Sirius satellites radio's David Frear spoke at the Bernstein Conference today, and covered SIRIUS video and bandwidth:

Video and additional bandwidth are basically tied at the hip. Sirius has developed a hierarchical modulation, which they now refer to as (thankfully) "Overlay Modulation". Overlay Modulation allows Sirius to in effect increase the use of their current bandwidth by 25%.

It is this additional capacity that will allow Sirius to offer three live video channels. They will also have some capacity to spare, enabling them to tweak other content as opportunity arises.

Frear indicated that these services may be available as early as the end of the year.

Get more via SSG

SIRIUS CFO, David Frear, confirmed that all SIRIUS Satellite Radio receivers are in full FCC compliance. Frear stated that some reveivers went to the manufacturers and they took care of the problem a while ago. He added, All SIRIUS Radios are in full FCC compliance. Case closed.

Now if you talk to Banc of America Securities analyst Jonathan Jacoby, yesterday he was suggesting SIRIUS could be the next satellite radio operator to temporarily halt production of their radios over concerns that transmitters in their radios are also out of compliance with FCC regs. (more on this BS here)

Hey Jonathan, you are wrong once more buddy... Banc of America should take a look at the guy. He is so pro XM, and so anti-SIRIUS.. This is one dude that I would never trust with my investments.

If you are out of the loop on all this XM has confirmed that they had to suspended shipments of some XM radios.. Get more on that via orbitcast.com

Rumor:
GSI can not get official confirmation on this (so we will call it a rumor as of now), but we have gotten word that Monday will be the kick off to Howard Stern Streaming online. We are also told that some changes to the online player are also coming soon. The new system will only let one person log in at a time per username. So if you have one radio, this will let you have one computer logged in to listen online. If you have 2 radios will now get 2 log in names and passwords to listen online, and so on. So the number of radios you have on your account will be the number of usernames and passwords to listen online with… It looks like SIRIUS is getting ready for this launch… If you log in to your account on SIRIUS.com and you have more then one radio active, you can now set up new log in info for each ESN number. If you only have one radio active you are all set.. If you have 2 or more radio active you should log in and set up some new usernames and passwords so every radio will have its own log in info. SBS has more on this also here…

SIRIUS now owns the 20 year catalog of Howard Stern materials will be available to them for the Howard Stern channels through the duration of his contract with Sirius. However, their 8-K, released today, states that this 2 million dollars is the ONLY payment under the settlement agreement that they will be paying out. Whether Stern did or did not have to pay out anything himself is unknown due to a seal on the settlement agreement.From Sirius's 8-K:Section 8.01 - Other Events. The lawsuit brought by CBS Radio Inc. against us along with Howard Stern and others referenced in Item 3 of our 2005 Annual Report on Form 10-K has been settled. As part of the settlement, CBS Radio is conveying its rights in the recordings of the Howard Stern Show that aired on CBS Radio from 1985 through 2005. SIRIUS will have the right to use those recordings as part of our Howard Stern channels through December 2010. .A Read the full 8-K: HERE.

Sirius Satellite Radio Chief Executive Mel Karmazin purchased 1 million shares of Sirius common stock Tuesday at $4.47 a share. Karmazin now has 6.5 million shares of SIRIUS, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

GSI has a first look at the New SIRIUS Sportster packaging.. Look for this unit to hit the streets very soon.. More about this unit here

Now that Satellite radio is getting more and more popular, there has been an increase in online retailers chasing in. Some of these online stores are misleading and trying to trap folks in these lies.

We at GSI want to point out some scams that are currently being run by some online retailers selling SIRIUS items.

1. Posting what they call "Regular Price" then posting a deep discounted price they call a "Sale Price".. It is important to know what the MSRP is on an item, MSRP is the Manufactures Suggested Retail Price.. Some retailers do set their price higher then the MSRP… Then make a fake sale, and set a price that is right around the MSRP.
2. Misleading shipping dates… Many of these underground retailers are posting lines like "In Stock and Shipping" as a headline to an item.. Then when you read the small print, it states "Usually Ships in 2-3 Business Days"
3. Running many online stores under what is called "Fronts" many different names under the same umbrella.
4. Having very low prices for Items then adding high shipping cost.. Some even add "Other Fees"

How to make sure you are buying SIRIUS items from an online store that is not trying to rip you off:

1. Make sure the store you are buying from is an "SIRIUS authorized Retailer". Most pages post this at the top right around the store name.. If you have to look for it.. Question it.
2. Make sure you know the MSRP, if the item is way below the MSRP question it! It is important to note the MSRP will change as a product is on the market for some time.

