# XM Subscribers Please Read (Re: Commercials)



## Steve Mehs (Mar 21, 2002)

Attention all XM Subscribers:

As we all know due to contracts and legalities, XM is being forced to add commercials to the music channels programmed by Clear Channel. We lay down good money to listen to 100% commercial free music and that's how it should be. I would like to ask the membership of DBSTalk to send XM and Clear Channel a message, Music Should Be Commercial Free! We took and stand and rejected local radio because of the ridiculous amount of commercials and we shouldn't stand for it on satellite radio.

On April 21st new, in-house, commercial free channels will be added to replace the Clear Channel tainted music channels, but the commercial channels will still be in their existing channel numbers. For your convenience, so you won't stumble upon these channels, and to send a message here's what I'm asking. It's very simple. *Call up XM Listener Care and have the following channels blocked from all of your XM receivers:*

11, 21, 22, 24 (and when it launches, 161, if you want)

*Phone Number: 1-800-967-2346*

Hours: Mon - Sat 6 AM - 2 AM ET 
Sun: 8 AM - 8 PM ET

Here's a list of the commercial free replacements:

XM 11 Nashville -> XM 17 US Country
XM 21 Kiss -> XM 30 XM Hitlist
XM 22 Mix -> XM 26 Flight 26
XM 24 Sunny -> XM 78 Escape

Hopefully in 2008 when the contract requirements are met, the XM/CC relationship will be severed for good, and this is one way you can have a voice in ensuring just that.

So please, if you feel the same way I do, take 5-10 minutes out of your day sometime in the next month and call up XM and let them know to.

Thanks you for your time and reading this.

-Steve


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## IndyMichael (Jan 25, 2003)

Great idea Steve, I'm not paying to listen to commercials. Once the new commercial free channels come on, the CC one's will be blocked.


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## pez2002 (Dec 13, 2002)

quote from wayne cambell 


good call


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## Steve Mehs (Mar 21, 2002)

On Tuesday I called up and had 11, 21, 22 & 24 blocked on both my recivers. Painless process, after being on hold for 5 minutes I was transfered to a live rep, just had to verify I was the account holder and she made the changes.


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## BigApe (May 12, 2006)

Way to go Steve! Clear Channel already controls enough of our media. It's about time we (the audience) did a little controlling ourselves.

Joe


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## Phil T (Mar 25, 2002)

Sorry to be on the opposite side but I like listening to WLW and WSIX. I would like to see them add more regional stations from across the country (I think they have plans to).

As long as they offset the commercial music channels with commercial free ones I don't see a major problem here.

I am no fan of what Clear Channel has done to a lot of commercial radio, but I enjoy the options of getting local radio from across the country. 

Now if we could to this with DBS......


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## Steve Mehs (Mar 21, 2002)

I will never understand why people want terrestrial stations on satellite radio, isn't that the exact thing we're trying to get away from. How many markets from do you want to hear car dealers yelling at you? Don't get too cozy to the terrestrial crap, my guess is in 2008 when the deal expires so will these channels. What a lot are speculating is the regional news stations won't be actual rebroadcasts of AM stations but canned region news like the traffic channels.



> As long as they offset the commercial music channels with commercial free ones I don't see a major problem here.


The problem is bandwidth. Duplicating 4 channels, adding WSIX and the regional news channels takes a toll. There's also the bigger picture. If XM thinks that adding commercials will gradually be accepted by the masses then they might bring commercials back for real in the future. If they can see the data of which channels listeners block and 11, 21, 22 & 24 are up there, I think they can figure out why.

I'm doing my part to ensure XM remain commercial free and as soon as the contract between XM and CC is up that, that horsesht is removed from satellite radio forever.


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## Phil T (Mar 25, 2002)

It could be that the way I listen to XM is why the commercials don't bother me.
I am a constant channel flipper, same as with satellite tv. I hear a song I like and if I don't like then next one I am gone. I listen to Monsters in the Morning on 152 WTKS driving to work (they have been on XM since day one, with commercials).
At lunch I flip between WLW and local AM KOA for news. Then I flip between 50's 60's 70's the Blend and WSIX while eating lunch. When I go home (yes I will admit it  )I listen to the Trucking Bozo!, another channel with commercials.

I got XM for the variety of channels they offer. The commercial free channels are great but I do also listen to CNN, Fox News, The Weather Channel and Major League Baseball, all with commercials. When a commercial comes on I am gone to another channel. When I listen to the commercial free channels the most is at night, when I can't find anything worth watching on DirecTV. Then I flip to the 50s'60's70's and the other XM channels on DirecTV.

But if they play a song I dont like.......


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## SamC (Jan 20, 2003)

Of course, I don't listen to the commercial-carrying music channels, XM having just replaced them with identical format non-commercial channels, still thus having the most commercial free channels.

