SiriusXM Changing Direction

[radiofan2023]

@TheBigA
I didn't think RDS, RDS2 or the HD Radio standard allowed for video. I don't see any info on which stations are including video in their station indash audio programming in those articles. The first one talks about images. The second and third articles talk about "visual elements", but they don't say anything about stations running videos in dash specifically. I think some states also have laws about not watching videos while driving, too.

 

[TheBigA]

What a waste of maintaining a separate sat system.

I seem to recall seeing that they sublease some space on those satellites. One question I had is if this new direction will mean moving some of the unique channels only available on the streaming app to the satellite. That would either require either more narrowing of bandwidth or taking over that leased space.

 

[TheBigA]

I don't see any info on which stations are including video in their station indash audio programming in those articles.

The point is the technology exists, and here's what Sirius says: "Longer-term, the company plans to capitalize on its automotive expertise to launch integrated, addressable in-car ad experiences."

What does that sound like to you? I love that term "ad experiences," as though it's something people will want to have. Perhaps they can add some scent distribution, so you can experience them smell of McDonalds before you see one on the highway.

 

[JTJoe]

I've never seen anything re subleasing their lesser used system. Most radios only use Sirius spectrum or it might be the XM spectrum. One of the bands have hardly any radios made nowadays. The uplink locations are separate and somewhere in TX? Just seems a big expense that could be spun off.

 

[TheBigA]

I've never seen anything re subleasing their lesser used system. Most radios only use Sirius spectrum or it might be the XM spectrum. One of the bands have hardly any radios made nowadays. The uplink locations are separate and somewhere in TX? Just seems a big expense that could be spun off.

Here's some background on why they can't:

SiriusXM EVP and CPO Joe Inzerillo Talks Satellite and Streaming Delivery and Personalization

SiriusXM EVP and chief product and technology officer Joe Inzerillo is probably the first streaming pro I've interviewed who also has building satellites in his job description. Inzerillo spent 16 years as a streaming CTO with MLB Advanced Media, BAMTECH Media, and Disney Streaming before...

www.streamingmedia.com

 

[Mediafrog+]

I seem to recall seeing that they sublease some space on those satellites. One question I had is if this new direction will mean moving some of the unique channels only available on the streaming app to the satellite. That would either require either more narrowing of bandwidth or taking over that leased space.

There’s more than the audio channels most subscribers listen to. They also have data and graphics services for marine and aviation interests.

Scroll down to the “Technical/receivers” section of this article for details on those: Sirius XM - Wikipedia

 

[Mediafrog+]

Can't believe after all the time since SiriusXM merger that combined company still using both sat. systems with basically same formats. They should spin off one of the systems to someone else to use for other uses rather than radio like formats. What a waste of maintaining a separate sat system.
The "dual" band car radios never took off and are unavailable presently.

SiriusXM has been unable to shut down one or the other of the two platforms as older car radios are only capable of receiving one of them. They would lose those subscribers if they killed a platform. Remember the average age of cars on the road in the U.S. is around 12 years. You’d have to see those replaced with newer models before dumping one of the services.

Three or four years ago I read that SiriusXM would be dropping compatibility with older Sirius-branded receivers in 2027, but have heard nothing further since then. I have a car with a Sirius branded receiver, so of interest.

SXM stock took a hit today, article not paywalled for me: Sirius XM Shares Tumble As New COO Is Named | Radio & Television Business Report

 

[luperm]

Which ones?

WBLS runs Top Dog Law static images and text advertising.

 

[Kent]

Can't believe after all the time since SiriusXM merger that combined company still using both sat. systems with basically same formats. They should spin off one of the systems to someone else to use for other uses rather than radio like formats. What a waste of maintaining a separate sat system.
The "dual" band car radios never took off and are unavailable presently.

From what I remember, a cross-platform radio was required, but the requirement had a loophole that the radio never actually had to be sold. So, they designed the radio, submitted the design, and promptly spiked it. The design I saw was quite clunky and didn't allow it to be activated on both services at once. Sirius and XM didn't care because they had no plans to ever sell it. That might be a decision they're regretting now.

I understand they also investigated getting the satellite radios on smartphones, but their research indicated most people didn't want to wear a headset that had a satellite antenna on it. People liked their earbuds and didn't have any desire to go back to the Walkman headset (and the satellite headsets would've been slightly bigger). Smartphones, I also understand, were lukewarm at best to the idea of putting a satellite radio in their devices, even though the chips aren't very big and would've undoubtedly demanded to be paid for such inclusion. SXM eventually decided to try to reach smartphone users through streaming.

The antennas they had, however, worked fine on both services. I routinely drove a car with a Sirius antenna and would swap Sirius and XM radios out before I had a smartphone.

 

[radiofan2023]

WBLS runs Top Dog Law static images and text advertising.

That’s not video though.

 

[Barry]

To me, the big picture of these developments is that the financial health of SiriusXM is very questionable. They had been emphasizing streaming, because growth in satellite radio subscriptions in vehicles had halted. Now they're seeking to focus on satellite radio in vehicles, because their efforts in streaming have been disappointing.

 

[TheBigA]

To me, the big picture of these developments is that the financial health of SiriusXM is very questionable.