The reason we are posting this is because we have gotten many emails about a certain online store. We will not name this store for legal reasons but they are currently baiting customers with some false and misleading info. The store in question is stating that they have the Sportster 4 "In Stock and Shipping" (we are told by Directed Electronics that the Sportster 4 will be shipping this week to retailers) This same store that tells us the this unit is "In Stock and Shipping" also on the same page has this line "Usually Ships in 2-3 Business Days"… Now that line is most likely the truth.. The units will ship from Directed on Tuesday (Monday is a holiday) getting to retailers 2-3 Business Days after that.. Then they will ship it out.. The other shitty thing this store is doing.. is posting a "Regular Price" of $229.00 for the Sportster 4.. Now that is odd because this Press Release from SIRIUS states, "With an MSRP of $169.99…"

So as new SIRIUS stuff hits the market be on the look out! Now please note there are some very good online retailers out there.. Just do your homework on who you give your money. I personally get all my SIRIUS items online, and do most shopping online… It is the best way to shop, but there are some assholes out there!!!

GSI is told by a source at Directed Electronics (the maker of the Sportsters, Starmates, and S50 radios), that the new Sportster 4 SP4-TK1 will be shipping out to retailers this week. It is important to note the Monday is a federal holiday and nothing will ship.

We are also told to look for the unit at smaller retailers and online stores first, because the big guys have more of a supply chain that adds a few days.

The new sportster will retail fro around $170.00 and WILL NOT have a rebate at first.

More info on the unit:

* A replay feature that allows users to pause, rewind and replay up to 44
minutes of live SIRIUS programming, and play back individual selections
from the buffer

* SIRIUS Game Zone(TM) that lets users select favorite teams from each of
the sports leagues, including NFL, NBA and NHL, and view scores on one
screen

* SIRIUS Game Alert(TM) that advises users when their favorite teams begin
playing and when scores change

* MEMO with S-Seek Alert stores names of favorite artists, songs and
programs, and alerts users when playing on any channel

* Program alert that allows users to program the Sportster4 to switch to a
selected channel at a specific time

* One-touch Jump(TM) that takes users to and from their local SIRIUS
traffic and weather broadcast or any favorite SIRIUS music, sports or
talk channel with the touch of a button

* A new vehicle dock with an auxiliary input for MP3 players

Sportster4 also boasts 30 presets, parental controls, a real-time satellite updated clock with 7 times zones, auto shutdown and sleep timer. Sportster4 includes the receiver, remote control, vehicle docking station, suction cup and vent clip mounting options featuring a standard AMPS bolt pattern and auxiliary input for MP3 players, vehicle power adapter and magnetic ultra low profile antenna. A boombox and other new accessories will be available this summer.

Via New York Post, Page Six:

"CALL out the strippers and bring in the lesbians, Howard Stern has settled his $500 million lawsuit with CBS Radio and insiders say he's making out like a bandit.

CBS says Stern's new employer, Sirius Satellite Radio, will pay $2 million to keep 20 years worth of Stern-show tapes it claimed he took without permission when he noisily bolted terrestrial radio last year....

While other terms of the settlement were confidential, industry sources say the shock jock and his agent, Don Buchwald, will shell out less than $10 million to end the fight over a jaw-dropping $220 million jackpot they collected from Sirius. Incredibly, that amount was bonus above and beyond Stern's already-juicy $500 million, five-year deal with SIRIUS.

And with the old tapes now in the shaggy-haired jock's sweaty palms, there's talk of a "Classic Howard Stern" station that would air his past K-Rock shows unbleeped."

More via NY Post

Rumor: A GSI source is reporting that SIRIUS and Stern are thinking about adding a 3rd Stern station that will have classic stern shows, "without the beeps" now that Stern and SIRIUS have the rights to the K-Rock shows. Our Alliance partner is also reporting this Rumor. Again this is just some chatter right now. It is a fact that Stern is allowed 3 stations on SIRIUS, this is part of their contact. We will follow this.. Also get more from Satellite Standard Group! There is over 20 years worth of content from K-rock!

As we told you yesterday, About.com and Howard Stern both are fans of the Inside Sirius Alliance.

This alliance of SIRIUS fan pages started on April 18th 2006 and is happy to report today some news about our alliance!

We have updated our alliance home page at www.insidesiriusalliance.com
This updated page is your one stop for all the SIRIUS info you need with news headlines and program guides.. Check it out today!

