Sirius unveiled the Sportster 5, a new version of its popular dock & play radio, featuring a color display that subscribers can easily adjust to match car dash lights or mood, with user-selectable screen and back-light colors.

The Sportster 5 has a large, multicolor, easy-to-read 6-line display plus a rotary tuning knob. The selectable color feature allows the display screen to be adjusted to match the car dash lights, stereo display or the user’s mood. Sportster 5 measures 4.5″ x 2.5″ x .6″ and at just 3.7 ounces, it is the lightest Sportster yet. The radio is scheduled to be available in fall 2007 with an MSRP of $169.99.

Sportster 5 features include:

- Large multi-color display: easy viewing and use
- Selectable colors: match your dash lights and mood
- SIRIUS Universal docking capability: add accessories to enjoy in your home, office or additional vehicles
- SIRIUS Replay(TM): pause, rewind and replay up to 60 minutes of live SIRIUS radio
- FM transmitter or stereo audio output to connect your vehicle’s radio
- FM preset function: allows you to store the best FM frequencies in your area for optimum integration with your vehicle’s radio
- 30 presets: enjoy fast access to your favorite channels
- S-Seek(TM) Alert: so you won’t miss your favorite artists, songs and sports
- One-Touch Jump(TM) button: direct access to local traffic and weather, or your favorite channel
- Personalized sports ticker: real-time updates of your favorite sports
- Rotary tuning knob: surf channels on the fly
- Sports Alert(TM): track your favorite sports team and race driver
- Parental controls: easily lock and unlock channels
- Alarm clock w/snooze: wake up to your favorite channel
- Complete vehicle kit includes everything required for most installations, including radio, dock w/suction cup mount and vent mounts, remote control, vehicle power adapter, magnetic mount satellite antenna and FM extender antenna

Category:  Sirius  |   August 16th, 2007  |   No Comments »

Sirius Satellite Radio has teamed up with New Orleans Saints’ running back Reggie Bush to provide exclusive live weekly reports throughout the 2007 NFL season on Sirius NFL Radio (ch 124).

Starting with the first week of the NFL regular season and airing every Wednesday at 5:15 pm ET, listeners will hear first-person commentary from Bush as he provides an inside look at his second NFL season with the Saints. Bush, a former Heisman Trophy winner will recap games, break down upcoming match-ups and comment on teams and topics from around the league. The reports will air as part of “The Afternoon Blitz“, the exclusive talk show hosted by Adam Schein, Solomon Wilcots and Jim Miller that airs daily from 3:00 - 7:00 pm ET.”Reggie has been a star at every step of his football career. In his rookie NFL season, he established himself as one of the most exciting and dynamic performers in all of sports,” said Scott Greenstein, Sirius’ President of Entertainment and Sports. “He was a threat to score every time he touched the ball and commanded the attention of fans everywhere. We are very pleased to have one of the NFL’s most electrifying new stars on Sirius NFL Radio every week giving our listeners the kind of inside-the-game perspective they can’t get anywhere else.”

“I am excited to team up with Sirius NFL Radio and I hope to add a unique perspective to the broadcast,” said Bush. “I have always enjoyed Sirius’ coverage of the NFL as a listener and it will be an honor to work with a company that shares my passion for the game.”

Bush will also be featured in marketing efforts to promote “NFL Sunday Drive“, Sirius’ comprehensive broadcast lineup that allows listeners around the country to hear every game of the NFL season.

CNN

Category:  Sirius  |   August 15th, 2007  |   No Comments »

On Monday the NAB filed additional comments with the FCC asking them to strike down the proposed merger between Sirius and XM Satellite Radio.

Referencing the merger as an “unusual case,” the NAB stated that Sirius and XM “filed a merger application that was utterly devoid of such evidence” to support that the merger is in the public interest.

The NAB says that while defending the proposed merger the applicants are asking the FCC to “(1) ignore controlling Commission and antitrust precedent, (2) disregard long-standing Commission policy against spectrum monopolies, and (3) waive, modify or repeal the Commission’s merger prohibition applicable to the Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service (“satellite DARS”). The Commission should not abandon relevant legal standards, rules and important public policies merely to allow this one merger to proceed.”

