Yes this does ‘exist’ but really hasn’t really come together yet, and is still limited in it’s applications.
You’re right, I was going by my current plan’s rates. At that usage level, it’d be cheaper to get an unlimited plan.
You can get digital radio in a few cities but of course you need a new head unit. What is available is the same as what’s available on analog, meaning you still get stuck with lousy playlists and lots of commericals. I’d rather either get a new head unit with XM or Sirius built in or do what I did, which was getting one with the FM transmitter behind the dash and the satellite radio receiver portable to car or inside.
HOLY CRAP!
So that means that Sirius needs 7 MILLION subscribers just to pay Stern!
I must be missing something…
Sirius pays Stern, let’s say, $700 million. To make that money back over 5 years, they’ll need to bring in $140 million per year. That’s $11.7 million per month. Since a subscription is $12.95 per month, they won’t even need one million new subscribers (assuming the new subscribers stay for the whole 5 years).
I must be having one of my narcoleptic moments. I have no idea how I got that figure but I’ll bet it was interesting. Apologies.
Does anybody have any idea if Stern pays for Robin and staff and crew out of his $100 million? Are they getting the entire show or is that $700 MIL just Howard’s money? And with the $200 million in stock and $100 million contract does this make him the highest paid entertainer on Earth for this year?
Nope. That’s just his compensation.
Nitpick: The device will probably say, “Requested song not found”, since Debbie Gibson never recorded that song.
I believe you’re thinking of Tiffany.
That’s a very good point. I bet a lot people tune in Stern to see how far the pushes the line.
Is there still entertainment when there’s no line to push?
He’s going to find out, perhaps the hard way.
It was amusing to see Stern quoted yesterday on how satellite radio would never have commercials.
Just like cable TV, MTV etc…
Inevitably, satellite radio subscription prices will climb and ads will increase. It’ll get harder and harder to distinguish it from broadcast radio.
Enjoy while you can.
“How far can Stern go?..Will it work…?”
Jeez, you guys act like the headlining, news-making shock jocks at the leading satellite company haven’t been operating for over a year, now, cussing up a storm. Like 'em or not, Opie and Anthony exist, and so far, their uncensored sex-related audio, unapologetic racism and misogyny, and harassment of celebrities being interviewed wins them friends in the XM executive office, and a growing audience.
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- At one point early on it was informally considered among top-level people at both satellite radio companies that they might merge–but the idea was rejected at that point, because it was felt that the gov’t would not let them monopolize the media unless one of the two companies was certain to stop operating anyway.
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One thing is for sure–radio has not yet had its “TIVO”-revolution, and conventional broadcast radio will get left out of that entirely. Conventional radio does not pre-publish their content schedules and is advertiser-supported. This means that they don’t have any interest in a system that helps people skip around on different stations to find songs the listener likes (or–more to the point, avoids songs that the listener doesn’t like!). So satellite radio could transmit data right before each song–and then you could have a digital radio that would work just like a TIVO for radio. It doesn’t matter to Sirius or XM if you skip around from one station to the other, they get paid anyway.
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This is exactly how it works already (at least Sirius). Each song title is sent a few seconds before the song actually begins, and if you have an alert set for that song, your tuner starts beeping in time for you to switch channels and hear it start.
The only step that’s missing is automatically recording the song, but I doubt Big Content would be very happy if they added that feature.
I worry about that some too.
I remember when cable TV was much less commercial free than it is today. I used to watch AMC mostly for the lack of commercials. Now it is as bad as commercial TV.
Turner Classic Movies is still commercial free -------but I think the reason is that Ted Turner just flat out likes old movies and is subsidizing it. -----
—The History Channel I love tremendously but their 5 minute commercials can be seriously annoying.
Aside here -------Sometimes I scratch my head and wonder why I even think of paying close to $40 a month for cable TV (talking $500 a year here)-mostly to watch the History Channel. (OK I also like the occasional football game I can’t receive on commercial TV.)-------But is it really worth $500 a year?
Satellite radio may eventually have to go in the same direction. I hope not. Lack of stupid commercials is such a joy.
And $13 a month for what I get is such a bargain.