by printed materials or by telegraph. Examples applying it to "one-to-many" radio transmissions of an individual station to multiple listeners appeared as early as 1898.
Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. Midtown is home to some of the city's most iconic buildings, including the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project, the headquarters of the United Nations, Grand Central Terminal, and Rockefeller Center, as well as Broadway and Times Square.
The City of New York, usually referred to as either New York City (NYC) or simply New York (NY), is the most populous city in the United States. With an estimated 2018 population of 8,398,748 distributed over a land area of about 302.6 square miles (784 km2), New York is also the most densely populated major city in the United States. Located at the southern tip of the state of New York, the city is the center of the New York metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban landmass and one of the world's most populous megacities, with an estimated 19,979,477 people in its 2018 Metropolitan Statistical Area and 22,679,948 residents in its Combined Statistical Area. A global power city, New York City has been described as the cultural, financial, and media capital of the world, and exerts a significant impact upon commerce, entertainment, research, technology, education, politics, tourism, art, fashion, and sports. The city's fast pace has inspired the term New York minute. Home to the headquarters of the United Nations, New York is an important center for international diplomacy.
Sirius XM Radio was formed after the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the acquisition of XM Satellite Radio Holding, Inc. by Sirius Satellite Radio, Inc. on July 29, 2008, 17 months after the companies first proposed the merger. [5] The merger brought the combined companies a total of more than 18.5 million subscribers based on current subscriber numbers on the date of merging. [5] The deal was valued at $3.3 billion, not including debt. [6] Through Q2 2017, Sirius XM has more than 32 million subscribers. [7]
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government created by statute to regulate interstate communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable. The FCC maintains jurisdiction over the areas of broadband access, fair competition, radio frequency use, media responsibility, public safety, and homeland security.
The proposed merger was opposed by those who felt it would create a monopoly. Sirius and XM argued that a merger was the only way that satellite radio could survive. [6]
In September 2018, the company agreed to purchase the competing streaming music service Pandora, [8] [9] and this transaction was successfully completed on February 1, 2019. [10]
Pandora is an American music streaming and automated music recommendation internet radio service powered by the Music Genome Project. The service, operated by Sirius XM Satellite Radio, is available in the United States. The service plays songs that have similar musical traits. The user then provides positive or negative feedback for songs chosen by the service, and the feedback is taken into account in the subsequent selection of other songs to play. The service can be accessed either through a web browser or with its mobile app. Pandora is a freemium service; basic features are free with advertisements or limitations, while additional features, such as improved streaming quality, music downloads and offline channels are offered via paid subscriptions.
Sirius XM Radio is a primary entry point for the Emergency Alert System.
The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is a national warning system in the United States put into place on January 1, 1997, when it replaced the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS), which in turn replaced CONELRAD. It is jointly coordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The EAS regulations and standards are governed by the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau of the FCC.
Sirius Satellite Radio was founded by Martine Rothblatt, David Margolese, and Robert Briskman. [11] [12] In 1990, Rothblatt founded Satellite CD Radio in Washington, D.C. [11] [13] The company was the first to petition the FCC to assign unused frequencies for satellite radio broadcast, which "provoked a furor among owners of both large and small [terrestrial] radio stations." [13] In April 1992, Rothblatt resigned as chairman and CEO to start a medical research foundation. [11] Former NASA engineer Briskman, who designed the company's satellite technology, was then appointed chairman and CEO. [14] [15] Six months later, in November 1992, Rogers Wireless co-founder Margolese, who had provided financial backing for the venture, acquired control of the company and succeeded Briskman. Margolese renamed the company CD Radio, and spent the next five years lobbying the FCC to allow satellite radio to be deployed, and the following five years raising $1.6 billion, which was used to build and launch three satellites into elliptical orbit from Kazakhstan in July 2000. [15] [16] [17] [18] In 1997, after Margolese had obtained regulatory clearance and "effectively created the industry," the FCC also sold a license to XM Satellite Radio, which followed Sirius' example. [19] In November 1999, marketing chief Ira Bahr convinced Margolese to again change the name of the company,[ citation needed ] this time to Sirius Satellite Radio, in order to avoid association with the soon-to-be-outdated CD technology. [12] Having secured installation deals with automakers, including BMW, Chrysler and Ford, [18] Sirius launched the initial phase of its service in four cities on February 14, 2002, [20] expanding to the rest of the contiguous United States on July 1, 2002. [21]
Sirius Satellite Radio was a satellite radio (SDARS) and online radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Holdings.
