# listening to howard stern online



## gotcha007

A Siruis Sat. rep told me that I can not listen to Howard Stern online after I've register with a sirius receiver because of licensing. I cannot receive Sirius Sat by receiver at work since my office is deep in the building, so the only way would be by online. Do other people know this? I hope Sirius clears this up before the $500 for life time deal is off the table at the end Of January 2006.


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## Charles R

I was told the same thing. Though the rep said it was because of the fear of piracy. He actually laughed stating that person after person would share their username/password with their friends.


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## Joey Jo Jo Jr.

I am in the same situation, can't receive Sirius at work. They can limit subscribers to one login session at a time, so sharing the username/password really isn't a valid argument. By not putting Howard online themselves, they are actually encouraging piracy. There are sites on the web that WILL stream the show.


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## krooooog

According to their website, they will not stream any "live entertainment" over the internet for licensing reasons. That includes talk shows like Howard and sporting events. I'm hoping to find a way to stream it to myself from home....


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## kalon74

Quote:

Originally Posted by *krooooog*
According to their website, they will not stream any "live entertainment" over the internet for licensing reasons. That includes talk shows like Howard and sporting events. I'm hoping to find a way to stream it to myself from home....
This sucks big time. Internet streaming of Stern was a MAJOR factor in my decision to get Sirius. I have not yet bought my receiver and now I may rethink the whole thing.


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## krooooog

I feel the same way but had already bought my unit. I've come up with a workaround though. I will simply connect the output of my HOME unit to my PC, and using ShoutCast (winamp) I will stream it myself. Then I can tune into the feed myself from anywhere in my house or from work. Of course, I won't be able to change the channel or anything but at least I can listen to howard every day. Down the line I may try to take advantage of remotely accessing my PC and emitting IR signals to change the channels.


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## STEELERSRULE

Internet streaming piracy is a MAJOR issue with these companies, and especially with Stern and his show.


BUT, they(meaning Sirius) may FORCE Howard(and Don Buchwald, his agent) to change their mind about streaming it on the net.


They have $500 million reasons why for him to change his mind, and if people(who are current customers) ***** enough in e-mails/phone calls/blogs to Sirius, they will come up with something, and force Stern to follow. And especially if this sticks in the craw of people who are potential new customers to the service.


He initially out of the gate, won't be streamed. But as time goes on and more people complain, then they may do it. They are probably working on some sort of way right now to do it.


Also there are probably internet pirates out there that are working on it right now as well, and there will be sites people can find in order to do it.


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## seank

alt.binaries.howard-stern


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## snickersbar

Sean plz edit post and delete that before it goes away.


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## pg525b

I'm pretty sure anyone concerned about people pirating Stern's stuff are aware of binary newgroups. They have been around for a very long time, after all. It's not like they are a hidden treasure chest that nobody knows about.


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## Baldone01

Quote:

Originally Posted by *pg525b*
I'm pretty sure anyone concerned about people pirating Stern's stuff are aware of binary newgroups. They have been around for a very long time, after all. It's not like they are a hidden treasure chest that nobody knows about.
No, it's not a treasure chest that nobody knows about, but why let the whole world know about it in a public forum?


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## RaveD

Quote:

Originally Posted by *STEELERSRULE*
BUT, they(meaning Sirius) may FORCE Howard(and Don Buchwald, his agent) to change their mind about streaming it on the net.
I think you underestimate both Buchwald and Stern if you think that this issue is not already firmly rooted in the contract.


If Howard doesn't want it to happen, it won't happen.


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## eccman

I believe Howard will be replaying his show later in the night/afternoon if not both as a "rebuttal"


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## xzitony

Quote:

Originally Posted by *eccman*
I believe Howard will be replaying his show later in the night/afternoon if not both as a "rebuttal"
I think you're right. Stern and Sirius will use this as a great reason why it's not necessary to stream it online if that's the decision they made. Plus, with timeshifting devices like the S50, there's even more reason.


I don't have Sirius, I have XM, but I use my XM2go to record O&A every morning from 7am to 9am before I get up and I listen at work. Mine works at work, too, though and I usually end up listening to the end of the show live, then the beginnning when it ends at 11. It's perfect since we don't allow streaming audio at work anyway, and listening off the birds never "buffers" or drops out.


It's be nice, though, if they could come up with a deal like O&A did with Audible.com where yesterday's show is always available as a podcast for your MP3 player, too, but again I see Stern and crew balking at that idea as well.


We'll see!


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## TomCat

Quote:

Originally Posted by *STEELERSRULE*
Internet streaming piracy is a MAJOR issue with these companies, and especially with Stern and his show.


BUT, they(meaning Sirius) may FORCE Howard(and Don Buchwald, his agent) to change their mind about streaming it on the net.


They have $500 million reasons why for him to change his mind, and if people(who are current customers) ***** enough in e-mails/phone calls/blogs to Sirius, they will come up with something, and force Stern to follow. And especially if this sticks in the craw of people who are potential new customers to the service.


He initially out of the gate, won't be streamed. But as time goes on and more people complain, then they may do it. They are probably working on some sort of way right now to do it.


Also there are probably internet pirates out there that are working on it right now as well, and there will be sites people can find in order to do it.
I'm not sure why streaming the show would hurt subscriptions, since those who could receive it are already subscribers. All they have to do is lock it down to a MAC address. IOW, if I am a subscriber, I get to designate 1 and only 1 computer that can receive the stream, sort of like the iTunes authorization model. That's good. Right now, all you need is a password, and passwords can be passed off and shared. That's bad.


The real hackers can get anything, but they would not be able to make a dent in subscriptions, just like real DBS and cable hackers never really affect subscriptions. A happy medium might be the O&A model...no live streaming but a podcast download of previous content, such as Monday's show available beginning Tuesday, and ending Wednesday or Thursday. They could make the content non-transferable and sunset its use, just like Rhapsody does.


I think folks who listen at home are a lot more willing to tolerate the chronic dropouts on music channels than they will be on the Stern show, and hopefully the pending outcry of new subs beginning 1-9-06 who will be having reception problems will drive them to allow streaming or downloads as a stopgap alternative.


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## redstar299

This no streaming for Stern is a bunch of ********. If they stream it, most people wont need to buy a home kit for their receiver which is sold separately. They will simply listen to it on the computer speakers.


Also the fact that Stern isn't working every Friday is BS also. When it was free, that's another story- but if Im shelling out my 11 bucks per month to hear him he could get off his ass out of bed and go to work on a Friday - for Christ sake the guy is making $100 million dollars per year! I dont need to hear Gary or Ralph or this other crap on a Friday playing clips of the shows I just heard a day ago.


Sirius needs to understand there is NO REASON to have their service without Stern. XM is less expensive so without Stern if I wanted Satalite radio I'd be using them.


If this **** keeps up Im not renewing my subscription- Howards the man but its bordering on not being worth it.


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## pg525b

Quote:

Originally Posted by *redstar299*
Blah, Blah, Blah
I love it when people post whiny threats that they are going to cancel their subscription if they don't get everything they want.

Quote:

Originally Posted by *redstar299*
This no streaming for Stern is a bunch of ********. If they stream it, most people wont need to buy a home kit for their receiver which is sold separately. They will simply listen to it on the computer speakers.
I think there are several valid reasons Stern isn't streamed yet. Server capacity, bandwidth, legal reasons, etc. All have been discussed on various forums, and I suggest you do a little reading to educate yourself first.

