GM Slashes XM Radio Prices - bad news for in-dash HD Radio

[SayNoToIBOC]

"GM Slashes XM Radio Prices"

General Motors lowered the price of factory-installed XM Satellite Radios to $199 for most of its model-year 2007 vehicles. That's a 39% reduction; the original price for the option was $325.

A GM executive cited economies of scale and engineering efficiencies brought by the rapid pace of XM installations across the automaker's product lineup for the price decrease. More than 90 percent of GM's model-year 2006 and 2007 vehicles offer factory- installed XM radios as either an option or as standard equipment.

GM has built more than 4 million XM-equipped vehicles since 2001.

 

[IBOCRocks]

"GM Slashes XM Radio Prices"

General Motors lowered the price of factory-installed XM Satellite Radios to $199 for most of its model-year 2007 vehicles. That's a 39% reduction; the original price for the option was $325.

A GM executive cited economies of scale and engineering efficiencies brought by the rapid pace of XM installations across the automaker's product lineup for the price decrease. More than 90 percent of GM's model-year 2006 and 2007 vehicles offer factory- installed XM radios as either an option or as standard equipment.

GM has built more than 4 million XM-equipped vehicles since 2001.

I'm sure that has nothing to do with the Wall Street Journal article telling of the woes of new car buyers and Satellite Radio.

 

[SayNoToIBOC]

Then why don't your post a link to it. XM will get bought out by Sirius, or someone else - no biggie. Millions, are a far cry from 10,000 - 7 !

 

[IBOCRocks]

Then why don't your post a link to it. XM will get bought out by Sirius, or someone else - no biggie. Millions, are a far cry from 10,000 - 7 !

I posted it, under the "correct" subject for the thread. And, yes, a million is a higher number. Very good!

This post brought to you by the letter "h" and the number "4".

 

[700WLW]

"GM Slashes XM Radio Prices"

General Motors lowered the price of factory-installed XM Satellite Radios to $199 for most of its model-year 2007 vehicles. That's a 39% reduction; the original price for the option was $325.

A GM executive cited economies of scale and engineering efficiencies brought by the rapid pace of XM installations across the automaker's product lineup for the price decrease. More than 90 percent of GM's model-year 2006 and 2007 vehicles offer factory- installed XM radios as either an option or as standard equipment.

GM has built more than 4 million XM-equipped vehicles since 2001.

I'm sure that has nothing to do with the Wall Street Journal article telling of the woes of new car buyers and Satellite Radio.

"GM To Build More Than 1.8 Million Vehicles With Factory-Installed XM"

http://www.radioink.com/headlineentry.asp?hid=136125&pt=inkheadlines

No HD Radio ?

 

[clouseau]

What a surprise. Another article that spells doom for HD radio that doesn't mention HD radio.

Sort of like that "Spring is here and the Leaves are coming out" article that spells doom for XM & Sirius. (Actually I guess the leaves would downgrade reception.)


However that aside...

Many things would detract from the promotion of HD radio.

Things like the wide availability of XM. or Sirius. (There's some great angles on this, but this isn't the right board.)

The Aux jack on car radios. (Although HD may actually benefit from this to a degree some day.)

The continually increasing range of choices in entertainment. (Broadband, Podcast, video games)

The new season of American Idol. (Which will have myopians glued to their TV's and some radio listening will be lost.)

And the list goes on and on...

Remember HD radios first became available in 2006. Yep that's THIS year. I think you'll see "Better" distribution in a couple of years. Not great, but better than a "Single Digit" number of models. Also the number of stations will go up when the FCC finalizes the standard. But that will not happen until next year. Most station owners won't bite on the system until they know it is an approved standard.

Clouseau

 

[SUPERCASTER]

clouseau said:

Remember HD radios first became available in 2006. Yep that's THIS year.

Where have you been the last several years?

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- International Consumer Electronics Show -- iBiquity Digital Corporation announced today that an Iowa buyer became "first in the nation" to purchase an HD Radio tuner. Nathan Franzen purchased a Kenwood KTC-HR100 HD Radio tuner from the Ultimate Electronics store in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Monday, January 5, 2004.

The sale comes on the eve of HD Radio's commercial introduction during this week's 2004 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and follows a decade of development and testing by iBiquity and its numerous industry partners with the FCC approving the technology for broadcaster use in October 2002.

On January 5, 2007, less then one month from now, that will make 3 years since the first HD Radio was sold, and almost 5 years since iBiquity/HD Radio broadcasting began.
Here is the link:
http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/recording/ibiquity.html