Martine Aliana Rothblatt is a transgender American lawyer, author, and entrepreneur. Rothblatt graduated from University of California, Los Angeles with a combined law and MBA degree in 1981, then began to work in Washington, D.C., first in the field of communications satellite law, and eventually in life sciences projects like the Human Genome Project. She is the founder and chairwoman of the board of United Therapeutics. She was also the CEO of GeoStar and the creator of SiriusXM Satellite Radio. She was the top earning CEO in the biopharmaceutical industry in 2018.
David Margolese is an entrepreneur and a founder of Sirius XM Radio, serving as chairman and CEO from 1993 to 2002. Considered "one of the earliest advocates of pay radio," he "effectively created the industry."
Part of series on |
Radio |
---|
Forms |
Radio (overland) • Satellite radio • Internet radio |
Uses and forms |
Talk radio • Internet talk radio • Music radio • Call-in (radio) |
Developments |
Most listened-to programs • |
Physics and engineering |
Radio waves • Radio tower • Radio signal |
In November 2001, Margolese stepped down as CEO, remaining as chairman until November 2003, with Sirius issuing a statement thanking him "for his great vision, leadership and dedication in creating both Sirius and the satellite radio industry." [22] Joe Clayton, former CEO of Global Crossing, followed as CEO from November 2001 until November 2004; stayed on as chairman until July 2008. [23] Mel Karmazin, former president of Viacom, became CEO in November 2004 and remained in that position through the merger, until December 2012. [24] [25]
The origin of XM Satellite Radio was a Petition for Rulemaking filed at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) by regulatory attorney and Founder of Satellite CD Radio Martine Rothblatt, to establish frequencies and licensing rules for the world's first-ever Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service (SDARS). [26] [27] On May 18, 1990, Satellite CD Radio, Inc. (SCDR) filed a Petition for Rule Making in which it requested spectrum to offer Compact Disc quality digital audio radio service to be delivered by satellites and complementary radio transmitters. [28] Following the Allocation NPRM, the FCC established a December 15, 1992 cut-off date for applications proposing satellite DARS to be considered in conjunction with CD Radio's application. [29] [30] One such application came from American Mobile Radio Corporation (AMRC), the predecessor company to XM Satellite Radio. [31] XM Satellite Radio was founded by Lon Levin and Gary Parsons. [32] [33] It has its origins in the 1988 formation of the American Mobile Satellite Corporation (AMSC), a consortium of several organizations originally dedicated to satellite broadcasting of telephone, fax, and data signals. [34] In 1992, AMSC established a unit called the American Mobile Radio Corporation, dedicated to developing a satellite-based digital radio service; this was spun off as XM Satellite Radio Holdings, Inc. in 1998. [35] [36] Its planned financing was complete by July 2000, at which point XM had raised $1.26 billion and secured installation agreements with General Motors, Honda, and Toyota. [18] [37] Initially scheduled for September 12, 2001, XM's service start date was postponed due to the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and The Pentagon. [38] XM Satellite Radio's first broadcast was on September 25, 2001, nearly four months before Sirius. [21]
Gary Parsons served as chairman of XM Satellite Radio from its inception through the merger, and resigned from the position in November 2009. [33] Hugh Panero served as XM's CEO from 1998 until July 2007, shortly after the merger with Sirius was proposed. Nate Davis was appointed interim CEO until the merger was completed, at which point Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin took over as CEO of the newly merged company, Sirius XM. [39]
Wikinews has related news: In depth: XM and Sirius merger |
After years of speculation (the New York Post first reported on a potential merger in January 2005) [24] and three months of serious negotiations, the $13 billion merger between Sirius and XM was officially announced on February 19, 2007. [40] At the time, the nation's only two satellite radio providers reported nearly 14 million combined subscribers (with nearly 8 million belonging to XM), with neither having turned an annual profit. Sirius was valued at $5.2 billion, and XM at $3.75 billion. [34] Each subscription was sold for $12.95 monthly. [41]