Quote:

Originally Posted by *redstar299*
Also the fact that Stern isn't working every Friday is BS also. When it was free, that's another story- but if Im shelling out my 11 bucks per month to hear him he could get off his ass out of bed and go to work on a Friday - for Christ sake the guy is making $100 million dollars per year!
The SHOW BUDGET is $100M a year. This covers all the "talent", and I'm sure many other expenses, which I don't have any interest in researching.

Quote:

Originally Posted by *redstar299*
I dont need to hear Gary or Ralph or this other crap on a Friday playing clips of the shows I just heard a day ago.
So don't listen on Fridays. Go do something else. Or check out some other fine Sirius programming. You didn't actually buy Sirius JUST for Stern, did you?

Quote:

Originally Posted by *redstar299*
Sirius needs to understand there is NO REASON to have their service without Stern.
Um, nevermind...

Quote:

Originally Posted by *redstar299*
XM is less expensive so without Stern if I wanted Satalite radio I'd be using them.
Any data to back this one up? I didn't take into account equipment costs since there are so many options. You don't need a brand new S50 to listen to Sirius. Plan pricing looked pretty much the same to me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by *redstar299*
If this **** keeps up Im not renewing my subscription- Howards the man but its bordering on not being worth it.
Did you write or call Sirius to voice your opinion? I doubt it. What the hell will bitching and threatening to cancel your one lonely sub get you, doing it in a forum like this? Don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out...


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## Pat6366

FYI


O&A fans can listen to them on XM via the internet, so what's the problem?


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## seank

The main problem with streaming stern is capacity. They need to build an infrastructure to handle the massive number of people who will be streaming Stern.


There is no problem streaming O&A because, quite frankly, nobody listens to O&A.


-Sean


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## sam9796

Stern mentioned on air last week as soon as the capacity issue was resolved he would be streaming.


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## slydog75

Actually it was just this Monday that Howard clearly stated they will be streaming his show as soon as they feel confident their hardware can handle the load they expect.


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## eiffel62

Quote:

Originally Posted by *slydog75*
Actually it was just this Monday that Howard clearly stated they will be streaming his show as soon as they feel confident their hardware can handle the load they expect.
perhaps when hoho "Howard" announces his reduced 4 days a week lineup maybe his streaming capacity will reduce.


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## slydog75

Quote:

Originally Posted by *eiffel62*
perhaps when hoho "Howard" announces his reduced 4 days a week lineup maybe his streaming capacity will reduce.
What do you mean when he announces? It's allready been announced that he's only working 4 days. Personally I think that's BS, but whatever.


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## Pat6366

Quote:

Originally Posted by *slydog75*
What do you mean when he announces? It's allready been announced that he's only working 4 days. Personally I think that's BS, but whatever.
Wow,


I'd be pissed if I were a Howie fan or a stockholder, what a rip.


Pat


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## STEELERSRULE

He was live this past Friday, but once he gets settled into a routine(he has been absent only one Friday since his arrival) this will become the norm.


The one thing I wish he would get the ball rolling on is getting a steady Weekend program line-up. Best of the previous week, Bubba replays, newly signed talent, whatever.... Just get it going.


The channels on the weekend are such a mish-mash that no one knows what the hells is on. There is no structure or programming line-up for the weekend.


But it has been only 6 weeks so it obviously will take him some time to settle into something.


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## chap

Sirius not having capacity to stream it online sounds like a real BS excuse to me. They had a WHOLE YEAR to get this done. Also working in the IT field I know its not that hard or shouldn't take that long to get this up and running for them to support capacity.


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## RaveD

Quote:

Originally Posted by *chap*
Sirius not having capacity to stream it online sounds like a real BS excuse to me.
The infrastructure needed to support tens of thousands of simultaneous streams is tremendous and very expensive.


Sirius also needs to revamp their online listening software because currently it does not limit simultaneous logons of the same account, meaning somebody could share his account with 10 friends


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## chap

I work for a company that supports about 2 million users. I know a tremendous infrastructure is needed, but its not like the company just opened last month. They've had quite some time to prep for this, so I really can't just by the fact that they aren't ready.


If there software is inferior this is something they should have also fixed by now. I would also like to note that I can do the same thing on xm, but that doesn't seem to stop them from worrying about it happening.


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## puck71

I don't have any real evidence of this, but from what I've seen and heard it seems like Sirius was not planning on streaming Stern, but then people started calling Howard and asking about it, and he said they would do it, so that's when they started working on it. I don't think that's a good excuse, and I think it should have come up during the year before that, but at least it explains why they're just now working on it.


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## YouGottaBeSerius

Basically it comes down to bandwidth


Can you imagine how much bandwidth and the amount of servers that Sirius would

need to stream the Stern show live????


This would cost them a TON OF MONEY Every month!


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## tipton

i understand the bandwith issues, but its baffling how horrible Sirius handled the planning of Howard coming to sirius. they had over a year to plan, yet they didn't get anything done for streaming howard's show. i really don't think sirius could have planned or done any worse with howard coming. their handling of the S50 has also been atrocious.


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## Scam1201

Howard stated the other day that he wants the show to be fed through the Sirius site and his show's site. There were some sticking points with getting that done.


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## chap

Quote:

Originally Posted by *YouGottaBeSerius*
Basically it comes down to bandwidth


Can you imagine how much bandwidth and the amount of servers that Sirius would

need to stream the Stern show live????


This would cost them a TON OF MONEY Every month!
Yes its expensive, but XM has been doing it for there customers for quite some time now with opie and anthony since they went live. While XM has over 6 million subs under there belt I'd imagine they have a bigger need, but for the most part they are handling it just fine with some hiccups here and there.


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## seank

Quote:

Originally Posted by *chap*
Yes its expensive, but XM has been doing it for there customers for quite some time now with opie and anthony since they went live. While XM has over 6 million subs under there belt I'd imagine they have a bigger need, but for the most part they are handling it just fine with some hiccups here and there.
I am not sure you are fully comprehending the popularity of Howard Stern as compared to Opie and Anthony. Sirius has to build the infrastructure to handle possibly millions of streams. Not cheap or easy.


Now, that said, it is inexcusable for them to not have had that infrastructure in place already.


-Sean


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## RaveD

There is no doubt XM has a technology lead on Sirius in almost every area, including their online streaming capabilities.


One can only hope the powers at Sirius realize this and are working to bridge the gap.


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## TVOD

All Sirius needs to do is stream Howard @ 6Kbs as the subs are already used to bad audio quality


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## hooked4life

Quote:

Originally Posted by *seank*
The main problem with streaming stern is capacity. They need to build an infrastructure to handle the massive number of people who will be streaming Stern.


There is no problem streaming O&A because, quite frankly, nobody listens to O&A.


-Sean
Sean.. Yeah nobody listens to O&A. I guess you belive in "Howie Math"? If so I guess the brainwashing is working.. and you can just skip to the next post.


Like others have said us O&A fans can listen while on the go. I do every day with the MyFi.. on the Train, Subway, and while walking in NYC.


Sirius should have invested their money in technology instead of Hoo Hoo Howie.


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## RaveD

Quote:

Originally Posted by *hooked4life*
Sean.. Yeah nobody listens to O&A. I guess you belive in "Howie Math"? If so I guess the brainwashing is working.. and you can just skip to the next post.
Seems like you're the one who is brainwashed.