This is what they say:

SiriusXM is providing 2025 guidance for total revenue of $8.5 billion, adjusted EBITDA of $2.6 billion, and free cash flow of $1.15 billion.

 

[MarkW]

Here are a few stories. If you have a new car, it's likely you're getting visual ads from radio:

Radio’s Visual Content Is Becoming More Important. So Is Managing All That Metadata.

Paying attention to your station’s metadata and how it looks on the more robust displays and larger screens in today’s connected cars is becoming more important. About 80% of the

www.insideradio.com

Meet The New :30 – Visual Messages, Displayed During Station Programming.

Quu, the tech company that enables radio stations to display messages and images on vehicle dashboards, has launched a new product that embeds visual advertising directly into programming in an

www.insideradio.com

Quu Partners With Xperi To Synch Messages On Vehicle Dashboards.

Ad-synch technology provider Quu and technology giant Xperi have formed a strategic partnership intended to make it easier for radio to display and monetize content in connected cars. At the

www.insideradio.com

The Beasley stations in Detroit show visual ads to listeners. Celsius Energy Drink is a common one in the case of WRIF.

 

[Theater of My Mind]

The point is the technology exists, and here's what Sirius says: "Longer-term, the company plans to capitalize on its automotive expertise to launch integrated, addressable in-car ad experiences."

What does that sound like to you? I love that term "ad experiences," as though it's something people will want to have. Perhaps they can add some scent distribution, so you can experience them smell of McDonalds before you see one on the highway.

People buy these subscriptions for a non-ad experience. If they are going to start pushing ads then there are other, arguably better subscription services that don't.

 

[PTBoardOp93]

Really? I thought Spotify was already the hotter platform, with the most momentum. I remember seeing the announcement greeted by a lot of derision on the boards populated by sat radio users.

Yes, that's an accurate assessment. Pandora was an older service, but it wouldn't let you select a particular song. You could only select a channel, say 'Loretta Lynn radio', and it would create a mix of Mrs. Lynn and her contemporaries. Users had the ability to skip a track and upvote songs, but the users didn't have nearly as much control as Spotify provided. Spotify users can create their own playlists, or allow the service to generate lists on its own.

Since Sirius bought out Pandora in 2019, Pandora has lost a third of its users, and Spotify has tripled its audience. Some of that is because Pandora is essentially a US-only business, and Spotify has been branching out to more countries to achieve that growth.

I haven't used Pandora in many years, so they might have expanded their functionality by now to compete better with Spotify, Apple & Google.

 

[Theater of My Mind]

Pandora was an older service, but it wouldn't let you select a particular song. You could only select a channel, say 'Loretta Lynn radio', and it would create a mix of Mrs. Lynn and her contemporaries. Users had the ability to skip a track and upvote songs, but the users didn't have nearly as much control as Spotify provided. Spotify users can create their own playlists, or allow the service to generate lists on its own.

That's the way I remember it too, from years ago when I tried it and didn't like it. The whole reason I have never gone back to Pandora is because that's how I still think of it. If they have made improvements over the years, they have done a terrible job letting the public know about it.

 

[michael hagerty]

Since Sirius bought out Pandora in 2019, Pandora has lost a third of its users, and Spotify has tripled its audience. Some of that is because Pandora is essentially a US-only business, and Spotify has been branching out to more countries to achieve that growth.

Just for clarity: Spotify is Swedish, and was available in Europe for two years before branching out to the U.S.

 

[Barry]

A follow up article in InsideRadio states that despite the efforts made by SiriusXM to bring in new listeners via streaming, 9 out of 10 of their customers are still using satellite radio receivers in vehicles.

New Article

 

[TheBigA]

A follow up article in InsideRadio states that despite the efforts made by SiriusXM to bring in new listeners via streaming, 9 out of 10 of their customers are still using satellite radio receivers in vehicles.

The problem is that number isn't growing. The other related fact is that even with all the high technology options available to people in cars, most of them seem to use AM/FM, and that's also the place where most AM/FM listening takes place. 67% listen to AMFM, while only 18% listen to Sirius and 9% choose streaming.

AM/FM Still Rules In-Car Listening, Despite CarPlay's Rise - Radio Ink

As auto infotainment systems like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, what effect does it have on traditional radio? Edison Research has clues.

radioink.com

 

[wadio]

The problem is that number isn't growing. The other related fact is that even with all the high technology options available to people in cars, most of them seem to use AM/FM, and that's also the place where most AM/FM listening takes place. 67% listen to AMFM, while only 18% listen to Sirius and 9% choose streaming.

AM/FM Still Rules In-Car Listening, Despite CarPlay's Rise - Radio Ink

As auto infotainment systems like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, what effect does it have on traditional radio? Edison Research has clues.

radioink.com

But that stat only applies to listeners 13+ who don't use Android Auto or Car Play. I doubt that's very many.

This reply to the article is spot on. It's what I've been saying for a years:

Dave Mason October 19, 2023 At 3:03 pm
Radio (AM/FM) still has a chance if it can get its stuff together. When FM converters were a “thing” for people to get FM radio, they were clunky and not really very easy to maneuver. That’s the case today with “infotainment” systems, giving AM/FM the chance to shine. Turn it on. Period-there it is. Eventually those digital services will become as easy to identify as broadcasts are today -and then watch out! But-there’s still time to fix that.