XM and Sirius executives felt the merger would lower programming costs by eliminating overlapping stations and duplicated marketing costs. According to their original operating licenses, the two companies were not allowed to ever own each other's license. In proceeding with the merger, Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin ignored this rule, gambling that the FCC would consider other audio entertainment to be competitors and allow the merger to proceed by waiving the rule. [40] [42]
After a 57-week review process, the U.S. Justice Department approved the Sirius and XM merger on March 24, 2008, concluding that satellite radio competes with terrestrial radio, online streaming, and mp3 players and tablets. [42] [43] On July 25, 2008, the FCC approved the merger with a 3–2 vote, determining that it was not a monopoly because of all the competition on the Internet. FCC chairman Kevin Martin stated, "The merger is in the public interest and will provide consumers with greater flexibility and choices."
The biggest challenge for the newly unified company was selling more subscriptions with the drop in the number of cars sold annually in the US, the subsequent reduced demand for cars equipped with satellite radio, as well as online radio-streaming competition. Conditions of the merger included allowing any third-party company to make satellite radio devices; producing new radios that can receive both XM and Sirius channels within one year; allowing consumers to choose which channels they would like to have; freezing subscription rates for three years; setting aside 8% of its channels for noncommercial programmers; and paying $19.7 million in fines for past rule violations. [44] [45] Sirius and XM began merging their channels on November 12, 2008. [46]
Each share of XM stock was replaced with 4.6 shares of Sirius stock. Each company's stockholders initially retained approximately 50% of the joined company. [47]
At the time of the merger, Sirius' top programming included channels for Howard Stern, and Martha Stewart; live NBA and NFL games; and live NASCAR races. XM's programming included channels for Willie Nelson, Opie and Anthony, Snoop Dogg, and Oprah Winfrey; and live Major League Baseball games. [43]
The National Association of Broadcasters was adamantly opposed to the merger, calling it a monopoly. [40] Shortly after the Justice Department gave its support to the merger without restrictions, attorneys general from 11 states (Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Utah, and Washington) urged the FCC to impose restrictions on the merger. [48] Several Congressional Democrats also opposed the merger, calling it anticompetitive and criticizing the Bush administration for allowing it to go through. [43]
After coming close to filing for Chapter 11 only months after the 2008 merger, having gone so far as to hire lawyers to prepare a possible bankruptcy filing, [49] Sirius XM was able to avoid declaring bankruptcy with the assistance of a $530 million loan from Liberty Media in February 2009, which Mel Karmazin negotiated in exchange for a 40% equity stake in Sirius XM. [50] [51]
In the fourth quarter of 2009, Sirius XM posted a profit for the first time, with a net income of $14.2 million. This came after net losses of $245.8 million in the year following the merger. The company's resurgence was owed in part to the loan from Liberty Media. Increased automobile sales in the US were also a factor. Sirius XM ended 2009 with 18.8 million subscribers. [50] By the end of 2012, Sirius XM's subscriber base had grown to 23.9 million, mostly due to an increase in partnerships with automakers and car dealers; a strong push in the used-car market; and continued improved car sales in the US in general. The renewal of radio show host Howard Stern's contract through 2015 ($400 million for five years, $100 million less than Stern's previous five-year deal) was also a factor in the company's steady growth; Stern's show attracted over 12 million listeners per week. [51] [52]
As of 2017, Sirius XM had approximately a 75% penetration rate in the new car market. Out of that 75%, approximately 40% become subscribers. SiriusXM is available in vehicles from every major car company as well as in assorted trucks, boats and aircraft. The company offers trial subscriptions to new car owners, and then offers customers a variety of subscription options. There are more than 100 million cars on the road with SiriusXM radios installed.
