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Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio (DARS) service based in New York City that provides 68 streams (channels) of music and 55 streams of sports, news and entertainment to the United States and Canada. Music streams on Sirius carry a wide variety of music genres, broadcasting 24 hours a day, commercial free. With any Sirius-enabled radio, the user can see the artist and song information on display while listening to the stream. The streams are broadcast from three satellites in an elliptical geosynchronous orbit above North America. A subset of Sirius’ music channels are included as part of the DISH Network satellite television service. Sirius channels are identified by Arbitron with the label “XS” (e.g. “XS120”, “XS9”, “XS17”).

Sirius headquarters are in Manhattan. Its business model is to provide pay-for-service radio, analogous to the business model for premium cable television, in which music channels are free of commercials. Subscription costs for Sirius range from $12.95/mo. to $499.99 for a lifetime subscription (of the receiver, not the subscriber). A $10 activation fee ($15 if activated by phone) is also required. Sirius currently has fewer subscribers compared to competitor XM Satellite Radio, with 4.7 million, less than XM's current audience of roughly 6.89 million (as of July 6, 2006). However, Sirius is gaining new subscribers at a faster rate than XM.

Sirius was previously known as CD Radio. The company changed its name to Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. on November 18, 1999. The dog in the Sirius logo (Sirius is referred to as the "Dog Star") is unofficially named “Mongo,” a name garnered from the debut of Sirius Satellite Radio’s sponsorship on Casey Atwood’s and later Jimmy Spencer’s NASCAR entry, when the announcing cast voted on names. “Mongo” later became NASCAR driver Spencer’s nickname with the NASCAR Broadcasters in the following races.

Content

Howard Stern and other high profile content

A major component of Sirius’ business strategy has been to execute far-reaching and exclusive deals with big-name entertainers and personalities to create and build broadcast streams, from the ground up. Sirius has reached extensive deals with domestic diva Martha Stewart, E Street Band member Steven Van Zandt (aka Little Steven), Jimmy Buffett, and Eminem to executive produce streams on Sirius.

By far the biggest of these deals was announced on October 6, 2004 when Sirius announced that it signed a five-year, $500-million agreement with Howard Stern to move his radio show, Howard Stern Show, to Sirius starting on January 9, 2006.Contract figure is from http://www.forbes.com/technology/2006/02/10/xm-sirius-howardstern-cx_0213wharton.html. The deal, which gave Sirius exclusive rights to Stern’s radio show, also gave Stern the right to build three full-time programming channels. (Currently, Stern has two operating channels on Sirius, but still retains the right to a third.) Stern stated that his move was forced by the stringent regulations of the FCC whose enforcement was intensified following the Super Bowl XXXVIII Halftime Show. Beginning with the announcement of his imminent departure, Stern began to complain that Infinity Broadcasting was trying to make his departure more acrimonious than was necessary.

Howard Stern's first major hire for Sirius was Tampa, FL based Bubba the Love Sponge. He had previously been fired by Clear Channel due to a $750,000 fine proposed by the FCC.

In addition to the channel-programming deals, Sirius also programs a number of more conventional shows with well known personalities in a number of fields. This includes shows by skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, skateboarder and MTV personality Bam Margera, seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, The B-52's lead singer Fred Schneider, NBA Hall of Famer Bill Walton and longtime New York City DJ “Cousin Brucie”, who was dropped by WCBS-FM after the station changed to its format from an oldies station to a “Jack” format. Generally each personality hosts shows that play the music they personally prefer.

On November 18, 2004 the former COO and President of Viacom, Mel Karmazin, was named the CEO of Sirius. Stern worked under Karmazin at Infinity Radio and the two appeared to always have a great deal of mutual respect. It was Karmazin who fiercely protected Stern in the wake of the Super Bowl XXXVIII Halftime Show (produced by MTV and aired by CBS, both co-owned with Infinity-now CBS Radio-until CBS Corporation split off in 2006) and the FCC crackdown on shock jocks and obscenity, in general.