O&A are under the delusion that every XM subscriber listens to them. They'd be lucky if 10% of XM subscribers tune in, which puts their listener base well below Howard's.


The fact is there will be much higher demand for the Howard Stern streams from Sirius than for the O&A feed from XM.


That said, it is true that XM has a technology advantage. Sirius not only has to improve their network infrastructure, but also their software, in order to be able to offer HS streams with any kind of reliability and without risking rampant piracy.


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## geekysteve

Quote:

Originally Posted by *RaveD*
O&A are under the delusion that every XM subscriber listens to them. They'd be lucky if 10% of XM subscribers tune in, which puts their listener base well below Howard's.


The fact is there will be much higher demand for the Howard Stern streams from Sirius than for the O&A feed from XM.


Agreed. And there are plenty of real stats to prove it - just check Alexa... compare Oprah and Antwonette's web stats to Howard Stern or even Bubba -- O&A didn't break the top 100,000 web site popularity list until sometime in November, and now they're hovering at about 70,000.


Howard is at 2,xxx; Bubba is at 9,xxx.


I used to like O&A, but their constant complaining about how they're so much bigger than Howard is complete crap. Proof that no one cares about O&A should be evident by XM trying (and failing) to charge for their show early on... Subscribers weren't willing to pay $2.99/month (or whatever it was) to hear O&A, and as a result, O&A had no listeners.


Heck, try to call in to O&A's show and then try to call Howard's or Bubba's. Howard has 40+ phone lines, and you can't ever get through. O&A have like 18 lines, and I used to get through every time I called in, no exceptions... something isn't right with O&A math - if 3 million people are listening to their show every day and I can get through on the first try via cell phone, and a screener talks to me for like 5 minutes and then puts me on the show, that tells me that there's no one listening...


Howard drew more people than Sirius ever dreamed of having in the first few years, let alone the first 2 months of his new show - I think Sirius is overwhelmed by the response, but it sounds like they'll get things together (from the technology side) now that they realize what they're dealing with.


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## hooked4life

O&A or Howie is your own choice. Everyone can debate who is funnier and who puts out "real" talk radio. Who cares who has more listeners? Its about who comes up with original content and keeps you laughing on a daily basis.


What cant be argued is that XM has been the inovator of Satellite Radio from the technology side. Where is a true portable unit? Also you can not argue who was the first "Pioneer of Satellite Radio". Those are the facts kids.. not the brainwashing of O&A.


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## Pat6366

Quote:

O&A are under the delusion that every XM subscriber listens to them.
What an idiotic statement. They've never said anything like that and have stated to the contrary. As opposed to Howie who believes that every sub since he announced going to Sirius has been because of him. Also, O&A have acknowledged many times that Howard is much more of a recognized name than them, but they are growing vs Howie who has his fan base and that's it.


Pat


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## raymondeast

is there a way to listen on line reruns or repeats of the show for free?


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## RaveD

Quote:

Originally Posted by *hooked4life*
Who cares who has more listeners?
That's the problem -- O & A care, and it comes through every day on their show.


They have repeatedly stated they have more listeners than Stern. This is a delusion. Sirius went from 600K to 3+ million because of Stern. O&A are lucky if they have 500,000 listeners. Even conservatively speaking, Stern has double the listeners. The only way "O&A math" makes sense is if a majority of XM subscribers listen to them, and if they believe that, they are delusional.


I tried to listen for 9 months when I got XM but as a Stern fan they make it impossible. 20% or more of their show is whining about Stern and portraying a false sense of superiority.


You're absolutely right, it should be about putting on a funny and entertaining show. For them it's more about going to war with Stern. IMO this is very sad.


Has XM ever released any statistics about how many people listen to the O&A streams on the Internet? I don't think so.


Once Sirius streams Stern the numbers will come out. He will have over one million online listeners.


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## hooked4life

Quote:

Originally Posted by *RaveD*
That's the problem -- O & A care, and it comes through every day on their show.


They have repeatedly stated they have more listeners than Stern. This is a delusion. Sirius went from 600K to 3+ million because of Stern. O&A are lucky if they have 500,000 listeners. Even conservatively speaking, Stern has double the listeners. The only way "O&A math" makes sense is if a majority of XM subscribers listen to them, and if they believe that, they are delusional.


I tried to listen for 9 months when I got XM but as a Stern fan they make it impossible. 20% or more of their show is whining about Stern and portraying a false sense of superiority.


You're absolutely right, it should be about putting on a funny and entertaining show. For them it's more about going to war with Stern. IMO this is very sad.


Has XM ever released any statistics about how many people listen to the O&A streams on the Internet? I don't think so.


Once Sirius streams Stern the numbers will come out. He will have over one million online listeners.
If you think Howie is funnier then O&A then be my guest. The fact of the matter is you cant even listen on the go.. which for me Sirius isnt even an option.


Do you really think Sirius will get its money back on subs for paying Howie's salary? I dont think so. The Sattellite radio business is a tough business to be in. XM still has twice as many subs and they are way ahead in technology. How can Sirius afford to upgrade their technology when they are paying the $100 Mil salary?How long will those fan's stay when Hoo Hoo is putting in 4 days a week? I liked Howie in the old days but when your still playing the same clips and re-recording old bits.. it gets old. Its only a metter of time till people get tired of paying the $ for him.


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## Pat6366

Quote:

Sirius went from 600K to 3+ million because of Stern.
So are you saying that if Howard had not signed on their number of subs in that time frame would have remained the same? You subscribe to the Howie point of view that every sub since his announcement has been due to him? Talk about delusional. Regarding the amount of time spent ragging on Howie, I doubt it is even close to 20% but what time they do spend produces some really funny radio.

Pat


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## tipton

i listen to howard. i listen to O&A and i have to say... the arguments from o&a about howard are usually completely 100% ridiculous and the worst part of their show. first of all, the argument that howard doesn't care anymore is insane. to make the arguemnt that o&a spend more time on their show compared to howard is insane...they have stated many times that they don't prepare outside of the studio and pretty much everything is on the fly. there is no doubt howard is spending a ton of time promoting sirius and programming his channels. the argument that he is just doing old bits is quite dumb as well. the old bits that he rerecorded were done so because unlike o&a who consitently play old bits when they were on FM radio, howard cannot play anything that is old anymore.... also, he hasn't been able to play those bits for years when he was on FM since they were censored so heavily. howard is coming up with new bits and phony phone calls daily, and its rare to hear any bits on O&A aside from the completely unfunny Ramone bits that have been aired.. i never hear any of their hilarious calls they used to do on FM, etc. truthfully, i don't see O&A putting much effort into the show outside of the show itself. they aren't doing bits anymore, hardly ever which was always one of my favorite parts of their show.


i like O&A, but they really are absolutely NOTHING compared to howard. if anything howard's audience has grown alot more compared to theirs since howard is known nationwide, practically worldwide and yet he was never carried in many stations throughout the US. he definitely has picked up many listeners in these new cities with satellite.. to claim that o&a are growing quicker than howard is insane to me, yeah they grow through word of mouth and thats about it. people aren't subscribing to XM just for o&a, millions subscribed to sirius ONLY for howard.


i'll still listen to both... but christ i'm getting sick of all this howard crying every day and flat out jealousy and false statements. howard makes false statements about o&a as well, but anyone that actually does listen to both shows like myself could tell you its not even close. plus, Xm obviously doesn't believe in o&a that much.... we'll see if their contract is even renewed come later this year.