After trying for four years, on December 21, 2010, Sirius XM received approval from the FCC to add service in Alaska and Hawaii. Sirius XM announced on January 17, 2011 that it would place repeaters in those states and adjust three of its satellites to cover those areas. The move gave Sirius XM coverage in all 50 states. [53]
On January 12, 2011, XM Satellite Radio, Inc. was dissolved as a separate entity and merged into Sirius XM Radio, Inc. [54] On April 11, 2011, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approved the merger of Sirius and XM's Canadian affiliates in SiriusXM Canada. [55]
On April 11, 2013, a New York appeals court upheld a New York judge's ruling, from April 2012, that Howard Stern was not entitled to stock bonuses based on Sirius XM's exceeding subscriber target projections. The court ruled that subscribers to XM Satellite Radio from before the Sirius XM merger should not be counted as "Sirius subscribers" for the purposes of Stern's lawsuit. Stern argued the opposite, because his popularity had played an integral role in helping Sirius acquire XM. He had been seeking $330 million in stock bonuses. [56] [57]
In 2017, SiriusXM surpassed 32 million subscribers. [58]
On September 24, 2018, Sirius XM announced its intent to acquire Pandora for $3.5 billion. [59] The acquisition was completed on February 1, 2019. [60]
Following the merger, Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin became CEO of the combined company, and XM chairman Gary Parsons retained his role. [61] XM CEO and co-founder Hugh Panero stepped down in August 2007, shortly after the merger was first announced. [6]
XM Satellite Radio executives who were not offered jobs in the new combined company were assured golden parachute severance packages that had been approved in 2007. Former CEO Nate Davis received a severance package worth $10 million. Erik Toppenberg, executive vice president of programming, received a severance package worth $5.34 million. CFO Joseph Euteneuer received a severance package worth $4.9 million. Vernon Irvin, chief marketing officer, received a severance package worth $4.5 million. [62]
In November 2009, Parsons resigned as chairman of Sirius XM, receiving a payout of more than $9 million. [33] [62] He was succeeded by Eddy Hartenstein, former publisher and CEO of the Los Angeles Times . [33] In December 2012, Mel Karmazin stepped down as Sirius XM CEO after Liberty Media gained control of 49.5% of the company. James E. Meyer was named interim CEO. [63] On April 30, 2013, he was named permanent CEO. [64] Also in April 2013, Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei was named Sirius XM's chairman, succeeding Hartenstein. [65]
Sirius XM radio content is available to stream online either as an add-on to existing subscriptions or as an Internet-only option. [66] Internet and mobile services directly challenging Sirius XM include iHeartRadio, Pandora (later acquired by SiriusXM in 2019), and Spotify. [51]
In August 2011, SiriusXM announced that the company would start offering a personalized interactive online radio experience. MySXM debuted on April 15, 2013, allowing users to fine-tune over 50 existing Sirius XM channels. MySXM is available to all Sirius XM subscribers. [66] [67]
The internet player allows subscribers to customize most stations to their liking by adjusting settings like: familiar/hits or unfamiliar/depth, studio recordings or live performances, and new/recent or old/classic material. These customized stations also allow listeners to play music without DJ interruptions. SiriusXM apps also include an extensive lineup of archived programming on SiriusXM On Demand.
On June 17, 2009, Sirius XM released an application for use on Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch, allowing its subscribers to listen to its programming on those devices. The app did not feature all of the programming available to satellite listeners. [68] On March 17, 2011, the app was also made available for the iPad. [69] In 2012, the app was updated for iOS and Android, featuring additional content, and the ability to pause, rewind, and fast-forward through audio streams. [70]
On February 4, 2010, the Sirius XM BlackBerry application was announced, for use on BlackBerry smartphones (the Bold, Curve, Storm, and Tour). [71] As of April 2013, the app featured over 150 channels. [72]
On May 28, 2010, the Sirius XM application for Android smartphones was announced. [73] As of April 2013, the app features over 130 channels. [74]
As part of Howard Stern's new five-year contract with Sirius XM, which he signed on December 9, 2010, The Howard Stern Show , which hadn't previously been made available on mobile devices, would now be a part of Sirius XM's mobile app package. [75]
On March 18, 2015, SiriusXM released a refreshed user interface of the application on Android and iOS. [76]
As of October 2017, SiriusXM is available for streaming via custom apps on a variety of connected devices including Amazon Alexa [77] and Fire TV, Sonos, PlayStation, Roku, and smart TVs.
