Free Republic

XM Satellite Radio has cut its forecast for subscriber growth for the second time and reports a wider loss for its latest quarter. However, subscriber gains last quarter did help push revenue up 82 percent. The District-based broadcaster, which earlier this month lowered its goal for subscribers from 9 million to 8.5 million, now says it expects to end the year with between 7.7 million and 8.2 million, citing "marketplace dynamics and regulatory uncertainties." Both XM and rival Sirius have stopped sales of some radios after the Federal Communications Commission questioned whether they complied with rules. For the quarter, XM's...

Since the inception of satellite radio, consumers have been forced to choose between two competing networks, XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. and Sirius Satellite Radio Inc., depending on the kind of hardware they buy. But new documents show the rival companies have designed a receiver capable of carrying both services — a development that could significantly alter the competitive landscape of the emerging industry. However, despite spending more than $5-million (U.S.) on the project, XM and Sirius have no plans to let consumers in Canada or the U.S. get their hands on the devices. Though the broadcast licences granted in...

There's been a recent obsession over mobile content, from both the mobile operators and content providers. For the most part, this obsession was due to the unsustainable success of the ringtone market. Mobile operators who were desperate for more revenue from each subscriber suddenly thought mobile content was their ticket to big money. Content companies scared silly by the internet looked at mobile phones as basically a better internet -- because it's closed. However, that makes one huge assumption: that it always remains closed -- something that anyone with a sense of tech trends should have realized wasn't going to...

In Wall Street terms, the recent “weakness” in XM Satellite Radio shares is “unwarranted,” and could actually be seen by investors as a buying opportunity. Sirius Satellite Radio has its own cheerleaders, as well, but two of the three analysts Billboard Radio Monitor surveyed think Sirius shares are worth about $5 per share, while one analyst pegs those shares to finish 2006 at $9. XM and Sirius shares each hit a 52-week low yesterday (March 14) during the trading day. For XM that low was $20.26 per share, but the stock ended at $20.50 when the market closed. Historically, and...

Until recently, XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. and its rival Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. were engaged in a tit-for-tat, deal-for-deal face-off. Sirius landed the NFL; XM responded with baseball. XM signed an exclusive deal with General Motors Corp.; Sirius partnered with DaimlerChrysler AG. XM scored former NPR Morning Edition host Bob Edwards; Sirius lured away shock jock Howard Stern from terrestrial radio giant Infinity Broadcasting. But for all the billions the two companies have committed to differentiating themselves from each other, they are increasingly following similar business strategies, analysts say. And that might not be a bad thing for the...