On October 25, 2005 Sirius announced that "E Street Radio", the exclusive channel of legendary artist Bruce Springsteen, would air from November 1, 2005 to January 31, 2006 on the Bridge - Channel 10.

Sports

Another cornerstone of Sirius’ business strategy has been to pursue exclusive sports content. Currently, Sirius has exclusive satellite radio broadcasting rights to all NFL, CFL and NBA games. Sirius also announced in December 2005 a multi-year deal with the NBA, which makes the satellite radio company the broadcaster of more live NBA games than any other radio outlet. Sirius airs Full Court Press, weekdays from 12pm-3pm ET; FCP is the only all-NBA show on Sirius. The agreement also creates a 24-hour NBA Radio Channel, located on channel 127. NHL games will be shared with XM for the 2005–2006 season, after which XM will have exclusive broadcast rights. Starting in 2007, Sirius will have full NASCAR coverage.

Sirius also has rights to a number of major college sports teams, including teams in the Big Ten and the Southeastern Conference as well as schools like Notre Dame. Beginning in 2005 Sirius also has exclusive radio rights to cover the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. In August 2004, Sirius launched NFL Radio, a 24-hour radio stream dedicated exclusively to covering the NFL. Sirius has also been aggressive in creating its own in-house produced studio sports radio content.

Sirius also broadcasts select English Premier League matches, in addition to airing World Soccer Daily, a Monday-Friday two hour talk show dedicated to soccer.

Other content

In June 2005, Sirius signed an agreement with BBC Radio 1 in the UK to rebroadcast the station to an American audience. Sirius also has exclusive satellite radio rights to National Public Radio, carrying two separate streams. The deal with NPR was the first high-profile deal entered into by Sirius.

With the launch of Sirius Canada in December 2005, American listeners gained five Canadian-produced stations including CBC Radio One, CBC Radio Three and Iceberg Radio in English, and Première Plus and Bandeapart in French. Iceberg Radio is programmed by Standard Broadcasting, which also provides a number of additional channels exclusive to Canada; the other four come from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. After a delay and outcry from Canadian subscribers, Sirius Canada added Howard Stern's Channel 100 to their lineup in early 2006. Channel 101, Stern's other channel (featuring Bubba the Love Sponge, Scott Ferrall, and other personalities), will be available in late June 2006. On Channel 17, listeners can partake in "Jambands" on the all-jam station, JamOn, which features Stef Scamardo, the wife of Allman Brothers Band and Gov't Mule guitarist/vocalist, Warren Haynes.

On March 14, 2006, Sirius added Cosmopolitan Radio, Playboy Radio, and returned the audio simulcast of the Fox News Channel TV feed, which was previously removed during a contract dispute. The service also added Fox's satellite talk radio channel, Fox News Talk.

Hard Attack is Sirius' heavy metal station. It plays all types of metal, from classic metal such as Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest, to thrash metal such as Testament, Overkill, and Kreator, to death metal such as Cannibal Corpse and Morbid Angel. It features three specialty shows: "Beyond the Pit", which is dedicated to playing death metal, black metal, and grindcore; "Contact High", which is dedicated to playing doom, sludge, and stoner metal, as well as "stoner rock" that is arguably not metal; and "Bloody Roots", hosted by Sound of the Beast author Ian Christe, which features a different topic each week relating to the history of metal.

SIRIUS Business Background Music for Businesses

In August 2003, SIRIUS partnered with Clearwater, FL-based Applied Media Technologies Corporation, the world's most recognized provider of telephone "on hold" messaging. AMTC, as the exclusive marketing partner for business subscriptions, provides SIRIUS service in a package branded as SIRIUS Business. For $24.95 per month, AMTC provides all of SIRIUS' 67 streams of commercial-free music, and pays all performance royalties to ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC, so that business owners may legally and conveniently play SIRIUS' music in their establishments.