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## Pat6366

tipton,

How can you say that Howards audience has grown?

Is Howards audience bigger or smaller than it was one year ago?

BTW, I don't consider Ramone a bit and they haven't done anything with that in quite a while. When was the last time you listened?


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## RaveD

Howard's audience on day 1 on Sirius was at least double that of O & A. Howard brought a minimum of 1 million subscribers to Sirius in the fourth quarter, and it is highly unlikely that 30% of XM subscribers listen to O & A.


O & A's audience on either FM or XM has never even reached 5% of Stern's audience when he was on "free" radio.


The jury is still out on his audience on Sirius. I think the first quarter subscriber numbers will be huge, given the fact that most people are procrastinators. Sirius still cannot keep up with demand and keep enough radios in stores.


When Sirius streams the show the subscribers will grow further, since there are many who cannot listen to satellite radio at work for practical reasons.


I still have XM (they gave me 2 free months when I called to cancel and told them it was because of Stern) and listen to O & A just to hear their pathetic rants about Howard. They are delusional. It is sad how much they are starved for recognition and how they need their show to be considered superior to Stern's. I've listened to them on XM for the past 9 months and compared to Stern their show sounds like a disorganized frat party.


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## Pat6366

Rave D

First you say that O&A believe that every XM subscriber listens to them, which you know is BS. Then you stated that Howard took Sirius from 600k to 3 million which you also know was BS and now it's a minimum of 1 million in the 4th qtr and you state these numbers as though you are quoting facts, where do you get all this info/BS.

Pat


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## tipton

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Pat6366*
tipton,

How can you say that Howards audience has grown?

Is Howards audience bigger or smaller than it was one year ago?

BTW, I don't consider Ramone a bit and they haven't done anything with that in quite a while. When was the last time you listened?
no, i was trying to state that the Ramone bits were the biggest bits they have done since they started. of course howard's audience is alot smaller than it was when he was on FM... but people above stated that O&A's audience was growing quicker than howards and they were ADDING MORE FANS than howard was. i disagree with this completely just because i think there are way more NEW fans coming to sirius to hear howard for the first time ever just because he has name recognition and in many cities across the US and Canada they could never hear his radio show, though they watched his E show.


so in conclusion... O&A in no way work harder than howard. there is a good reason stern has rerecorded bits, stern is gaining more NEW fans than 0&A. those were the posts i think are completely insane.


the biggest thing i think o&a fans should be discouraged about is how absolutely little XM does for them. they do nothing... relying on fans to spread your show can only take you so far. if o&a were allowed to build a channel like howard is they could make amazing radio, perhaps better than howards.... but XM really does nothing for them, they aren't getting them interviews, they aren't getting them more known on a national level. they do everything themselves, which is quite comendable...but XM could do alot more.


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## hooked4life

Quote:

Originally Posted by *tipton*
no, i was trying to state that the Ramone bits were the biggest bits they have done since they started. of course howard's audience is alot smaller than it was when he was on FM... but people above stated that O&A's audience was growing quicker than howards and they were ADDING MORE FANS than howard was. i disagree with this completely just because i think there are way more NEW fans coming to sirius to hear howard for the first time ever just because he has name recognition and in many cities across the US and Canada they could never hear his radio show, though they watched his E show.


so i conclusion... O&A in no way work harder than howard. there is a good reason stern has rerecorded bits, stern is gaining more NEW fans than 0&A. those were the posts i think are completely insane.


the biggest thing i think o&a fans should be discouraged about is how absolutely little XM does for them. they do nothing... relying on fans to spread your show can only take you so far. if o&a were allowed to build a channel like howard is they could make amazing radio, perhaps better than howards.... but XM really does nothing for them, they aren't getting them interviews, they aren't getting them more known on a national level. they do everything themselves, which is quite comendable...but XM could do alot more.
XM could do more.. No Doubt. The thing is with XM whatever they do makes sense in the end. They always have a plan that in the end works. How about Jim Norton's Jay Leno appearance. That wasnt advertisement for O&A/XM? Sure they do most of their own advertisement, but it works. I listened to howie in his prime years and I listened to him until O&A started on XM. Its personal preference who you like better but to me the choice is very clear.


All I needed to do is look at the "Fish Finder" Sirius units 2 years ago and look at the XM Roady. It doesnt take much to see what seperates the 2 companies.


----------



## geekysteve

Why does a smaller unit = better performance?


I tested the Sirius Sportster Replay 2 against the SkyFi and the Roadie, and in all instances, people preferred the Sirius unit because the display was easier to read while on the road.


It's sort of like laptops -- a super small, light, thin, tiny little VAIO may be a cool laptop, until you try to type on it, or until you try to share your display with someone during an impromptu presentation, or until you bang it against something a little too hard...


I'm all for smaller technology when practical, but with a car-mounted unit, I'll take a large, bright, clear, easy-to-read display (even in sunlight) over a tiny little unit any day.


Also, sound quality on all three units was nearly identical - too close for anyone to call during our impromptu test, and in our area, Sirius has much better coverage than XM.


I don't think anyone can safely apply the blanket statement of "XM is better than Sirius when it comes to technology" because it's simply not going to be true for everyone.


----------



## hooked4life

Quote:

Originally Posted by *geekysteve*
Why does a smaller unit = better performance?


I tested the Sirius Sportster Replay 2 against the SkyFi and the Roadie, and in all instances, people preferred the Sirius unit because the display was easier to read while on the road.


It's sort of like laptops -- a super small, light, thin, tiny little VAIO may be a cool laptop, until you try to type on it, or until you try to share your display with someone during an impromptu presentation, or until you bang it against something a little too hard...


I'm all for smaller technology when practical, but with a car-mounted unit, I'll take a large, bright, clear, easy-to-read display (even in sunlight) over a tiny little unit any day.


Also, sound quality on all three units was nearly identical - too close for anyone to call during our impromptu test, and in our area, Sirius has much better coverage than XM.


I don't think anyone can safely apply the blanket statement of "XM is better than Sirius when it comes to technology" because it's simply not going to be true for everyone.
Amazing.. Truly Amazing.. Which Satellite company won best of CES Award? Hello Exactly!


----------



## RaveD

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Pat6366*
Rave D

First you say that O&A believe that every XM subscriber listens to them, which you know is BS. Then you stated that Howard took Sirius from 600k to 3 million which you also know was BS and now it's a minimum of 1 million in the 4th qtr and you state these numbers as though you are quoting facts, where do you get all this info/BS.

Pat
It is a fact: O&A claim they have more listeners then Stern. I take this statement as equivalent to "XM has more subscribers than Sirius." Thus I must conclude that O&A base this "more listeners" comment on total number of subscribers, which is totally flawed.


Subscriber growth numbers are published. Do you really think Sirius would have gone from 600K to 3+ million without Stern?


Here's some "real" math. In 2005 XM grew subscribers by 84%. Sirius grew by 190%. Let's assume that without Howard, XM and Sirius growth rates would have been about equal. 84% growth would have given Sirius 960,337 subscribers at the end of 2005. This means that Howard brought an additional 2,356,223 subscribers.


If you assume XM growth would have outpaced Sirius (due to the huge flocks of people signing up to hear O&A) the "Howard effect" is even more substantial.


