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SiriusXM will debut a new permanent 24/7 single artist channel on May 18 with the launch of The Beatles Channel. Launching at 9:09am, the channel will feature programming produced in collaboration with and fully authorized by The Beatles’ Apple Corps Ltd. The channel will focus exclusively on music produced by the band and its four members other projects. Among the programs to be heard on the channel will be: Breakfast with The Beatles – A morning show hosted by musician Chris Carter My Fab Four – A daily guest DJ show playing their four favorite Beatles songs The Fab Fourum...

The Internet music listeners should be plugged into whether or not the new chairman of the House Judiciary Committee will reform how the government sets its royalty payments. The new chairman, Rep. Robert W. Goodlatte (R.Va.) is a self-described fan of web radio and the chairman of the Congressional Internet Caucus, so the expectation is that he will bring an end to the music feudalism, where broadcast radio pays nothing in recorded performance royalties, but web-based music services, what the government calls “non-interactive transmission,” pay 50 percent of their revenues. In the last Congress, bills in the House and Senate...

Jim, Kindly consider adding Tom Sullivan to the “Talkshow Links” section of Free Republic. I think Sullivan is one of the best Talk Show Host on either radio or TV. He is very informed about political and social issues and is very even handed, polite and considerate of other opinions in dealing with callers to his Fox Radio broadcast. I’m not sure where Fox News stands with their negotiations with XM, but this quality host needs support to keep FOX News Talk on XM. There may be “Terms of Use” issues involved with Fox News links; however, there should not...

The AP reports today that Dr. Laura Schlessinger will move directly from terrestrial radio syndication, through her Take On The Day shop, to Sirius XM as of January 3, 2011. Schlessinger voluntarily decided to leave terrestrial radio after the mid-August N-word controversy, and hadn’t made any announcement about her radio plans past December 31. (She already has a full schedule of other activities, including personal appearances and her writing.) It’s unclear whether this news was supposed to get out over the holiday weekend, because the AP story says “Sirius XM said Monday it has a multi-year deal with Schlessinger.” There...

New York, NY (AHN) - After its recent merger was finally completed, the Sirius-XM satellite radio company is moving ahead with new products, including an all-in-one radio that allows consumers to receive all its channels on one product. The company's product, called The Mirge, allows subscibers of its all in one programming package to listen to Sirius XM's entire catalog of programming, including coverage of every major sports league and many college sports games. The biggest difference between The Mirge, and all of Sirius-XM's other radios is that Sirius subscribers can finally have access to MLB game coverage, previously only...

As the movie progressed, it became less about Sirius XM and more about the stock market as a whole. The film features experts such as  Martine Rothblatt,  Susanne Trimbath, PhD, Bud Burrell, Wes Christian and bloggers such as myself and Tyler Savery. The movie I believe succeeded in its goal of explaining to the viewer the devastating effects of naked short selling on the American financial system as well as the disruption caused by the removal of the uptick rule. In fact, I believe it to be the highlight of the film.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sirius XM Radio Inc has been working with its advisers to prepare for a possible bankruptcy filing, the New York Times reported on its website on Tuesday, citing people close to the company. The move could put pressure on satellite television company EchoStar Corp, which reportedly holds a substantial amount of Sirius XM debt. The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that EchoStar chief Charles Ergen made an offer to take control of the satellite radio company late last year, but he was rebuffed. Sirius officials did not respond to several telephone and email messages, and EchoStar...

Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen. First off, I apologize for the vanity, but I have a serious question for any Mark Levin fans out there. Are you having difficulty listening to his program on XM Channel 166 in the evenings? His program begins at 5 PM CST, and is supposed to run to 7 PM CST. That said, XM has been pulling his show off the air at 6 PM CST, and the channel then broadcasts a recorded message stating that XM Channel 166 is temporarily off the air. Now, this could happen every now and again for whatever technical...

Satellite radio company faces $1 billion debt, hurt by lagging car sales Barely three months after the long-delayed merger of satellite radio companies Sirius and XM, the newly combined Sirius XM Radio is struggling to stay afloat. The company has just another three months to start paying down more than $1 billion in debt that's maturing in 2009 at a time when credit markets are freezing up. It remains heavily dependent on automobile sales for new subscriber additions just as U.S. car sales are tanking. And its stock price is in a yearlong free-fall that has sparked an investor lawsuit....

WASHINGTON - Federal regulators have formally approved the merger of the nation's only two satellite radio operators, ending a 16-month-long drama closely watched by Washington and Wall Street. Sirius Satellite Radio Inc.'s $3.6 billion buyout of rival XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. will mean 18 million-plus subscribers will be able to receive programming from both services. Executives say it will mean huge cost savings that will lead to a first-ever profit for the relatively nascent industry.

