# Why do they talk so much on Sirius XM, and do people actually LIKE it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 8, 2019, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-talk-so-much-on-sirius-xm-and-do-people-actually-like-it/838359 "2019-08-08T17:15:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2019, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-talk-so-much-on-sirius-xm-and-do-people-actually-like-it/838359/61 "2019-08-10T05:59:24Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > This, exactly. I love the 60s and 70s channels precisely because the hosts bring back the days of Top 40s radio with their patter. Best of all, there are no ads. The hosts don’t go on very long–their airchecks never seem to be over fifteen seconds, tops, and are often shorter; and then we’re back to music. > > I will agree with the others who feel that Cousin Brucie is well past his Best Before date. When he comes on, I just flip up to the 70s or 80s. The thing with him is that it is amazing the dude is still alive. I only got him once, and switched pretty quickly since I don’t care about the callers. I listened to AM radio in the early '60s, and there was a lot more yammering (and ads) than there is on 60s on 6. They do tend to have small playlists, though. We listened to it driving across the country both ways in a 2019 CRV and the sound quality was fine. Not real different from listening to stuff from my phone. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2019, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-talk-so-much-on-sirius-xm-and-do-people-actually-like-it/838359/62 "2019-08-10T09:35:06Z")
It depends on who’s doing the talking. Some DJs, particularly on the classic rock channels, have interesting tidbits to share; others prattle on and on and on with mindless chatter. It doesn’t bother me that much; there are plenty of other channels available. Regarding sound quality, I’m generally happy with it, but there are instances where certain channels will noticeably tweak the speed or bass, often to the point that the song is unlistenable. > [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I can’t listen to 60s on 6 when “Cousin Brucie” is DJing, because he talks and talks, and has listeners call in. And he leaves his banner up for the entire show, even when music is playing, so you have to keep listening to him in hopes he’ll at least say the name of the artist without rambling about some vaguely related artist or event. As mentioned upthread, Cousin Brucie fans probably love this though. > [@Jasmine](#): > > With Amazon Prime music or Pandora available, I can’t understand why anyone would pay for Sirius. In my case, I would have to upgrade two car stereos in order to stream from my phone (or some other Bluetooth device). I typically don’t worry about equipment upgrades until something breaks…heck, I’m still using a 5th generation iPod in one vehicle. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2019, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-talk-so-much-on-sirius-xm-and-do-people-actually-like-it/838359/63 "2019-08-10T11:35:24Z")
Another vote for DJ’s should just give title and artist and shut it up otherwise. Yet apparently there are far, far, far more people who like “Morning Zoo Doo Crew” chatter and what not. So Sirius has a market to please. And I can’t wish these bozos into the cornfield since **Mrs. FtG** has a close relative that earns a living doing exactly this. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2019, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-talk-so-much-on-sirius-xm-and-do-people-actually-like-it/838359/64 "2019-08-10T16:08:26Z")
On the weekends, they devote large portions of the Jazz and Blues channels to _talking about_ Jazz and Blues. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2019, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-talk-so-much-on-sirius-xm-and-do-people-actually-like-it/838359/65 "2019-08-10T16:11:04Z")
FWIW, my biggest beef against SiriusXM isn’t the talking so much as the fact that they play censored edits of a lot of their songs. Panic! at the Disco’s “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” has the bit about “closing the god-damned door” edited so the “god” part is silent. And on the reggae Channel The Joint, Something Marley’s “Boom Draw” is edited. “A boom draw of herb de by me bedside” edits out the word “herb.” Because listeners of THE FUCKING JOINT are such snowflakes that the word “herb” is offensive. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2019, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-talk-so-much-on-sirius-xm-and-do-people-actually-like-it/838359/66 "2019-08-10T16:53:51Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > FWIW, my biggest beef against SiriusXM isn’t the talking so much as the fact that they play censored edits of a lot of their songs. Yesterday I heard Steve Miller singing about funky kicks going down in the city. I want my funky shit, [del]god[/del]dammit.\* I’m tired of this do-goody-good bull[del]shit[/del]. We’re adults here. \*I bought SMB Greatest hits CD off Amazon, and they had a large EXPLICIT warning, but of course the greatest hits has the AM sanitized version. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2019, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-talk-so-much-on-sirius-xm-and-do-people-actually-like-it/838359/67 "2019-08-10T17:50:02Z")