In May 2018, SiriusXM unveiled a new look for both the desktop web player and the mobile apps. The MySXM feature, including all the custom mixes that listeners saved overtime, was removed. SiriusXM claims that they're working on a more personalized feature that will release in the upcoming months. [78]
SiriusXM later expanded their internet and mobile platforms by acquiring Pandora in February 2019. [60]
In early November 2019, SiriusXM became available to stream on Android and iOS phones and all devices that use Google Assistant. [79]
Following the merger, Sirius XM began offering numerous new options, including a la carte offerings, a family-friendly version, and "mostly music" or "news, sports, and talk" packages, ranging in price from $6.99 to $16.99 per month. [80]
Prior to the merger, Sirius offered, for a one-time fee, a lifetime subscription (lasting the lifetime of the receiver, not the subscriber). [34] After the merger, due to changes in bundling policies, some customers who had purchased lifetime subscriptions had their service reduced or canceled, and were unable to obtain a refund. [81]
On December 4, 2014, Sirius XM Holdings agreed to a US$3.8 million settlement with 45 states and the District of Columbia, over a suit initiated by the Ohio Attorney General, Mike DeWine, stemming from the company's billing and service renewal practices. The suit alleged Sirius XM Holdings was engaged in "misleading, unfair and deceptive acts or practices in violation of state consumer protection laws," Attorney General DeWine said. [82]
SiriusXM is the exclusive home to Howard Stern with two dedicated Howard Stern channels. SiriusXM's talk, news and comedy programming features channels from news outlets including BBC, CNBC, FOX News, CNN, MSNBC, Bloomberg, NPR, C-SPAN, exclusive talk and entertainment channels including TODAY Show Radio, Business Radio Powered By The Wharton School, Entertainment Weekly Radio, Faction Talk, Radio Andy, Joel Osteen Radio, and comedy from channels including Comedy Central Radio, Comedy Greats, The Foxxhole, Laugh USA, Raw Dog Comedy and George Carlin's Carlin's Corner.
SiriusXM music programming includes artist branded channels from The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Eminem, Garth Brooks, Tom Petty, Pearl Jam, Kenny Chesney, Pitbull and many more, curated music channels dedicated to multiple decades and genres that span rock, pop, country, R&B, hip-hop, electronic dance, jazz and more, and concept-based channels, such as The Coffee House, SiriusXM Chill, Road Trip Radio, Yacht Rock Radio, and The Covers Channel.
SiriusXM offers live play-by-play coverage of every NFL, Major League Baseball, and NBA game; every NASCAR race; PGA Tour events; and live college sports, as well as news, analysis and opinions from more than a dozen dedicated sports talk channels.