Following the obvious political posturing at the Federal Communications Commission, Howard Stern called the opposition to the merger "communism" and vowed to never vote Democrat again. "I've voted Republican and I've voted Democrat," said Stern on the air. "I have vowed I will never vote for a Democrat again. I don't give a %#@% - no matter who they are." Stern took it even further and called the Democrat commissioners "communists" and referred to their tactics as "gangsterism." "The fact that these Democrats on the FCC are communists," Stern added. "They're for communism. They don't want to see companies... this...

Sirius Satellite Radio host Howard Stern supports the merger of his network with XM Satelitte Radio and is fuming at Democratic opposition on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) panel. After FCC commissioners announced they have reached a deal to approve the merger of Sirius (NASDAQ:SIRI) and XM (NASDAQ:XMSR), Stern ranted about Democrats’ ‘gangsterism’ and ‘communism’ and the obstacles to the merger.

XM-Sirius merger OKd in fines plus booster-dump deal Woo FCC with $19m in 'voluntary contributions' XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio are nearing a final agreement with US regulators to approve their long-pending merger. The companies agreed to pay millions of dollars in fines in order to grease the wheels of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for formal approval of their proposed monopoly. Some officials and lawmakers are concerned that leaving only one company to rule satellite radio airwaves will lead to price-hikes and anti-competitive behavior. But XM and Sirius are approaching a final pact with the FCC that...

Shares of merger partners Sirius Satellite Radio (SIRI) and XM Satellite Radio (XMSR) are trading higher today following reports that FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, a Democrat who had been expected to oppose the deal, has proposed terms to the company on which he would vote to approve it. As Reuters notes, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has proposed that the deal be approved as long as the companies agree to provide radios that receive both services, cap prices for three years, offer programming on an “a la carte” basis, and make 24 channels available for non-commercial and minority programming. Adelstein wants...

B.B. King signs on to host weekly music show Iconic Bluesman to Take On DJ Duties in September! Blues music icon B.B. King will begin hosting his own weekly music show for XM Radio beginning in September 2008. The program will feature a broad range of blues and gospel music hand-selected by King, along with stories about the artists and other personal anecdotes from the bluesman's epic career. In anticipation of King's hosting debut, today XM relaunched its dedicated blues channel "Bluesville" as "BB King's Bluesville (XM 74).

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin J. Martin said yesterday that he will support a merger between the nation's sole satellite radio operators, XM and Sirius, a decision that could remove the last regulatory hurdle in the lengthy and heavily criticized move to make the companies one. ... The companies have agreed to: ... set aside 4 percent of their radio spectrums, or 12 channels, for noncommercial services such as educational and public safety programming. They would lease another 12 channels for programming run by minorities and women, groups that are underrepresented in entertainment broadcasting

And we thought that the idea of a monopoly was what was holding up the Sirius-XM satellite radio merger. Nu-uh. Nope. It's about setting aside a ton of channels on the new satellite conglomerate for "minorities" and "public broadcasting." So says the BUSH-nominated "Republican" chairman of the FCC, Kevin Martin. Who needs liberals when Republicans are doing the "Heckuva Job"?: Much of the attention at the FCC over the next few weeks will focus on the issue of satellite channels that are set aside for noncommercial programming and minority-owned programming. FCC Chairman Martin suggested 8% of the combined company's lineup...

Senior members of the Congressional Black Caucus yesterday criticized a compromise plan for the proposed merger of the XM and Sirius satellite radio companies, saying the deal does not provide enough opportunities for minority-owned programming. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin J. Martin said over the weekend that he would support the merger after XM Satellite Radio Holdings and Sirius Satellite Radio voluntarily agreed, among a series of other concessions, to lease 4 percent of their radio spectrums, or 12 channels, for programming run by minorities and women. Members of the black caucus on Capitol Hill have been arguing for the...

When XM Satellite Radio signed its 8-year deal with Major League Baseball, part of the terms included an annual payment of $60 million plus a $120 million escrow account. XM now faces a serious hurdle - the surety bond for the $120 million expires June 30, and XM has replaced that bond by using $57.5 million in available cash and taking out a $62.5 million loan. According to the Washington Post, that move reduces XM's liquidity, and according to a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, "could have an adverse effect on our financial position if we are not...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sirius Satellite Radio's $4.59 billion purchase of rival XM Satellite Radio was given antitrust clearance on Monday as the Justice Department concluded consumers have many alternatives, including mobile phones and personal audio players. The deal, announced in February 2007, would combine the only two providers of satellite radio in the United States and is still being reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission. "Competition in the marketplace generally protects consumers and I have no reason to believe that this won't happen here," Justice Department antitrust chief, Thomas Barnett, told a conference call with reporters. The traditional radio industry,...