I agree that they should not assume a person who listens to 60s music wants to hear a recreation of a 60s radio station. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2019, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-talk-so-much-on-sirius-xm-and-do-people-actually-like-it/838359/68 "2019-08-10T18:29:09Z")
> [@Karen\_Lingel](#): > > I HATE the yammering. I’m with you. I stopped listening to Sirius. Don’t get me started on Skye Sports coverage of Formula One. My God! These guys must get paid by the word! _Never_ shut-up. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2019, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-talk-so-much-on-sirius-xm-and-do-people-actually-like-it/838359/69 "2019-08-10T19:19:02Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Yesterday I heard Steve Miller singing about funky kicks going down in the city. I want my funky shit, [del]god[/del]dammit.\* Interestingly, if you hear that song on 70s on 7, you get the “funky kicks” version. On Classic Rewind, it’s “funky shit.” I ascribe it to 70s on 7 being programmed to resemble a 1970s top-40 AM station, complete with things like that, while Classic Rewind is meant to sound like a classic rock FM station (and, IME, those sorts of stations do tend to play the unadulterated versions of songs like that). ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2019, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-talk-so-much-on-sirius-xm-and-do-people-actually-like-it/838359/70 "2019-08-10T22:10:07Z")
just FYI, SXM offers the ability to block channels (or groups of channels.) one of those options is to block “xL” (eXplicit Language) channels. so that’s why some will play censored/sanitized versions of songs. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2019, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-talk-so-much-on-sirius-xm-and-do-people-actually-like-it/838359/71 "2019-08-10T22:58:52Z")
I had Sirius for about a year and a half. Every time I cancelled they offered another trial. Never did pay for it. I didn’t mind the DJs so much (maybe it’s worse now), but the stations I listened to seemed to have very shallow catalogs that begat frequent repeats. Even Deep Tracks. Anyhoo, now I am completely sold on my paid version of Spotify. It beats Sirius in every important metric. mmm ---
**Author:** ![magnusblitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@magnusblitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magnusblitz)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2019, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-talk-so-much-on-sirius-xm-and-do-people-actually-like-it/838359/72 "2019-08-11T03:20:41Z")
I got it free with my new car a couple years back, and just recently finally decided I spend enough time in my car to pay for it at the cheap $5/month rate. I think in this day and age of streaming services you NEED DJs as something that will set you apart. Giving information about the bands, upcoming concerts, stuff like that. I mostly listen to the metal/hard rock stations (Octane 37, Liquid Metal 40, 90/00s Rock 41) and doesn’t seem to be too much talking. Even enjoy Grant Random’s off-color news even if it’s a bit juvenile. I will say that there seems to be a lot more talking on some other stations I sometimes check out (like 80s on 8), and even on my regular ones, I’m not a fan of some of the intros for some of the new songs they get the band members to record (“this is a song about X I came up with while doing Y and blah blah blah”). Maybe it’ll be some interesting info about the song the first time, but by the time I reach the fifth playing of the song and hear the same canned intro it gets old quick. ---