Let's be even more conservative and assume the "Howard effect" only took place in the fourth quarter. XM added 898,315 subscribers, Sirius added 1,142,640. XM guarter-to-quarter growth was 18%. Sirius was 53%.


These are staggering numbers. Any way you slice it, the "Howard effect" is very real. Saying that Stern brought one million subscribers to Sirius is very conservative. For O & A to have one million listeners it means 17% of XM subscribers listen to them. Do you really think this is the case?


Therefore, based on published statistics, real math, and common sense, it is simply not likely that O & A have more listeners than Howard.


----------



## geekysteve

I'd also like to see subscriber retention stats -- I dropped XM immediately after my free 3-month trial (I bought a Honda and it came with XM). Instead, I went out and bought a Sportster Replay and subscribed to Sirius (as have 4 co-workers who had vehicles that came equipped with XM).


I wonder how many subscribers XM really gets if you subtract out the # of new car sales (GM and Honda, for example).


I imagine you could figure that out by checking Automotive News and researching how many GM vehicles were sold in Q4, and then dividing by a factor based on the average # of GM cars that are sold with XM equipment.


Sirius doesn't have a large OEM presence, so most of those new listeners are people going out and buying Sirius units with the intention of keeping the subscription for at least a year.


And LOL on the CES comment... Honda won car & truck of the year awards from C&D - does that mean they're the best car and truck in the industry? Amazing. Truly amazing.


----------



## Pat6366

Rave D,

While I disagree with mostl of your number, at least now you are qualifying them as being assumptions.



Geekysteve,

I believe that XM actually publishes what portion of their subscriptions are actually free trials, but I've never seen what the numbers are.


Pat


----------



## Ninja_del_Negro

Quote:

Originally Posted by *geekysteve*
Why does a smaller unit = better performance?


I tested the Sirius Sportster Replay 2 against the SkyFi and the Roadie, and in all instances, people preferred the Sirius unit because the display was easier to read while on the road.


It's sort of like laptops -- a super small, light, thin, tiny little VAIO may be a cool laptop, until you try to type on it, or until you try to share your display with someone during an impromptu presentation, or until you bang it against something a little too hard...


I'm all for smaller technology when practical, but with a car-mounted unit, I'll take a large, bright, clear, easy-to-read display (even in sunlight) over a tiny little unit any day.


Also, sound quality on all three units was nearly identical - too close for anyone to call during our impromptu test, and in our area, Sirius has much better coverage than XM.


I don't think anyone can safely apply the blanket statement of "XM is better than Sirius when it comes to technology" because it's simply not going to be true for everyone.



are you kidding me? XM has had a true portable unit for more than a year. Live XM while portable. Sirius still can't say that. their S50 needs to be docked to recieve a live signal.


That's the better technology!


And in regards to Sirius' subscriber numbers.... let's all remember that they include every sirius unit sitting on a car lot somewhere waiting to be sold. even though the car has not been sold and no one has activated that unit. Why is that?


----------



## bigglare

Since I work from home I listen to howard 100/101 all day. Howard has repeatedly mentioned that they just dont have the anticipated bandwidth available to handle the HUGE demand on their servers when they allow streaming.


I have a homekit and usually just turn up the volume so I can hear it in office. But having the online stream would be awesome. They are smart to wait until they can handle an assumed 6 million streams. Assuming They get up to 6million subscribers and the possibility of those 6 million users listening from different locations, multiple PCs.


But I think they will be online in a few months. Probably before the CW network launches on TV in september and gets carried by Cable and Satellite providers.


----------



## Bbasnett

Sirius could limit the number of online streams as they build the system to handel the ever increasing demand.


They could also charge for an online service only.


I think the best would be a sat reciever that connects via 802.11 to a network. You could place the reciever anywhere and have it steram a station into the local network.


----------



## RaveD

Sirius _could_ do a lot of things. But if they've proven one thing it is that they are sluggish in technology development. XM's online streaming platform is greatly superior to Sirius.


They have a lot of work to do, not just acquiring more network bandwidth, and they have not proven that they have what it takes.


If they were smart they would hire software developers away from XM


----------



## Pat6366

Quote:

They are smart to wait until they can handle an assumed 6 million streams. Assuming They get up to 6million subscribers and the possibility of those 6 million users listening from different locations, multiple PCs.
Are you high? If that is what is required based on the percentage of subscribers listening to Howard that would actually be on-line, regardless of how many PCs they are running, then they better re-name the company from Sirius to Howard Satellite Radio.

Pat


----------



## seank

Might be a good marketing move. 


-Sean


----------



## hooked4life

He is the self proclaimed "King of all Media". That alone would add another 6 million subs.


----------



## stevemcc

You suckers,i listen to howard stern live every day online and i live in england and its totally free.Iv been listening to sirius for 3 months now..!!!!!!!!!!!.....steve


----------



## sparkie1263

Steve how do u do that??? I tried newsgroups

Thanks


----------



## seank

alt.binaries.howardstern


Your news server might not carry it.


I used to do that before he was on Sirius an not available in Ithaca. But now that he is on Sirius I have it record every morning and post to my own private web server and I listen from work at very high sound quality.


The rest of Sirus is also very good.


-Sean


----------



## stevemcc

Quote:

Originally Posted by *sparkie1263*
Steve how do u do that??? I tried newsgroups

Thanks
Sparky read your private message,it will have my email address.......

Email me and i will tell you its wicked...Howard Live every day and you can listen to o+a all in didgital sound ,and bubba and farrel.....EVERYTHING all for nothing..!!!!!Takes 2 mins to do......


----------



## vman1

Quote:

Originally Posted by *stevemcc*
Sparky read your private message,it will have my email address.......

Email me and i will tell you its wicked...Howard Live every day and you can listen to o+a all in didgital sound ,and bubba and farrel.....EVERYTHING all for nothing..!!!!!Takes 2 mins to do...... 
I'll have some of that too please


----------



## steve

stevemcc,


Can you please PM me also.

Thanks

Steve


----------



## stevemcc

Quote:

Originally Posted by *stevemcc*
Sparky read your private message,it will have my email address.......

Email me and i will tell you its wicked...Howard Live every day and you can listen to o+a all in didgital sound ,and bubba and farrel.....EVERYTHING all for nothing..!!!!!Takes 2 mins to do...... 
i have told 1 person so far so they,  should post and let you no how easy and wicked it is..!!!!!


----------



## stevemcc

Quote:

Originally Posted by *stevemcc*
i have told 1 person so far so they,  should post and let you no how easy and wicked it is..!!!!!
But wont say how it is done sorry.......send me a pm and i MIGHT tell u..!!!


----------



## vman1

Quote:

Originally Posted by *stevemcc*
But wont say how it is done sorry.......send me a pm and i MIGHT tell u..!!! 
It works!!!!!!Listening now.


----------



## kenglish

You might also find him on FM pirate stations in your town.


Howard is really upset about the people stealing his show, and has recently asked his friends at the FCC to put a stop to it  .


----------



## stevemcc

Quote:

Originally Posted by *vman1*
It works!!!!!!Listening now.
Wicked init vman...!!!!

And proper easy to do........

Enjoy brother,you now no the secret...........

steve


----------



## David Bott

PLEASE DO NOT POST INFORMATION OF SERVICE THEFT ON THIS SITE. THIS ALSO GOES FOR PMing OF THE INFORMATION.


