Earlier this month Howard Stern, on his Sirius XM
As someone who spends a great deal of time in my car each week because of my job, I can tell you that the benefits of commercial-free music channels far outweigh the benefits of terrestrial radio (which is, essentially, the fact that it is free). I’m willing to spend $13 per month to listen to commercial free music for about two hours every day that I have to commute to and from work or travel around the state. Sure, some other commuters may not need this service and if I traveled a much shorter distance to work, then I might not have Sirius XM
But what bothers me in this situation is the rumor mongering that only takes into account what Stern said on one day. No one mentions that on the very next day he said that if he wasn’t on Sirius XM
I want Howard Stern back on cable TV! His show did wonders for me as a teenager!– even if I did have to use my imagination a little…
Ha ha ha! Now that Howard has Howard TV, I don’t think he’ll be jumping back on cable any time soon. But you might want to invest in Howard TV – I had it for a few months last year and it was pretty entertaining…I’m sure you’d enjoy it!
Ironic I find a post regarding Howard Stern and Sirius XM here. Earlier today, I wrote a very extensive posting about the impact the Internet will have on radio and the radical change you will see in the next couple of years. I honestly think that Sirius XM has no where to go. In a few years, when the Internet is available in all cell phones and MP3 players and new automobiles, the best bet is for Howard to broadcast on his own website, sell his own advertising and possibly charge a small subscription fee.
I wrote this post about six days ago (I’ve got myself on a schedule where I’m writing my posts well in advance of them being visible on the site – helps in maintaining continuity). So while I couldn’t have been influenced by your post on WithReason.net (though I enjoyed reading it just now!), I did read the same article from the NY Times today. I think the Times did a lot to paint a dead-or-dying picture of satellite radio. It’s not whether Sirius has anywhere to go, per se. It’s how the product continues to be a valuable service to those who spend a great deal of time on the road.
Sure, internet radio is coming along and the advent of the iPhone can bring much to the portable media landscape, but the truth is that there will always be people who don’t want to be bothered. There will also always be people who don’t care about spending $155 per year for commercial-free radio. And then you have the outliers – people who don’t want to program their own listening experience, but rather listen to whatever the radio gives them. Anyone who compares free radio to commercial-free satellite radio (and who is telling the truth) will say that free radio is unlistenable once you’ve heard the commercial-free alternative.
As a stockholder, I see my eleven cent stock being worth about $2 in 16 – 20 months. That’s a good enough return for this small-time investor to keep on investing in this company!