**Author:** ![JuliaSqueezer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/82dd89/32.png) [@JuliaSqueezer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JuliaSqueezer)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2019, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-talk-so-much-on-sirius-xm-and-do-people-actually-like-it/838359/73 "2019-08-11T16:23:39Z")
I quite like Sirius XM. Certain channels, like Margaritaville and Beatles are good background music. I listen to a few others like Progressive Talk and MSNBC Live and NPR. The single thing that makes me stab a channel button as fast as I can, and go to any other, is the voice of the Madison Read (or Reid?) inventor’s ads. She needs to hire someone to do her commercials. Her voice is grating and annoying. It’s not the accent. I can handle accents. It’s the combination of nasal and scratchy and hard-edged that offends my ears. She seems to be on every Sirius channel. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2019, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-talk-so-much-on-sirius-xm-and-do-people-actually-like-it/838359/74 "2019-08-11T22:46:51Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > With Amazon Prime music or Pandora available, I can’t understand why anyone would pay for Sirius. Did you know that SiriusXM owns Pandora? ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-talk-so-much-on-sirius-xm-and-do-people-actually-like-it/838359/75 "2019-08-12T04:06:42Z")
I see zero point in listening to satellite radio, UNLESS someone is talking. For 5 to 10 bucks a month there are multiple music streaming services that will be far more tailored to your musical taste, with no talking whatsoever. Then again, if I want to listen to someone talk, I’ll find a podcast. I simply find no reason to listen to satellite radio unless you’re out of range to a cellphone tower. Or have a crappy radio with no Bluetooth connection. Or, you want to listen to “personalities” prattle on… ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-talk-so-much-on-sirius-xm-and-do-people-actually-like-it/838359/76 "2019-08-12T07:44:32Z")
I am a Howard Stern fan, the only reason I subscribe, but you only expect talk from him. My wife is an XM subscriber and can’t stand Madison, who is apparently popular with soccer moms, but likes Jenny Elisque. I often find the celebrity DJs talk way too much. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-talk-so-much-on-sirius-xm-and-do-people-actually-like-it/838359/77 "2019-08-12T11:39:18Z")
> [@Ashtura](#): > > I see zero point in listening to satellite radio, UNLESS someone is talking. For 5 to 10 bucks a month there are multiple music streaming services that will be far more tailored to your musical taste, with no talking whatsoever. I don’t want music tailored to my musical taste. I listen to satellite radio to be exposed to music outside my usual listening. Have discovered some really amazing artists in this way. And the DJs on the channels I listen to don’t “blather” much; if they did I’d move on. There are a lot of choices, unlike over-the-air radio. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-talk-so-much-on-sirius-xm-and-do-people-actually-like-it/838359/78 "2019-08-12T12:25:24Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > just FYI, SXM offers the ability to block channels (or groups of channels.) one of those options is to block “xL” (eXplicit Language) channels. so that’s why some will play censored/sanitized versions of songs. Except the same thing happens on over-the-air stations, even big-city stations that you’d think wouldn’t care if an occasional fundie gets upset about the language. DC-101, the DC-area rock/alternative station, plays “Sins Not Tragedies” and they bleep all those 'goddamned’s, and it really fucks up the song, since that line recurs at least a half-dozen times. I really like the song, but I’d rather not hear the song at all than hear the bleeped version. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-talk-so-much-on-sirius-xm-and-do-people-actually-like-it/838359/79 "2019-08-12T12:41:27Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Except the same thing happens on over-the-air stations, even big-city stations that you’d think wouldn’t care if an occasional fundie gets upset about the language. they always care, especially when said “fundie” gets the FCC involved. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-talk-so-much-on-sirius-xm-and-do-people-actually-like-it/838359/80 "2019-08-12T12:44:15Z")
> [@Ashtura](#): > > I see zero point in listening to satellite radio, UNLESS someone is talking. For 5 to 10 bucks a month there are multiple music streaming services that will be far more tailored to your musical taste, with no talking whatsoever. > > Then again, if I want to listen to someone talk, I’ll find a podcast. > > I simply find no reason to listen to satellite radio unless you’re out of range to a cellphone tower. Or have a crappy radio with no Bluetooth connection. > > Or, you want to listen to “personalities” prattle on… or don’t want our mobile data torched. or want to put on a channel of a genre you like and stumble upon new releases or new artists you didn’t know about. or don’t want to have a million accounts with various streaming services and relentlessly have to keep track of what content is available on which. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-talk-so-much-on-sirius-xm-and-do-people-actually-like-it/838359.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-talk-so-much-on-sirius-xm-and-do-people-actually-like-it/838359.md?page=5)