In regard to the licenses, “Satellite DARS is a distinct, “continuous nationwide” service that “local radio inherently cannot provide.” Sirius and XM each hold a license to provide satellite DARS in the United States and, between them, they control all of the spectrum assigned for such service. Given these circumstances, and consistent with the long-standing Commission policy against spectrum monopolies, the Commission prohibited the two licensees from ever merging, in order to ensure that consumers benefit from competition in the satellite DARS service. Specifically, the CD Radio Inc., predecessor-in-interest to Sirius, proposed this anti-merger rule on the grounds that it was necessary to (1) “preserve intra-service competition and overall DARS diversity of programming” and (2) to prevent a “DARS monopoly.”"

Radio-Online (NAB Filing)

Category:  Merger, Satellite Radio  |   August 15th, 2007  |   No Comments »

 

XM Satellite Radio unmasked their new XpressRC, the first-ever satellite radio featuring full-color split-screen display, 60-minute replay and song storage. The plug-and-play XpressRC features advanced browsing capability with a real-time programming guide displaying multiple channel information, artist names and song titles. The XpressRC will redefine the music lover’s listening experience with a vibrant full-color split-screen display, 60-minute pause and replay, and the ability to save up to 10 favorite songs to listen to later.

Manufactured by Delphi, the new XpressRC radio will be available beginning fall 2007 for a suggested retail price of $169.99.

Notable features include the following:

A customizable color display that allows XM listeners to view the content they want, including channel, artist name and song title. The split-screen lets listeners view the current channel information on the left side, while browsing to view what is playing on up to three different channels on the right side.

A buffer that saves the last 60 minutes of programming so listeners can easily replay what they just heard.  XpressRC users can also pause the XM programming they are listening to with the option to play that programming as long as it is within the 60-minute timeframe and the unit is not powered off.

The ability to easily save up to 10 favorite songs for future listening.  The split-screen option enables listeners to see the artist and song that is currently playing on the left side of the screen, and view up to five other saved songs on the right side at the same time.

Quick channel navigation with up to 10 pre-set favorite channels, or press number buttons to enter and move directly to the desired channel.  The XpressRC also features a remote control with pause, replay and direct channel entry buttons. The radio display automatically adjusts brightness from day to night while in the car and includes a customizable stock and sports ticker.  It also includes a TuneSelect feature that alerts listeners whenever their favorite songs, artists or sports teams are being played on another channel.

XpressRC Pre-order

Category:  XM  |   August 15th, 2007  |   No Comments »

XM Satellite Radio welcomes Barry Switzer this fall as a football analyst to their sports talk radio channel XM Sports Nation(ch 144). Switzer will provide expert analysis and no-holds-barred commentary on both college and professional football. Starting August 20, he will appear live with host T.J. Rives on the show “XM Sports Nation This Morning” every Monday and Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 am ET. Switzer will join Rives in sizing up the week’s biggest match-ups in college and professional football, and they will take phone calls from XM listeners across the U.S..

“I’m really looking forward to being on XM,” Switzer said. “It’s amazing to me how you can tune into college football games from all over the country, and people can call into XM to put in their two cents, wherever they live. It’s a great thing for diehard fans like me, and I think we’re going to have a lot of fun.”

Barry Switzer, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and former Dallas Cowboys coach, will be joining XM as they prepare to offer its largest package of college football games ever. XM is now the official satellite radio network for all six “power” conferences in college football — the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10, and SEC. XM also signed an agreement with FOX Sports to be the exclusive satellite radio network for the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) National Championship Game and other BCS games.

Category:  XM  |   August 15th, 2007  |   No Comments »

You may have missed Monday’s show, but from August 13th through August 17th at 9:00 AM you can enjoy “Six Degrees of Sugarland” on Sirius New Country channel 60.Follow Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush connections to Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and Kenny Chesney. Hear them talk about all the big stars they know and have played with and they’ll share a few stories they’ve never told on the radio before.

