For those who were hoping for Lucy or XM Decade channels on Sirius ...

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Layoffs: At least 50 Sirius XM staffers downsized - Orbitcast

It doesn't look too promising. Looks like they are decimating the decades channel personal on XM.

And the one that stings the most is the loss of Bill Hutton who is the PD of Lucy. I was hoping that this channel would make it to Sirius. I do not like Lithium. Without Hutton there is 0 chance of that happening.

I also think there is now 0 chance of XM versions of anything surviving. This is Sirus gutting its competitor. I just hope SiriusXM does not lose too many of those XM subscribers that its bottom line counts on.

 

[The Butler]

I was sort of hoping some of the Classic Rock stuff from XM might make it. The Sirius channels are getting a bit stale to me.

Not that I'm a fan, I think XM's country offering(s) will make the cut. The new studios in Nashville will most likely stay. And I think they already announced the head of country programming is from the XM side.

 

[SISO]

Well I think pretty much everyone saw it coming that Sirius programming would eventually take over. Like it or not it is the better business model, play the hits so when people are trying it out they're more apt to sign up.

That said, I don't think anyone could have predicted it happening this soon!

 

[Fergz99]

Layoffs: At least 50 Sirius XM staffers downsized - Orbitcast

It doesn't look too promising. Looks like they are decimating the decades channel personal on XM.

And the one that stings the most is the loss of Bill Hutton who is the PD of Lucy. I was hoping that this channel would make it to Sirius. I do not like Lithium. Without Hutton there is 0 chance of that happening.

I also think there is now 0 chance of XM versions of anything surviving. This is Sirus gutting its competitor. I just hope SiriusXM does not lose too many of those XM subscribers that its bottom line counts on.

It was one of things i really didn't like about the merger. Oh well its over and we all lost. It's already sickening how many single artist channels they have done on XM.

 

[DAB]

I honestly expected that there would be a mix of channels from both sides surviving. But clearly that is not the plan. They are going to replace the XM channels with the Sirius versions. I do not, I do, not, I do not agree with this move. There are several XM channels that I prefer over the Sirius version. However, the real deal is there is no way to make everyone happy in this. I knew some of us would lose channels we really liked.

I think there will be some churn because of this, now to what degree is yet to be seen. I mean even having Sirius version of channels is better than freaking AM/FM in my opinion. I think what this will do is push people more towards iPods/MP3 players etc. Right now the iPod Touch is might attractive.

 

[SuperH]

Orbitcast reports the number is about 80 people:
Report: Sirius XM laying off 80 people - Orbitcast

Reports are coming in that Sirius XM Radio Inc. is laying off approximately 80 staffers, a number that is a bit higher than previously reported, but one that sounds "pretty solid" a D.C. source tells Radio-Info.

The immediate impact will be felt on the redundant staffers at the music channels, according to the industry website. "It looks like Mel's concentrating on the talk formats, which are the ones where he can sell ads," one soon-to-be-gone XM employee told Radio-Info.

Additionally, an XM source told DCRTV:
"All the great people that are gone from XM radio, may we all RIP... Let's go back and take the terrestial world by storm... Gone but not forgotten: '50s Channel PD Ken Smith, '50s Channel MD Matt The Cat, '60s Channel PD Pat Clark, '80s Channel MD/afternooner Kandy Klutch, Cross-Country PD Jessie Scott, Decades Channel Senior PD Kurt Gilcrest, Cafe PD Bill Evans, all of XM Urban accept three people."

Another round of cuts is said to possibly be coming in early November.

So much for the Hip-Hop and X-Country.

 

[hank-the-dwarf]

boneyard is my favorite-much better than hair nation-i guess that one will be destroyed too.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Well I think pretty much everyone saw it coming that Sirius programming would eventually take over. Like it or not it is the better business model, play the hits so when people are trying it out they're more apt to sign up.

That said, I don't think anyone could have predicted it happening this soon!

For the Sirius subs. Having a mixture would have appeased both. They better be prepared for a business model of less XM subs. I know I will probably go down by 2 XM subs (although that would probably happen regardless what they do since the issue I have is duplication).