Thank you.


----------



## Sparco

Opie and Anthony replaced David Lee Roth.. They're horrible and juvenile.. All they did was laugh at each other's lame jokes.. I actually think DLR was better..


----------



## nuzzy

FWIW - I heard on the Howard 100 news that he will be online "by Fathers Day"


----------



## ade333

Quote:

Originally Posted by *nuzzy*
FWIW - I heard on the Howard 100 news that he will be online "by Fathers Day"
Then that will be the day I sign up.


----------



## jonvall

Quote:

Originally Posted by *ade333*
Then that will be the day I sign up.
Yeah...I'm thinkin there's a bunch of people with that same thought. I'm thinking this will push the fence sitters to go get Sirius now because they couldn't justify spending the $13.00/month to only hear Sirius to and from work. Now that you'll be able to listen at work it will be a very good thing for Sirius.


----------



## thebland

Howard is sooo over the top..I turn in and can't believe the vulgarity......I love it!


----------



## barbie845

Quote:

Originally Posted by *jonvall*
Yeah...I'm thinkin there's a bunch of people with that same thought. I'm thinking this will push the fence sitters to go get Sirius now because they couldn't justify spending the $13.00/month to only hear Sirius to and from work. Now that you'll be able to listen at work it will be a very good thing for Sirius.
a) many employers do not allow any streaming over their networks


b) even if they allow streaming since the show is uncensored,that might be alittle touchy.. Kind of like listening to rap music at work,it's definately frowned upon....



It should be a bump in subs though,how big of a bump remain to be seen...


----------



## jonvall

Quote:

Originally Posted by *barbie845*
a) many employers do not allow any streaming over their networks


b) even if they allow streaming since the show is uncensored,that might be alittle touchy.. Kind of like listening to rap music at work,it's definately frowned upon....



It should be a bump in subs though,how big of a bump remain to be seen...


The sky is red!


----------



## barbie845

And your glasses are rose colored...


----------



## STEELERSRULE

Look, I agree that listening/or doing anything online is frowned upon at work, but people do it anyway.


They figure out a way to do it without being noticed(and work suffers  ) or the boss just does not care.


This is a big reason why some people have not signed up, or refused too.


Granted I don't believe there will be a massive flow of people, but alot of them were waiting to see if he would stream his show online, and now that he is supposed to be doing this by Father's day weekend, or the following week of Father's day, should entice more people to sign up.


That is a fact. Won't be a mad rush, but hell, it isn't going to hurt Sirius subs either.


----------



## jonvall

Quote:

Originally Posted by *barbie845*
And your glasses are rose colored...


Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.


----------



## barbie845

Quote:

That is a fact. Won't be a mad rush, but hell, it isn't going to hurt Sirius subs either.
I did say there will be a bump in subs!!! It's obviously not going to hurt,but no one knows how much of a help it'll be ,yet....


----------



## Bill Broderick

Quote:

Originally Posted by *STEELERSRULE*
Look, I agree that listening/or doing anything online is frowned upon at work, but people do it anyway.


They figure out a way to do it without being noticed(and work suffers  ) or the boss just does not care.


This is a big reason why some people have not signed up, or refused too.
When O&A started on XM, this was an issue for me. At the time, it wasn't just just going to the website and running the stream, there were some software (free) prerequisites necessary to run the XM stream. I went to my boss (the Chief Information Officer - CIO)to ask about it and given the bandwidth required for the stream, he didn't have a problem with it, but upon checking the companies official policy, it turned out that listening to streaming audio is a fireable offense. Therefore, I wasn't allowed to get the stream, nor was I willing to face the possible consequences.


Initially, I found a good program for copying the feed on my home PC, which I would then convert to MP3 and the next day at work, I would listen to the portions of the previous day's show that I would end up missing using an MP3 player.


Subsequently, I realized that because of some windy roads near my office, my office window, which I thought faced north, actually faces southwest. That allowed me to put a Myfi in my office which eliminated the problem.


I still use the online feed at home, which I distribute throughout the house using a good FM transmitter. I also still use the online recorder to record shows when I'm on vacation.


Ralististically, once Sirius builds a portable receiver that can both playback and record when it's not docked, like XM has done with the XM2Go receivers, I think that the online feed will become much less important to Stern listeners than it is now. At least that how it seemed to change for many O&A listeners on XM.


----------



## STEELERSRULE

Quote:

Originally Posted by *barbie845*
I did say there will be a bump in subs!!!
Sheesh Barb, calm the F down.


I wasn't even referring to your post.


My G*, if you want to continue to fight with all the other Stern fans, go ahead, just leave me out of it.


Take a chill pill and relax a little.


I think the whole Howard Stern thing is beginning to get to you.


----------



## Pat6366

I think it's crazy to think that a large number of people investigate whether he is available on-line prior to making their decision to get Sirius. I would bet that most assumed he was and were pissed when they found out he wasn't, but to think there are a bunch of people out there waiting for the day that Howie is on-line is nuts. I'm sure there are a few, but basically a non-measurable blip in sub rates.


----------



## barbie845

Steerers,I'm not upset...If I was I would have USED CAPS,that is the proper web etiquette,and I always follow proper etiquette...


I was just trying to make the point that there are variables involved. Honestly I think for Stern fans,and non Stern fans, Bill's point about a true live and recording device like XM's XM2GO units would lead to a bigger bump in subs for Sirius.


----------



## dd9

I'm curious about the people who say they cannot listen at work. Is this an assumption or do you know for a fact that you cannot get a signal? I am in a building a good 50' from a window and am listening right now. Sirius uses ground repeaters in well populated areas (mostly big cities) that work just like an FM signal. No line of sight needed. My receiver has a signal strength meter that shows satellite signal and terrestrial signal. Right now I have full pin on TER and zero on SAT.


----------



## jonvall

I'm supposedly in the terrestrial signal range but I get nothing on the signal strength meter. sucks.


----------



## Bill Broderick

Quote:

Originally Posted by *dd9*
I'm curious about the people who say they cannot listen at work. Is this an assumption or do you know for a fact that you cannot get a signal? I am in a building a good 50' from a window and am listening right now. Sirius uses ground repeaters in well populated areas (mostly big cities) that work just like an FM signal. No line of sight needed.
The problem with attempting to listen to Sirius at work is that fact that the satellites don't remain in a fixed location in the sky, relative to where a person is located on earth. Like satellite TV, the XM satellites are always in the same relative location. Therefore if you can get a satellite signal from a window right now, you can be guaranteed that you will get the same signal 2 hours, 2 days, 2 weeks, etc from the exact same location.


Because of the elliptical nature of the orbits of the Sirius satellites, you can't be guaranteed a consistent signal unless you are able to stick an antenna on the roof of the building.


You're right that people who work in places with repeaters could be able to receive a signal in locations where they can't see a satellite. But there really aren't that many Sirius repeaters. Here's a list of the locations of all Sirius repeaters as of March 30, 2006.


----------



## jonvall

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Bill Broderick*
Here's a list of the locations of all Sirius repeaters as of March 30, 2006.
I wouldn't trust that list Bill. It says there's no repeater here in Charleston yet when I go here it shows that there is indeed a repeater in Charleston.