You can also enjoy some exclusive deep cuts from Sugarland’s latest album, Enjoy The Ride.

In case you have never heard of Sugarland, they are a country music duo composed of two Atlanta singer-songwriters; lead singer Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush. Kristian would be the guy in the back that actually gets paid to hang out with this girl. That is a nice gig!

Some of Sugarland’s biggest hits include to following:

“Baby Girl”
“Something More”
“Just Might (Make Me Believe)”
“Want To”
“Settlin”
“Everyday America”

Sirius New Country

Category:  Sirius  |   August 14th, 2007  |   No Comments »

AMR Corp’s American Airlines is preparing to be one of the first U.S. carriers to offer Internet access on domestic flights. This will give passengers the opportunity to connect to either Sirius Internet Radio or XM Radio Online via the broadband connection during the flight.

AirCell, a provider of aviation communications systems, said Wednesday that it will team up with American to test its new system for providing on-board Internet access. AMR Corporation will be AirCell’s first partner on the project. “We understand that broadband connectivity is important to our business customers,” Dan Garton, American Airlines’ executive vice president of marketing, said in the statement.

An Internet connection is important to business customers, but it will also offer another in-flight entertainment option for non-business travelers.

Beginning in 2008, AirCell stated that American will test the service on its 767-200 aircraft, which chiefly fly transcontinental routes. AirCell says its system, which is based on cellular technology, will carry equipment costs of about $100,000 per plane and that airlines can offer the service for about $10 per flight. The company has been developing the system since last June when it won a U.S. government auction to operate an air-to-ground communication network.

CNN

Category:  Satellite Radio, Sirius, XM  |   August 13th, 2007  |   1 Comment »

 

The NFL regular season will be starting in less than a month and it is time for fantasy football to kick into full swing. In 2007 the Fantasy Sports Trade Association (FSTA) estimates that there will be 18 million people participating in fantasy football leagues.

Sirius has a talk show, SIRIUS Fantasy Football, dedicated to fantasy football that airs on Friday nights from 8PM to 11PM on the Sirius NFL channel (124). Adam Caplan and John Hansen have the fantasy information you need going into the weekend. Who should you start? Who may come up big? SIRIUS Fantasy Football will search for a few sleeper picks and provide a weekly injury report that could put you on top. Call the show at 877-NFL-KICK.

It is great that Sirius has recognized the popularity of fantasy football and the potential listeners produced by the game. I actually think they should broadcast their show more than just one night a week. Maybe they could even partner with Yahoo!, ESPN, or CBS SportsLine and offer fantasy football leagues sponsored by Sirius.

Category:  Sirius  |   August 13th, 2007  |   No Comments »

 

Don’t miss The Dignity Diaries with Hilary Duff as XM’s 20on20 has hooked up Hilary’s tour bus with her own studio and her own show!

Listen as Hilary tours North America in support of her latest CD, Dignity. You’ll hear all the backstage stories, the road trip madness, and be a part of every last detail down to the room service orders. Also, listen to win Hilary tour merchandise, her fragrance “With Love: Hilary Duff”, tickets to a show in your city, and you may even get to meet Hilary in person.

Listen Friday (Aug. 17th) at 3 PM, Saturday at Noon, and Sunday at 6 PM on XM 20.

Category:  XM  |   August 11th, 2007  |   No Comments »

 

XM and MySpace are teaming up to give perspective urban artists a chance to perform exclusively in front of the industry’s top movers and shakers.

Go to XM’s MySpace page and check out their brand new profile page that kicks off with an urban artist search contest. Think you’re the next hip-hop superstar? Let the MySpace community decide. Winners will perform at the Mixshow Power Summit in the Dominican Republic, and receive promotion from XM and more.

If you don’t have the true talent to win, “Just tell them that their wildest dreams will come true if they vote for you.”

Also, add XM to your group of friends to receive exclusive content and to stay in touch with the XM Nation!

Category:  XM  |   August 11th, 2007  |   No Comments »

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