In Canada, Sirius Canada and XM Canada were partially owned by Sirius XM (20% and 23.3% respectively) in joint ventures with Canadian companies. [83] After the US merger, the two Canadian ventures did not immediately agree to a similar merger, but instead remained in competition as distinct services. [84] Complicating matters was that Sirius Canada has nearly 80% of the total satellite radio subscriber base in that country, and felt they deserved greater than a 50/50 split of the new company, whereas XM Canada felt their deal with the NHL—a particularly lucrative prize in Canadian sports broadcasting—also warranted a significant amount of value in the new company. [84]
On November 24, 2010, XM Radio Canada and Sirius Canada announced that they would merge their services. [85] On April 12, 2011, the CRTC approved the companies' merger into SiriusXM Canada. [86] John Bitove's Canadian Satellite Radio Holdings Inc., the licensee of XM Canada, gained a 30% share in the new company as its primary and controlling shareholder, while Slaight Communications and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the current owners of Sirius Canada, each retained 20% ownership. Sirius XM's American parent company would hold 25%. [55] The merger was completed on June 21, 2011. [87]
XM and Sirius use different compression and conditional access systems, making their receivers incompatible with each other's service. A condition of the merger was that Sirius XM would bring to the market satellite radios that can receive both XM and Sirius channels within one year. [45] The interoperable radio, called the MiRGE, was made available beginning in March 2009 [88] but was soon discontinued after both services eliminated duplicate channels, obviating the need for it. As of February 2016 [update] , Sirius XM offers radios for home, office, automotive, marine, and aviation use. [89]
SiriusXM Marine is graphical weather and fishing info for boaters. The service works with most major marine-electronics hardware companies, such as Raymarine, Furuno, Simrad and Garmin. [90] The Marine Offshore package includes graphical weather radar; cloud-to-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning; high-resolution coastal and offshore wave heights, direction and intervals; high-resolution sea-surface temperatures; pressure isobars; buoy data, etc.
SiriusXM Aviation provides satellite-based graphical weather info for pilots, which provides better signal coverage and faster data refresh rate than land-based ADS-B service. [91] [ non-primary source needed ] The 2020 FAA Mandate does not require pilots to equip with ADS‑B/FIS‑B weather. [92]
SiriusXM Aviation receiver Model # SXAR1 and Garmin GDL51/GDL52 enables pilots to use an iPad or iPhone with the Foreflight Mobile App, via Bluetooth, to view the SiriusXM Aviation in-flight weather and data delivered via satellite to monitor storm fronts, track lightning strikes, TAFs, METARs, winds and more. [93]
As of May 2017 [update] , there are five satellites in orbit: two XM and two Sirius satellites and one spare. [94] XM-3 and XM-4 are the active satellites for the XM service and replaced the original XM-1 and XM-2 satellites which were placed into a disposal orbit. Sirius FM-5 and FM-6 function as the primaries for the Sirius side. FM-6 which was launched on October 25, 2013 and declared ready for service on December 2, 2013 initially served as an in orbit spare while the company worked to deploy repeaters for the Sirius side which were needed to transition to full geostationary operation. In 2016 FM-6 was put into active service and officially replaced Sirius originals FM-1 through FM-3 which operated in elliptical orbit. FM-1 through FM-3 were later placed into disposal orbits. With this change FM-5 and FM-6 exclusively serve the Sirius service mirroring XM-3 and 4. Before FM-6 was launched, XM-5 was sent into orbit by Proton from Kazakhstan, on October 14, 2010, and is capable of broadcasting to either service. [95] [96] XM-5 serves as the in orbit spare for the entire system and can function in place of either a Sirius or XM satellite. In late 2016, Sirius XM placed an order for two new satellites SXM-7 and SXM-8 which will replace XM-3 and XM-4 and have the capability to deliver either Sirius or XM content to the ground. These are scheduled for launch in 2020 via a SpaceX Falcon 9. [97]
Sirius satellites broadcast within the S band frequencies from 2.3200–2.3325 GHz, while XM radio uses adjacent frequencies 2.3325–2.3450 GHz. [98] [99]
The following milestones have been set during and after the merger:
Date | Event | Comments |
---|---|---|
February 2007 | Execute definitive agreement | |
March 2007 | File FCC application | |
June 2007 | FCC places application on "Public Notice" (DA 07-2417) | Comments and petitions were due July 11, 2007; responses and oppositions were due July 24, 2007. |