In fact here's the info on the repeater that is shown on my list:


211. Charleston, SC

32.786228, -79.936892

fcc

Sector 1 Beamwidth: 90 Orientation: 300 Wattage: 7000


----------



## myquealer

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Bill Broderick*
Here's a list of the locations of all Sirius repeaters as of March 30, 2006.
And here's a map showing where all the repeaters are and their approximate coverage area. It also shows the current position of the broadcasting satellites.


----------



## jonvall

LOL! I posted that link one minuite before you did.


----------



## Bill Broderick

Quote:

Originally Posted by *jonvall*
I wouldn't trust that list Bill. It says there's no repeater here in Charleston yet when I go here it shows that there is indeed a repeater in Charleston.
The list in the link that I provided does include a Charleston repeater. Maybe you misunderstood the legend. An empty box next to a location indicates a repeater listed by the FCC, but in a location that had not been personally verified by a member of that site (that's how Charleston was listed).


A box with a black check mark in it indicates a repeater listed by the FCC and verified by a member of that site and a box with a red check indicates that the repeater is not listed by the FCC yet, however it has been verified by a member of that site.


----------



## jonvall

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Bill Broderick*
The list in the link that I provided does include a Charleston repeater. Maybe you misunderstood the legend. An empty box next to a location indicates a repeater listed by the FCC, but in a location that had not been personally verified by a member of that site (that's how Charleston was listed).


A box with a black check mark in it indicates a repeater listed by the FCC and verified by a member of that site and a box with a red check indicates that the repeater is not listed by the FCC yet, however it has been verified by a member of that site.


I stand corrected.


----------



## myquealer

The fcc note in the info box for the Charleston repeater at the DogstarRadio map means the same thing. I intend to have different color markers, green for active repeaters, yellow for ones in the FCC documents but not confirmed by Sirius listeners, and red for ones in the FCC documents that are confirmed to not be active by Sirius listeners.


Jonvall, how close are you to the Charleston repeater? Do you ever get a terrestrial signal when driving around the area? It sounds like that repeater should be marked as inactive.


----------



## jonvall

I'll check the terrestrial signal strength next time I'm out. Where I live I'm probably about 10 to 15 miles from the repeater.


----------



## barbie845

These ground repeaters 'suppose' to have a range of 10 to 20 miles.. But of course the terrain has a lot to do with the range..


----------



## Bill Broderick

From Allaccess.com... Sirius plans to raise subscription price and charge seperately for online streaming.

Quote:

Sirius' Frear: We've Fixed Emissions Problem On Our Receivers

SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO EVP/CFO DAVID FREAR told the BERNSTEIN STRATEGIC DECISIONS CONFERENCE THURSDAY that the company has fixed models that were not in compliance with FCC RF emissions standards. FREAR said that the company went to its receiver manufacturers recently and found that some of the receivers tested "outside of the allowable emissions" but that "appropriate changes" were made and the receivers are now FCC-compliant.


FREAR also told analysts that the company plans to raise its subsctiption price and charge separately for online streaming, noting that SIRIUS has added programming.


----------



## barbie845

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Bill Broderick*
From Allaccess.com... Sirius plans to raise subscription price and charge seperately for online streaming.
Uh oh....Sounds like the ole bait and switch tactic....


But then who knows until it happens....


----------



## jonvall

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Bill Broderick*
From Allaccess.com... Sirius plans to raise subscription price and charge seperately for online streaming.
Where's the link to the original story? I'm curious about the date on that.


----------



## barbie845

Wednesday, May 31, 2006



Sirius Price To Go Up, Exec Promises



Speaking today in New York at the Bernstein Strategic Decisions conference, Sirius EVP/CFO David Frear squashed any hints that Sirius might raise its monthly $12.95 service fee, commenting, "Raise prices? It was not a hint. We said we will raise prices, we just haven't said when. But prices will go up."


Frear justified the increase, saying, "Our service launched at $12.95 with 100 channels. We've added 33 channels. It is a much richer content offering than what we brought to market five years ago." Examples of the added and varied content, Frear said, were Howard Stern, Martha Stewart, a Catholic channel, the Playboy channel and NASCAR racing.


While Frear did not reveal details on when any new price structure would take effect, he also made it clear that Sirius would at some point launch a separate fee structure for streaming Sirius programming on the Internet. He noted that Stern's show has the potential for a particularly large streaming audience but that the subscription radio provider needs to work out the technological kinks in servicing such a large crowd.


And while Frear claimed Sirius is "the best radio on radio," he said, "less than half of the people in the country are able to name us on an unaided basis." But he argued that is a indication of growth potential for the company.


Frear also stressed that Sirius is focused on bringing down the cost of acquiring subscribers â€” it's dropped from an original $293 to about $110 per subscriber today â€” and said while Sirius has about 4 million subscribers, it figures that there are "2.2 listeners per subscription," putting Sirius' total audience at about 9 million.


Asked about FCC concerns about satellite receivers' emissions, Frear said Sirius receiver manufacturers' engineers met with Sirius and FCC engineers "about two or three weeks ago, they made the appropriate changes and our receivers are corrected the emission problems and our radios are rolling out of the plants now."


â€” Jeffrey Yorke, R&R Washington Bureau Chief


----------



## Bill Broderick

Quote:

Originally Posted by *jonvall*
Where's the link to the original story? I'm curious about the date on that.
You need to signup at allaccess.com to read the articles. Their site is setup so that direct links don't work. If you go to www.allaccess.com and signup, you then need to click on "Net News" on the left side of the screen. The article is listed under news for "Thursday, June 1, 2006".


----------



## jonvall

Ok...thanks! I was aware of the price increase but not of the extra fee for streaming. I don't need to stream but it sure would be more convenient to stream instead of caring my radio into and out of my truck every day!


----------



## barbie845

Another interesting article...



Jacobs Media's 2006 Technology Web Poll Shows Sirius and XM in a Dead Heat Among Rockers


SOUTHFIELD, Mich., May 31 /PRNewswire/ -- In the satellite radio wars, the Jacobs Media 2006 Technology Poll shows XM and Sirius at parity -- and the momentum arrows are pointing toward Sirius. While Howard Stern's exodus from terrestrial radio and multi-year contract has been highly debated, he emerges as a major reason for Sirius's gains, and potential growth.


As Jacobs Media's Fred Jacobs points out, "For Sirius, Howard was the difference maker. More than any other reason, his show's move to satellite was the key factor in driving new subscribers. While most of his former listeners are staying with terrestrial radio stations, his presence on Sirius has been a defining difference."


In this poll of Rock, Classic Rock, and Alternative listeners, overall satellite radio subscribership increased from 7% in 2005 to 12% in this year's survey. Compared to other new media -- Internet streaming, iPod ownership and usage, and cell phone applications, satellite radio remains a medium that is still very embryonic.


In a departure from documented subscription data that shows XM in the lead, the Jacobs Media Technology Poll reveals a dead heat between Sirius and XM -- both are tied with 6% each among all respondents. Men are more apt to subscribe to either service, as are 30-39 year-olds, college grads, and those with a household income of $100,000 and more. Notes Jacobs, "In the Rock communities, Sirius is emerging as the more attractive option."


The survey also asked non-subscribers about the chances they'd purchase either XM or Sirius later in 2006. While nearly nine in ten indicate little to no likelihood of signing up for either service, 5% report they're very apt to become an XM customer, compared to 7% for Sirius. Men and 18-39 year-old respondents lean toward Sirius.