I honestly expected that there would be a mix of channels from both sides surviving. But clearly that is not the plan. They are going to replace the XM channels with the Sirius versions. I do not, I do, not, I do not agree with this move. There are several XM channels that I prefer over the Sirius version. However, the real deal is there is no way to make everyone happy in this. I knew some of us would lose channels we really liked.

I think there will be some churn because of this, now to what degree is yet to be seen. I mean even having Sirius version of channels is better than freaking AM/FM in my opinion. I think what this will do is push people more towards iPods/MP3 players etc. Right now the iPod Touch is might attractive.

I thought they might put some thought into it and chose the best channel of the genre or mixed the two. I guess I really should not have been surprised at how they actually did handle it. It is the Sirius way of doing things in the past.

For example, I would have thought maybe they would have used a mixture of the Big80s/XM8 playlist with MTV DJs + Casey + Rick Dees for the 80s channel. I believe they will just do the big 80s as it stands now ... which is a shame. While I like Nina Blackwood as a DJ, she is no Casey when it comes to countdowns.

I know that a lot of XM subs are XM subs because they did not like the Sirius shallow playlist and heavy repatition model. I don't see them going back to FM but there are other alternatives and Sirius XM seems determined to drive them to them.

 

[semipenguin]

I didn't see Plash Phelps orTerry Young from XM6, or Trinity from Watercolors. I wonder about the DJ's from Soul Street?...

As much as I like Sirius music channels more as a whole, the few channels that I think are better on XM might not be staying...

The other thing I like about XM's music channels is that you could almost always call in & talk to the DJ live. No leaving a message. If the phone rang, they may pick up your line. I used to love calling up Phlash. I did get to talk to him a few time, especially during CQ-USA...

 

[syphix]

The PD/MD's come first, THEN the onair staff...most reports have said there's another round possible in early November. Probably: keep the onair staff rolling on the current channels, can 'em when they do the simulcasts.

I'm worried about Phlash/Terry...

 

[SuperH]

boneyard is my favorite-much better than hair nation-i guess that one will be destroyed too.

Actually - I'm speculating that might be staying. And this is based on title alone.

VERY recently, my display changed from
Boneyard xL to Bone Yard.

Just something I noticed... (since I lost the channel logo on my AVIC-D3)...

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Actually - I'm speculating that might be staying. And this is based on title alone.

VERY recently, my display changed from
Boneyard xL to Bone Yard.

Just something I noticed... (since I lost the channel logo on my AVIC-D3)...

My understanding is that they only have so many slots for xL and they needed 2 for Stern. They changed Squizz as well I believe.

 

[syphix]

And I think we're all putting the cart before the horse. Yes, it looks like SIRIUS channels will be pushed to XM...but we don't know exactly in what form. They MIGHT be different than what they are right now. Let's wait and see. It's like putting a review out of a movie before even seeing it, based on the director/producer/actors. Sometimes they can surprise you.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

I wonder about the DJ's from Soul Street

From what I have read, there are only 3 people left in the Urban area on XM. Everybody else is either gone or has been given a termination date.

 

[goreds2]

Yes, it looks like SIRIUS channels will be pushed to XM...

If this is the case, why come out with a radio that will get both services?

 

[syphix]

If this is the case, why come out with a radio that will get both services?

Sorry...SIRIUS' MUSIC channels...not all the talk. And for the talk/sports, you have to pay $4. But you're right: lesser and lesser of a reason to purchase a dual-band receiver.

 

[limegrass69]

If this is the case, why come out with a radio that will get both services?

Good point...maybe they'll be "working on it" for a while. By the time they water down the music programming, the only differentiators will be sports play-by-play and some talk.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

If this is the case, why come out with a radio that will get both services?

Because they told the FCC they would.

 

[limegrass69]

Because they told the FCC they would.

They said they'd develop one. Does that mean that they'd market it, or make it economically appealing to the consumer? In any case, it's probably only a temporary measure. At some point (maybe 5-10 years down the line), it would make sense to move to a single transmission standard and have a single batch of hardware. Unfortunately, there is a lot of legacy equipment out there.

 

[Fergz99]

I think what this will do is push people more towards iPods/MP3 players etc. Right now the iPod Touch is might attractive.

If they replace the XM music channels with the Sirius music channels, I will be buying a new Ipod touch and canceling my remaining Sat Rad subs. After listening to the two different services for so long I could not go back to shallow playlist and tons of repeats.