November 2007 | Sirius/XM shareholder votes | Announced October 4, 2007, and voted upon on November 13, 2007. 96% of Sirus shareholders approved the merger, [105] and 99.8% of XMSR shareholders also approved. [106] |
March 2008 | Receive regulatory approvals | On March 24, the U.S. Department of Justice ended its investigation of the merger (i.e. decided against blocking the deal). [107] |
July 2008 | Receive FCC approval | On July 25, the FCC approved the merger voting 3–2. [108] |
July 2008 | Merger completed | XM stock trading ends July 28. Sirius XM Radio, Inc. becomes the name of the merged corporation. |
November 2008 | Programming merged | |
March 2009 | MiRGE released | First receiver being compatible with both Sirius and XM signals is released |
December 2010 | Alaska and Hawaii expansion | Receives FCC approval to add service to the two states, thus giving Sirius XM coverage in all 50 states |
April 2013 | MySXM debuts | A personalized interactive online radio experience |
October 2013 | Clear Channel-programmed stations removed | Channels programmed by Clear Channel, including America's Talk, Sixx Sense, Fox Sports Radio and WSIX-FM, are removed months after Clear Channel sells its stake in Sirius XM; WHTZ/New York and KIIS-FM/Los Angeles are retained under a separate agreement. [109] |
April 2016 | Surpasses 30 million subscribers | Sirius XM announces through Q1 of 2016, the company has a total of 30.1 million subscribers. [110] |
Satellite radio is defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)'s ITU Radio Regulations (RR) as a broadcasting-satellite service. The satellite's signals are broadcast nationwide, across a much wider geographical area than terrestrial radio stations, and the service is primarily intended for the occupants of motor vehicles. It is available by subscription, mostly commercial free, and offers subscribers more stations and a wider variety of programming options than terrestrial radio.
XM Satellite Radio (XM) was one of the three satellite radio (SDARS) and online radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Holdings. It provided pay-for-service radio, analog to cable television. Its service included 73 different music channels, 39 news, sports, talk and entertainment channels, 21 regional traffic and weather channels and 23 play-by-play sports channels. XM channels were identified by Arbitron with the label "XM".
XM Radio Canada was the operating name of Canadian Satellite Radio Holdings Inc., a Canadian communications and media company, which was incorporated in 2002 to broadcast satellite radio in Canada. Following the merger of Sirius XM Radio in the United States, XM Canada and its competitor Sirius Canada reached a deal in late 2010 to merge into SiriusXM Canada, which was approved by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission on April 11, 2011 and completed on June 21, 2011.
Melvin Alan "Mel" Karmazin is an American executive. He co-founded and was the president of Infinity Broadcasting and eventually became the president and CEO of CBS television. From 2004–2012, he was the CEO of Sirius Radio. In October 2012, Karmazin announced that he would be stepping down on February 1, 2013. Upon his departure, John C. Malone took over Karmazin's role at SiriusXM.
Sirius Canada was a Canadian company, a partnership between Slaight Communications, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Sirius Satellite Radio, which was one of three services licensed by the CRTC on June 16, 2005 to introduce satellite radio service to Canada.
The '60s on 6 is a commercial-free, satellite radio station on the Sirius XM Radio platform. It plays music from the 1960s. Airing on XM since 2001, the channel became available to Sirius subscribers replacing '60s Vibrations on November 12, 2008, following the merger of the two companies. The station currently broadcasts on channel 6 of both services, as well as on Dish Network channel 6006.
Kids Place Live is a channel on Sirius XM Radio that is the result of a merger between XM Kids and Kids Stuff. Sirius, which was a result of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approving the acquisition of XM Satellite Radio Holding, Inc. by Sirius Satellite Radio, Inc. on July 29, 2008, 17 months after the companies first proposed the merger. Until February 9, 2010, DirecTV carried this on channel 868, but dropped Sirius XM programming in favor of going to MusicTap. The channel name was changed on 2008-11-12.
SIRIUS Left was Sirius Satellite Radio's liberal talk channel. It featured personalities such as Lynn Samuels, Bill Press, Alex Bennett, Mike Malloy, Ed Schultz, Thom Hartmann and Mark Thompson. It was also one of the Sirius XM-owned channels to be exclusive to Sirius and not heard on XM In June 2008, Sirius Canada added the Sirius Left channel to its lineup.