What motivated current satellite radio subscribers to select either XM or Sirius? The differences between the two services are vast, and say a great deal about the programming strategies that Sirius and XM have employed.


For XM, the top reasons for signing up are the music channels (24%), commercial-free programming (14%), the belief that XM is good while traveling (12%), and because it came with the vehicle that respondents purchased/leased (11%). Other less frequently mentioned motivators include dissatisfaction with commercial radio, XM sports programming, and Opie & Anthony (all with 8% or less).


Sirius subscribers, on the other hand, were heavily motivated by the arrival of Howard Stern. "Howard has altered the hierarchy for Sirius, passing the music channels and commercial-free assets," points out Jacobs. Overall, one-third (32%) of those who now pay for Sirius list Stern as the key factor in their decision. Other reasons include the music channels (19%), and commercial-free programming (12%). Less frequently mentioned Sirius qualities include unhappiness with commercial radio, it's good for travel, and the fact it came with the car (all with 7% or less).


The vast majority of satellite radio subscribers in this survey are pleased with XM and/or Sirius. Three fourths (75%) say they're satisfied or very satisfied, while only 8% express some level of dissatisfaction.


Similarly, nearly six in ten (57%) say they will absolutely continue to subscribe, while one-fourth (23%) indicate they will probably stay with either XM or Sirius. Overall, 13% aren't sure, while 8% report being pretty or absolutely sure they will cancel satellite radio before the year is out.


In the overall media hierarchy, satellite radio continues to lag behind more mass appeal activities, such as Internet streaming and iPod ownership.


And the majority of respondents in this survey are not inclined to pay for a radio-like product. In response to an Agree/Disagree statement -- "I will not pay for radio when I now get it for free" -- seven of every ten poll takers agree or agree strongly.


But among those Rockers who already have satellite radio, or are strongly considering buying it in 2006, Sirius appears to have gained an edge.


Jacobs Media's Technology Web Poll II was conducted in late February 2006, among more than 25,000 respondents across 79 different Rock-formatted stations. Participating stations represent Mainstream Rock, Classic Rock, and Alternative outlets. Of course, this is a web poll, and cannot replicate all radio listeners or even all Rock radio listeners. As with all Internet-based research projects of this kind, the results reflect only those who chose to participate in the survey, and do not necessarily represent the views of all Rock radio listeners in the country. Still, the 79 radio stations that invited their listeners to take the survey are a broad cross-section of Rock stations, from large and small markets, as well as those that play the newest Rock music and those that play only Classic Rock.


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## STEELERSRULE

Quote:

Originally Posted by *jonvall*
Ok...thanks! I was aware of the price increase but not of the extra fee for streaming. I don't need to stream but it sure would be more convenient to stream instead of caring my radio into and out of my truck every day!
Over at Siriusbackstage, the people(or person. One of the Mod/site developers) said that the guy who made the quote about the charging extra for the streaming was probably misquoted.


He said he knew the guy,and that scenario would seem to come out of left field.


The mod made the point that was meant to be said was that Sirius would offer a SUB FOR THE INTERNET STREAM ONLY(alone. No radio/PNP unit sub. Just the internet stream for work/home) and not as an added charge onto those customers who have subscribed through a radio/pnp unit. They would get it for free if they wanted because Sirius learned this from XM's previous mistake of charging for the internet stream on top of the already $12.95/month charge for the radio service to your car/home through the radio/pnp unit.


What does all this mean? NOTHING.


WHY? Because it was one person(who made have inside info, maybe not) who said the guy "might have" been misquoted.


But then again, over at Siriusbackstage it is made up of fanboys(like XM411), and any type of post that may call into question Sirius motives/moves, is immediately rebutted or posters get into a snit(like about the poor indoor reception) because of it might shed a bad light on the company.


One of the reasons I don't venture there that often anymore.


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## barbie845

In the article I posted he said this:


Quote:

he also made it clear that Sirius would at some point launch a separate fee structure for streaming Sirius programming on the Internet.


So yeah,I guess that can be taken either way.. XM has tried both,making it's subs pay extra for certain online programming,which didn't work and they dropped..And having non subs pay,I think $3.99,for their online content..I THINK XM still offers that but I don't think thats working out well for them either...


Now because of Stern the 2nd scenerio may work out for Sirius,most people aren't going to pay for JUST internet music,there's too many free sites out there.. But if Sirius charges extra to it's subs for online streaming,I think that would be a big mistake...


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## Bill Broderick

Quote:

Originally Posted by *STEELERSRULE*
The mod made the point that was meant to be said was that Sirius would offer a SUB FOR THE INTERNET STREAM ONLY(alone. No radio/PNP unit sub. Just the internet stream for work/home) and not as an added charge onto those customers who have subscribed through a radio/pnp unit.
That would make sense. XM has had an online-only account option for $7.99 per month. It seems like an additional revenue stream that has very little cost to Sirius or XM.


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## barbie845

Quote:

XM has had an online-only account option for $7.99 per month
It costs that much? Thats surprising to me....


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## Bill Broderick

Quote:

Originally Posted by *barbie845*
It costs that much? Thats surprising to me....
I would question why is costs so little as compared to a satellite account. The only valid answer to that would be that there are fewer channels to listen to on the satellite feed.


Otherwise, isn't someone who is getting an Internet stream getting the same thing that someone who's receiving the satellite broadcast is getting, only via a different transmission methodology?


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## barbie845

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Bill Broderick*
I would question why is costs so little as compared to a satellite account. The only valid answer to that would be that there are fewer channels to listen to on the satellite feed.


Otherwise, isn't someone who is getting an Internet stream getting the same thing that someone who's receiving the satellite broadcast is getting, only via a different transmission methodology?
I say that because...


As you said there's less channels,AND it not nearly as portable as a PNP unit,AND actually it's a $1 more then a family plan sub(which has all the channels,etc.)...I thought a 'fair' price would be $5 a month,just my opinion..


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## Bookworm

I don't think they'll offer an online only account for a low price anytime soon because it would cost them a lot of Stern subscribers that would otherwise puchase equipment and full price subscriptions to get him online. Maybe once they reach what they think is the most Stern fans they'll get with full price subscriptions they'll think about it. Just my opinion.


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## chad473

if sirius intends to start charging for an online stream sub, they better do something about the stream quality. it's awful right now.


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## stevemcc

I Live In London And I No A Site On The Internet Were I Listen To Stern Live Every Day In Didgital Sound, All For Nothing.............and O+a,but I Think They Suck.!!.....steve............do U No The Secret Place..????????   And It Replays All Day.iv Been Listening Since The Show Started All For Free U Suckers..!!


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## Pat6366

Quote:

I Think They Suck.!!.....
Yeah and when they type they probably capitalize every word and make no sense at all!!!


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## STEELERSRULE

Don't worry Pat6366.


The Post was reported.


This is the same idiot who got himself banned months ago(back in April or earlier) for the same thing.


He will soon be gone again.


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## stevemcc

Im from london england and i listen to howard everyday online,you just have to no were to look..!!!..It takes 2 mins and i get o+a as well,all in digital sound,live...and repeats through the day, all for free..!!!!!!..steve  p.m me, with your email..........


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## ordinary joe

Go to:

streamerp2p.com/?page=download.htm 


and download this little player. Let the channels load for a minute, look for "Weak 27" channel and

you will be listening to Howard in no time. Show is streamed live then

replayed throughout the day.


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