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R.I.P. Cinemagic

JohnnyElectron said:
Talked to my brother - two more cancellations from him as the NICHE channels are what make (MADE) XM special and worth paying for. There's a lot of rock that could get combined, the single artist channels are a waste of bandwidth, and Mel Devil-incarnate Karmazin knew with his violent take-over (not merger) of XM, that he made a deal with the devil to add the POS channels and their bandwidth requirements, yet he added the single artist channels to XM to eat up their bandwidth.
What's left that makes XM special? The Village & Escape - that's it.
Since Mel has been so New York City driven (screw the spanish/tex-mex music), you would think he would keep any broadway or movie soundtrack channels, but NOOOOOO (as John Belushi would say).
XM is low-quality FM with no commercials.
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He DID keep the New York City channel. What could be more New York than Broadway! The movie industry (except for Woody Allen, and it's not like his movies are physically produced there) has nothing to do with New York.
 
Too bad the NAB was able to pressure the commission into disallowing terrestrial repeaters from carrying local content.
We would like to hear one of them explain how that benifitts the public.
 
ai4i said:
Too bad the NAB was able to pressure the commission into disallowing terrestrial repeaters from carrying local content.
We would like to hear one of them explain how that benifitts the public.
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I'm guessing the thinking was "Terrestrial radio employs hundreds of thousands of Americans; satellite radio employs maybe, what, 750? If satellite comes to your city with local info on terrestrial repeaters and starts competing for listeners and, eventually, advertisers with your local stations, that's a potential local job killer. We can't allow that to happen to AM/FM." No real benefit to the public as radio listeners, but a benefit to people who get to keep their jobs and continue to support their families.
 
That whole local thing is a red herring. If it's so important, why are terrestrial radio companies shedding thousands of jobs a year? Even the small town companies can barely make do with a skeleton staff these days. It isn't about serving the public interest, it's about maximum fiscal benefit. There are still plenty of live and local broadcasters out there, but the radio dial is a wasteland of voicetracking, syndicated programming and canned satellite-fed non-local content. In other words, not much different from Sirius XM.

If local radio is so good, why are people drifting away from it? That alone should be the basis for making satellite radio something different, but with Uncle Mel at the helm it's FM x 2.
 
It is unfair to deprive these terrestrial broadcasters families the freedom to starve.
 
ai4i said:
They were then replaced by BYU Radio, on channel 143.
We believe BYU Radio is being sent in the clear for nonsubscribers.
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I checked yesterday and no, it's not being sent in the clear for nonsubscribers such as myself who cancelled after the merger and the changes that were made to the decades channels.
 
IT_Guru said:
ai4i said:
They were then replaced by BYU Radio, on channel 143.
We believe BYU Radio is being sent in the clear for nonsubscribers.
Click to expand...

I checked yesterday and no, it's not being sent in the clear for nonsubscribers such as myself who cancelled after the merger and the changes that were made to the decades channels.
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Didn't Karmazin tell the FCC the handout channels would be in the clear? Wonder what slimy loophole he's using to get out of it.
 
Zach said:
That whole local thing is a red herring. If it's so important, why are terrestrial radio companies shedding thousands of jobs a year? Even the small town companies can barely make do with a skeleton staff these days. It isn't about serving the public interest, it's about maximum fiscal benefit. There are still plenty of live and local broadcasters out there, but the radio dial is a wasteland of voicetracking, syndicated programming and canned satellite-fed non-local content. In other words, not much different from Sirius XM.

If local radio is so good, why are people drifting away from it? That alone should be the basis for making satellite radio something different, but with Uncle Mel at the helm it's FM x 2.
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A big Amen to your post. I keep thinking that the $150 I pay every year would buy a lot of songs at the iTunes store! I'm really thinking about not renewing this marginal service.
 
Good point - all "public access channels" were to be "in the clear for all non-subscribers" - and they're not. I'm assuming Mel told them that his Sirius hardware couldn't do it - even it that was true, we all know that XM can turn on any channel they want anytime they want, as evidenced by the free previews on select channels.
How to we get the FCC to enforce this non-conformance - or doen't the FCC care as they are trying to put the screws to broadcast TV for the wealthy cellphone providers to get even more spectrum - this time at the expense of the broadcast TV stations!
 
JohnnyElectron said:
Good point - all "public access channels" were to be "in the clear for all non-subscribers" - and they're not. I'm assuming Mel told them that his Sirius hardware couldn't do it - even it that was true, we all know that XM can turn on any channel they want anytime they want, as evidenced by the free previews on select channels.
How to we get the FCC to enforce this non-conformance - or doen't the FCC care as they are trying to put the screws to broadcast TV for the wealthy cellphone providers to get even more spectrum - this time at the expense of the broadcast TV stations!
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Those cellphone providers want the spectrum so they can expand mobile internet. As someone who has "cut the cable" and abandoned television for programming delivered by computer, I'm 100 percent behind this as I look forward to the day I can -- somewhat sadly -- leave the tightened playlists of satellite radio behind for a dependable mobile internet offering access to a world of streamed music, talk and sports content.
 
Bye bye XM! Getting rid of Cinemagic made the decision easier. Also I got a different car and there wasn't a good place to mount the RoadyXT. Add to that the inferior audio quality that drove me up the wall and that was it. If I have to pay for it you better provide more than just FM 2.0. Sombody needs to tell Mel we subscrbed to get something different than the local stations we already have.
 
XM is so frustrating since the merger; we were spoiled with terrific PDs and MDs on the decades channels; now they all suck. You can't listen more than a day. That why we needed TWO satrad services; XM for those music lovers who love the WHOLE Top40 played, and Sirius for those that only want Top10 tunes played. Mel has ruined XM to save Sirius for the meatheads who want commercial free FM.
His putrid programming (less Escape & Underground Garage) is reason enough to flee XM and head to internet radio, but you can't pick that up with a little 2 inch square antenna on your car roof (or without paying $90 a month to stream audio 8-12 hours a day on your cellphone).

From what I've read in the rumor mills about SiriusXM 2.0 - all XM repeaters will be shutdown in a year and then reception will really suck on any portable or less than optimum mobile antenna installation, or an office where you can't get a south window, but can hit the TERR repeater.

Sickens me to see a fantastic XM service tumble downhill in just 3 years.
 
Really they are going to turn off the repeaters? Man that will suck. When they do that will there be a problem with "rain fade" like we have with satellite TV? Wow I can see people bailing out if they turn off the repeaters...the end.
 
Mike Sheridan said:
Really they are going to turn off the repeaters? Man that will suck. When they do that will there be a problem with "rain fade" like we have with satellite TV? Wow I can see people bailing out if they turn off the repeaters...the end.
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Turning off the repeaters for XM would be an insanely stupid idea. Perfect for Mel, then. Sirius satellites move in space so coverage is always coming from different angles, not so with XM. XM's satellites are fixed and if you can't get a signal, you can't get a signal. I've heard users of Sirius say they have heard the signal come and go with marginal installations because at some point, the satellite(s) is where the receiver can see it for a short time, then it disappears again and the radio quits working.

As for rain fade, neither service runs such low power that rain fade would be an issue. I live in the south and have experienced some hellacious downpours without losing the signal, even without a repeater. I mean, not even a change in the block error rate numbers or anything. XM is strong.
 
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