Because SIRIUS Business provides SIRIUS' superior music selection using more modern (and thus more reliable) technology, and is available at a third or less of the cost of established business background music providers like Muzak, it is rapidly gaining immense popularity in business applications including retail stores, automobile dealerships, restaurants and hotels. SIRIUS Business is the preferred or mandatory music solution for such corporations as Huddle House, Big Boy Restaurants, Ford Motor Company, Chrysler, and Piggly Wiggly.

In conjunction with the SIRIUS receivers and subscriptions, AMTC also sells branded speakers, amplifiers, and public-address systems, including commercial-grade satellite antennas.

Sirius' satellites

Sirius’ spacecraft Radiosat 1 through Radiosat 4 were manufactured by Space Systems/Loral. The first three of the series were orbited in 2000 by Proton-K Block-DM3 launch vehicles. Radiosat 4 is a ground spare, in storage at SS/Loral’s facility in Palo Alto, California. The series of satellites from which they come, the SS/Loral LS-1300, is known to have problems with their solar array cells — a similar but more severe issue affects the Boeing satellites belonging to competitor XM Radio.

Sirius' satellites are called Radiosat (instead of after the company name), due to there already being a previous fleet of satellites launched also named SIRIUS, launched by Sweden's NSAB (Nordiska Satellitaktiebolaget, or Nordic Satellite AB, and known today as SES SIRIUS) and used for general telecommunications and satellite tv throughout Sweden and the rest of Scandinavia.

The Sirius uplink facility is located in Vernon, Sussex County, New Jersey.

Sirius does not as yet use geostationary satellites, though plans to expand their network in 2008 will add one. Currently, its three LS-1300 satellites fly in geosynchronous (24-hour orbital period) inclined elliptical orbits. Sirius says the elliptical path of its satellite constellation ensures that each satellite spends about 16 hours a day over the continental United States, with at least one satellite over the country at all times. Sirius completed its three-satellite constellation on November 30, 2000. A fourth satellite will remain on the ground, ready to be launched if any of the three active satellites encounter transmission problems.

The Sirius system is similar to that of XM Radio. Programs are beamed to one of the three Sirius satellites, which then transmit the signal to the ground, where your radio receiver picks up one of the channels within the signal. Signals are also beamed to ground repeaters for listeners in urban areas where the satellite signal can be interrupted.

Sirius offers car radios and home entertainment systems, as well as car and home kits for portable use. The Sirius receiver includes two parts — the antenna module and the receiver module. The antenna module picks up signals from the ground repeaters or the satellite, amplifies the signal and filters out any interference. The signal is then passed on to the receiver module. Inside the receiver module is a chipset consisting of eight chips. The chipset converts the signals from 2.3 gigahertz (GHz) to a lower intermediate frequency. Sirius also offers an adapter that allows conventional car radios to receive satellite signals.

Sirius broadcasts using 12.5 MHz of the S band: 2320 to 2332.5 MHz. Audio channels are digitally compressed using the ePAC codec from Lucent Technologies. This audio codec is also used by iBiquity for its HD Radio format.

On June 8, 2006, Space Systems/Loral announced that it was awarded a contract for the fifth Sirius spacecraft *. The new spacecraft will feature a nine-meter unfurlable reflector. The first four Sirius spacecraft used more traditional parabolic reflectors. The new satellite has been designed for geostationary orbit, unlike the other satellites in the constellation; the different orbit has the stated purpose of allowing for more consistent reception for fixed location users (many subscribers have reported having to regularly reposition their antennae for optimal reception).

Receivers

As of 2005, Sirius receivers are available for various new Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Infiniti, Jaguar, Jeep, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mercury, MINI, Nissan, Scion, Toyota, Porsche, Volkswagen, and Volvo vehicles, and the service plans on adding availability for portable use. Starting in 2006, all Rolls-Royce vehicles sold in the United States come with a Sirius radio and lifetime subscription as standard equipment. Sirius has an exclusive contract for VW and Audi vehicles from 2007 through 2012, and with Kia from 2008 through 2014, with an optional extension to 2017.