But the pick up of WLW (I am on the fringe of its daytime range OTA anyway) is great. It is one of the great radio stations in the country. 

I don't know what the "regional news/talk channels" will be. I fear they will be similar to the Canada 360 channel, which is a mechno-voice reading a continious loop of news, but if it actually is either other CCU AM talk channels or a "sampler" of talent from a mixture of CCU outlets, then it will be a wonderful addition to the system. A massive expansion of the talk programming, and talk is the only field where SSR currently has an edge.


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## BigApe (May 12, 2006)

Steve Mehs said:


> Don't get too cozy to the terrestrial crap, my guess is in 2008 when the deal expires so will these channels.


That's just in time for them to switch to HD terrestrial radio. Both AM and FM could offer the service. Yep, another radio you gotta buy! :grin:

Heck, I remember FM adapters for my AM only car radio!

Joe


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## Steve Mehs (Mar 21, 2002)

> Yep, another radio you gotta buy!


I sure as hell won't be buying into HD radio. My days of listening to terrestrial radio were over 2 years ago.


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## sobal (Jun 4, 2004)

I don't understand why you would subscribe to XM Radio and them purposely prevent yourself from getting all of the channels available. The music on the channels is pretty good. And when (I've still not heard one) they play a commercial on one of these channels, I'll do what I do when they play a song I don't like on any channel -- I'll change it.

I didn't subscribe to XM to get away from commercials. I did it for more radio channels to choose from. Blocking channels as a "statement" seems silly to me. XM is just like Clear Channel -- a broadcasting company trying to control what the nation listens to.


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## meldar_b (May 16, 2006)

personally I don't mind a limited number of commercial on XM:grin: 

after all this is a revenue source and XM needs all the revenue they can get. This might keep the prices down too:eek2:


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## kbdrand (Apr 16, 2006)

I absolutely hate Clear Channel. It's a very sad day indeed when XM starts carrying their garbage.

I really hope this isn't a trend.


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## AcuraCL (Dec 12, 2005)

I hope to be getting XM in the next few days.

Which channels are Clear Channel?


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## BigApe (May 12, 2006)

kbdrand said:


> I absolutely hate Clear Channel. It's a very sad day indeed when XM starts carrying their garbage.
> 
> I really hope this isn't a trend.


*They own a huge chunk of XM!*


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## LtMunst (Aug 24, 2005)

kbdrand said:


> I absolutely hate Clear Channel. It's a very sad day indeed when XM starts carrying their garbage.
> 
> I really hope this isn't a trend.


XM has been carrying these channels since day one. The only reason they continue to carry them with commercials added is because the courts/arbitrators told them they had to. I'm sure they'll be dropped once the contract ends. No trends to worry about.


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## djlong (Jul 8, 2002)

Clear Channel sold their XM stock quite some time ago. They *might* still own some - a small amount - but it's below the reporting requirements and isn't anything to get worked up over. Heck *I* own 1000 shares...


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## agreer (Apr 7, 2006)

Clearchannel is the most evil media company in the history of earth, they will never fold to customer pressure -- remember, the customers are the advertisers, not you...wanna send a message, class action law suit.


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## SamC (Jan 20, 2003)

You have no basis to sue CCU. For one thing, you have no contractual relationship with it. Only with XM, which has promised and delivered the most commercial free music channels. CCU has a right to program a certain amount of bandwidth on XM until 1-1-09 and chooses to SUPPLEMENT the commercial free music channels with additional commercial music channels.

In any event, CCU has given up on the idea of "regional talk channels" due to contractual troubles with its talent, who wanted paid extra for national distribution of their shows.


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## ApK (Mar 6, 2006)

agreer said:


> Clearchannel is the most evil media company in the history of earth, they will never fold to customer pressure -- remember, the customers are the advertisers, not you...wanna send a message, class action law suit.


If we're not listening to the channels, then ads aren't worth anything and the advertisers won't pay to run them. That's how advertizing revenue works, that's why therre are ratings and why boycotts work.


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## reddice (Feb 18, 2003)

Since XM added better replacements like XM Hitlist compaired CC KISS who wants to listen to any commercials. I generally hate commercials but I do like a few TV ones but NEVER liked a radio adverisment. Matter of fact a radio ad makes me want to kick my radio when I hear them since I can't stand them. I just listen to the XM replacements which are already way better than the CC stations commercials or not.


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## Sparkman87 (Apr 28, 2002)

After listeneing for a few months I have to say that 22, the Mix is a MUCH better channel overall than it's commercial free replacement, 26, Flight 26. More variety, and not the repitition that is on 26. If I'm listening & a commercial comes on, I vchange stations for awhile, no big deal. Never listen to the other 3 so I can't comment on those.


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