Satellite radio operators XM and Sirius have announced a definitive $13 billion merger agreement which would cut the number of satellite radio operators in the U.S. from two to one. Under the terms of the agreement, Mel Karmazin will become CEO of the combined company, while XM chair Gary Parsons will take on the role of Chairman; XM shareholders will receive 4.6 shared os Sirius stock for every share of XM stock they own. XM and Sirius will each own about 50 percent of the combined company under what the firms characterize as a "merger of equals."
Tag Archive: Hugh Panero
Oprah Comes to XM Radio Today
The new "Oprah & Friends" channel will feature a broad range of talk programming including callers that can phone in to the show. XM Satellite will have exclusivety to the channel for now.
Some of the guest appearances will include: Donald Trump, Julia Louis- Dreyfus, Annette Bening, Jon Bon Jovi, Nora Ephron, Carnie Wilson, Norman Lear, The New York Times’ columnist Thomas Friedman, former presidential candidate Sen. Dennis Kucinich, and others.
XM Announces Expanded Lexus Presence
XM Satellite Radio today announced they’ve increased their presence in luxury car maker Lexus vehicles by beginning to offer standard, factory-installed satellite radio in select upcoming models. This builds upon a relationship which XM began with Lexus parent company Toyota in 2004.
As part of its increased presence, said XM, satellite radio will become a standard feature in the new 2007 Lexus LS 460 L as well as the next hybrid 2008 LS 600h L. These two vehicles will also offer XM’s real time traffic service known as XM NavTraffic. This satellite traffic information service displays real-time traffic conditions on a vehicle’s navigation system in covered areas and is powered by NAVTEQ Traffic.
XM to Broadcast in Surround Sound
XM Satellite Radio and audio development company Neural Audio today announced that select XM channels would begin broadcasting in 5.1 surround sound later this year. XM plans to demo XM HD Surround at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.
XM HD Surround, said the satellite radio company, will become available on new home audio systems from the likes of Denon, Onkyo, Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc., and Yamaha in March 2006. The initial channels XM will broadcast in 5.1 surround sound, which the company says is a first for 24 hour a day stations, include free-form music channel Fine Tuning (XM Channel 76) and the classical pops music channel XM Pops (XM Channel 113) in XM HD Surround. XM will also broadcast a variety of special shows and live music performances at the XM studios in surround sound.
XM Goes Good Morning America
XM Satellite Radio and ABC News today announced a deal under which subscribers to the satellite radio service will soon be able to listen to a special radio version of Good Morning America. The Good Morning America Radio Show will debut on XM’s Take Five women’s talk and lifestyle channel starting January 23, 2006.
The Good Morning America Radio Show, which will air Monday-Saturday from 8 am to 12 pm ET, will feature Diane Sawyer, Charles Gibson and Robin Roberts along with radio personality Hilarie Barsky. The radio program will combine news and interviews from “Good Morning America” and original content that expands upon segments and topics discussed on the televised morning news program.
XM Integrates with Napster for New Service
What does “XM + Napster†equal? A new way to generate revenue for the two companies and a way for you to satisfy your craving for buying and downloading that obscure tune you heard on one of XM’s many music channels.
The deal announced today between XM Satellite Radio and Napster creates a new “XM + Napster†online service, the two companies said. When it debuts in the fourth quarter of this year in conjunction with new XM/MP3 players such as the ones being produced by Samsung, XM listeners will be able to “mark†the songs they like through the player for later purchase on Napster. The purchased songs can be listened to online or downloaded to the player for later offline enjoyment.
New Samsung MP3 Players to Feature XM Radio
Samsung and XM Satellite Radio today said they would be doing business together in the form of new MP3 players with XM Satellite Radio capability. The fruits of this joint labor will be available in two storage capacities and are expected by year’s end. Part of the purchase will also include a XM Radio home accessory kit.
XM Records Huge Second Quarter Growth
If you happened to notice a little stub appear on the roof of your neighbor’s car recently, odds are he or she is one of the 640,000 new net subscribers XM Radio added to its listener base during the second quarter of 2005.
This new hoard of satellite radio owners ups the total for XM to over 4.4 million. This growth, the company announced today, represents a 53 percent growth over this same time last year. It also reflects a 18 percent jump from the first quarter of this year, when 540,000 new net subscribers signed up.
Could XM Radio Come to Your Cell Phone?
“XM Satellite Radio is holding active discussions with wireless carriers about offering some form of its radio service on mobile phones, XM chief executive Hugh Panero said on Monday.
“We have conversations that are ongoing with the carriers about going into the wireless market,” XM CEO Hugh Panero told Reuters in an interview. “They are clearly looking for content to support their platform and we are a logical place for them”
Source: Reuters
Hyundai Adds XM Satellite To Entire Line
Starting in 2006, XM radios will be factory-installed in all Hyundai models, beginning with the all-new Sonata, Santa Fe, Elantra, and the upcoming replacement for the XG350 premium sedan. By year-end 2006, 75% of Hyundai’s sales volume will be XM-equipped, with the remaining models following quickly thereafter, totaling well over 500,000 units by 2007.
“Including XM as standard equipment in all of its vehicles makes this one of the most aggressive automotive rollouts of XM Satellite Radio ever,” said Hugh Panero, President and CEO of XM Satellite Radio. “Hyundai is one of the fastest-growing automakers in the world today, and it has earned outstanding ratings for quality, reliability, and safety. We know that Hyundai customers are going to love XM’s award-winning programming as they travel from coast to coast.”