Primosphere Limited Partnership was one of four companies bidding for Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service, or SDARS, licenses in the United States. The service would have been an advertisement-supported digital audio service with an emphasis on serving music genres that had lost exposure in the terrestrial radio market during that period, such as classic jazz, "beautiful music," "pop standards," and swing music. Two dedicated public radio talk channels were also proposed along with traditional talk radio channels.
SiriusXM Patriot is a conservative talk radio channel on Sirius Satellite Radio channel 125 and XM Satellite Radio channel 125. The channel features exclusive hosts such as Cam & Company from NRANews, David Webb, and Andrew Wilkow. It also features popular syndicated programs including Sean Hannity and Mark Levin. The station is the result of a merger between former channels SIRIUS Patriot and America Right. Hourly news updates are produced by Townhall.
SiriusXM NASCAR Radio is a channel on satellite and online radio service Sirius XM Radio dedicated to auto racing series NASCAR. The station launched on January 1, 2007 and broadcasts every Monster Energy Cup, Xfinity, and Camping World Truck Series race live. It is an affiliate of both the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and the Performance Racing Network (PRN), as well as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network (IMS) for coverage of the Brickyard 400. It carries live races, full race replays, as well as behind-the-scenes and daily talk shows. Following the Sirius / XM merger, Sirius NASCAR Radio was made available to XM on September 30, 2008 as part of its "Best of Sirius" package and broadcasts on channel 90.
The Bridge is on Sirius XM Radio channel 32 and Dish Network 6032. It is devoted to gold-based soft rock and adult contemporary music. The channel is programmed by Mary Sue Twohy. The channel plays mainly 1970s acts, such as Fleetwood Mac, James Taylor, Carole King, Jackson Browne, Elton John, Jim Croce, The Eagles, America, and Billy Joel, along with some later 1980s and 1990s artists like Sting, Bonnie Raitt, and others. It was basically the 1960s and 1970s counterpart of the former StarLite channel for the Sirius service before the Sirius/XM merger replaced StarLite with The Blend.
Sirius FM-1, also known as Radiosat 1, was an American communications satellite which was operated by Sirius XM Radio, previously Sirius Satellite Radio. It was constructed by Space Systems Loral and was based on the LS-1300 satellite bus. Launch occurred on 30 June 2000, at 22:08 GMT. The launch was contracted by International Launch Services, and used a Proton-K/DM3 carrier rocket flying from Site 81/24 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome.
Sirius FM-2, also known as Radiosat 2, was an American communications satellite which was operated by Sirius XM Radio, previously Sirius Satellite Radio. It was constructed by Space Systems Loral and was based on the LS-1300 satellite bus. Launch occurred on 5 September 2000, at 09:43 GMT. The launch was contracted by International Launch Services, and used a Proton-K/DM3 carrier rocket flying from Site 81/23 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome.
Sirius FM-3, also known as Radiosat 3, was an American communications satellite which was operated by Sirius XM Radio, previously Sirius Satellite Radio. It was constructed by Space Systems Loral and was based on the LS-1300 satellite bus. Launch occurred on 30 November 2000, at 19:59 GMT. The launch was contracted by International Launch Services, and used a Proton-K/DM3 carrier rocket flying from Site 81/23 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome.
Sirius FM-5, also known as Radiosat 5, is an American communications satellite which is operated by Sirius XM Radio. It was constructed by Space Systems Loral, based on the LS-1300 bus, and carries a single transponder designed to transmit in the NATO E, F and I bands. It will be used to provide satellite radio broadcasting to North America.
Howard Stern is an American radio personality who is best known for his radio show The Howard Stern Show. Stern describes himself as the "King of All Media" for his successes in the radio, television, film, music and publishing industries.
Sirius XM Canada Holdings Inc. is a Canadian radio broadcasting company, which operates as a Canadian affiliate of Sirius XM Radio. The company received approval from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission on April 11, 2011 to merge the formerly distinct XM Radio Canada and Sirius Canada services, following the merger of XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio in the United States. The merger was subsequently completed as of June 21, 2011.