They also make many receivers for aftermarket installs as well, including the Sportster Replay, Starmate Replay, Sirius S50 with built in 1GB MP3 player, and the Sirius One. Sirius' hardware lineup is available at Sirius.com

Some popular radios from Sirius:

  • SIRIUS S50
  • SIRIUS Starmate ST1 (note: ST1C is the Canadian version)
  • SIRIUS Starmate Replay ST2
  • SIRIUS Sportster Exec. Docking Station Package
  • SIRIUS Sportster Radio with Boombox Package
  • Tivoli's SIRIUS Table Radio
  • Kenwood H2EV Radio with Car and Home Kits
  • Clarion Calypso SIRIUS Radio with Car Kit
  • XACT XTR1 Radio with Car Kit

Note: Sirius subscribers are also able to access all of the proprietary music channels and a small sampling of the talk stations via online streaming through sirius.com, although a new Yahoo! Widget designed to look like a miniature Sportster model is gaining popularity with streaming listeners.

Each receiver must be connected to an external antenna, which is included when you buy the receiver. Antenna placement is crucial to receiving a clear signal. In some locations users have experienced difficulty receiving the Sirius programming because the signal is not consistently strong. For best reception, antennae should be placed such that they have an unobstructed view of the sky (preferably on rooftops without overhanging eaves or trees). If this is not an option, the antenna should be placed on an exterior wall.

Radio stations

Sirius in Canada

In November, 2004, a partnership between Sirius, Standard Broadcasting and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation filed an application with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to introduce Sirius in Canada. The application was approved on June 16, 2005. The decision was appealed to the Canadian federal cabinet by a number of broadcasting, labour, and arts and culture organizations, including the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting, CHUM Limited, and the National Campus and Community Radio Association. The groups objected to Sirius’ approach to and reduced levels of Canadian content and French language programming, along with the exclusion of Canadian non-commercial broadcasting. After a lengthy debate, cabinet rejected the appeals on September 9, 2005.

Sirius Canada was officially launched December 1, 2005.

Sirius Canada did not initially carry Howard Stern. Despite popular belief that Stern's broadcast was banned by the CRTC, this is not the case — Sirius Canada, in fact, voluntarily chose not to air the program at the time of its launch in Canada. A significant number of Canadians have purchased grey market subscriptions to Sirius' American service to listen to Stern, although owing to the nature of grey market economics a precise number is difficult to verify. Howard 100 News has stated on air that they estimate at least 60,000 grey market satellite subscriptions in Canada; in December, the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail reported that business analysts in Canada estimate a total of 60,000 grey market subscribers to both Sirius and XM combined. * (It should be noted that this figure also includes an unverified number of listeners who subscribed before the Canadian satellite radio services launched at all — the analysts' figures did not offer any estimate of how many Canadians chose a grey market subscription over Sirius Canada specifically because of Stern.)

On January 11, 2006, a Canadian writer interviewed on Stern's show announced an online petition to bring Stern to Sirius Canada*.

On February 1, 2006, The Globe and Mail reported the announcement that Stern's show on Howard 100 would become available in Canada as of February 6, 2006. *

Sirius had previously disabled the Howard Stern channels on radios with a Canadian ESN number, even if they were subscribed to American content from an American address. Most of these radios have a 'C' suffix in the model name. For example, the Sirius ONE radio is model "SV1" in the United States, but "SV1C" in Canada. However, Sirius could not stop grey market receivers from picking up the American programming. The blocking of the Howard Stern channels is anticipated to change once the announced return of Stern to Canada takes place.

As of mid-June 2006, Sirius Canada has added Howard 101 to their lineup.

See also

External links

Official SIRIUS Satellite Radio websites

SIRIUS Fan Sites

SIRIUS Satellite Information Links

Sirius Satellite Radio | 1990 establishments | Companies based in New York City

Sirius Satellite Radio | Sirius Satellite Radio

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Sirius Satellite Radio".

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