Coming soon to SIRIUS//22 First Wave
Saturday Night Safety Dance - New Show Debut on June 3 at 9 pm to 3 am ET

Finally, a soundtrack to your Saturday nights! Six hours of continuous classic alternative dance mixes from artists like Depeche Mode, The Cure, New Order, The Pet Shop Boys, Yaz and more.
more

He is only 19! You've seen him on Leno and Conan. You've heard him on his own internet radio station and across the dial, interviewing sports newsmakers like Pete Rose, Terrell Owens and O.J. Simpson. Nineteen year-old Graham Bensinger is the next generation of sports commentary -- a fresh face with a young sound to cut through the clutter of the same old sports talk. Starting Saturday May 27 10a-1p on SIRIUS Sports Action 123

FIRST ON GSI! - Get Rebate Forms Below
As GSI first reported starting on Sunday SIRIUS is adding some new rebates for Fathers Day!

SIRIUS S50 NOW $100.00 Rebate for S50 & Car kit.. Get a $20 rebate on the Executive docking... Saving $120.00...
SIRIUS is also adding $20.00 rebates to most boomboxes...

Click on the images to see full details of this rebate offer update!!!

Starting on Sunday you can get the S50 for only $149.99 at TSS Radio!!!

$100.00 Rebate for S50
$150.00 Rebate for S50 and Executive System
Other SIRIUS Radios upto $50.00 and $20.00 off Boomboxes

GSI was told that this would happen.. and it is... The S50 will be getting a $100.00 Rebate starting on Sunday.. Now on shop.sirius.com there is a $100.00 rebate posted on the S50.. Making it just $199.99... ($100.00 off $299.99 is $199.99) In the past SIRIUS rebates start on Sundays.. GSI WAS TOLD BY A SPOKESPERSON THIS IS NOT STARTING TILL SUNDAY!!

GSI would guess that other retailers will show this $100.00 off starting on Sunday... Some places like TSS radio have the $249.00 before any rebate.. when this new $100.00 starts that would make the S50 with car kit for only $149.00... WOW!!! Could this be the start of the end for the S50..

WOW now this is cool! Doing my SIRIUS news search on Yahoo! today I found a link to a story by about.com on our Alliance Partner DogstarRadio.com... (more on this below)Then I looked at our hits today and WOW!! It is always good to see news about SIRIUS fan pages... Today was a very big day for The Inside Sirius Alliance! Not only did DogstarRadio.com get featured on about.com.. The Satellite Standard Group had one of its stories read on the Stern show today… A 2^nd story from SSG was posted on howardstern.com a few weeks back..

All this is just more proof that the members of this alliance are the most powerful and most read SIRIUS fan pages out there! Thanks to our daily visitors and the thousands of folks who found us today!

Here is more on the About.com story done by Corey Deitz... "New Ways to View Upcoming and Popular Programming"

If you are a SIRIUS Satellite Radio subscriber, you may be interested in DogstarRadio.com.

This website features a comprehensive set of Sirius programming schedules in a variety of useful formats. For instance, you can view information like: "Top 40 Most Popular Shows", "Full SIRIUS Schedule", "Weekly Channel Schedules", and more.

DogstarRadio.com has other features including "feeds" which you can add to your own website. Feeds include:
"Top 5 Shows On Right Now"
"Now Playing Feed"
and
"Inside Sirius Alliance News"

The DogstarRadio.com website also displays news feeds from various other SIRIUS-related websites including: GetSiriusInfo.com, Orbitcast.com, Sirius Fan Network, and Satellite Standard Group.

Thanks for the plug Howard and Corey!

SIRIUS paid CBS $2,000,000... Stern now has full ownership of the tapes from his K-Rock days. SIRIUS gets use of the tapes with no additional compensation to stern for the length of the current Stern deal.

We are told there is more to this deal but, no one is talking details as of now...

more

Jimmy Buffett was on the NBC Today Show, kicking off the summer concerts, for that show...

It looks like SIRIUS sent some folks a few blocks over to the NBC studios with some big posters!

These big posters have made it on air a lot! With a large SIRIUS and Radio Margaritaville logo, just some more FREE PR for SIRIUS!

SIRIUS is the home to Radio Margaritaville on SIRIUS//31

Via Reuters
Shares of SIRIUS climbed 11 percent on Thursday after it stood by its 2006 subscriber forecast, even as its bigger rival backed off its expectations for new satellite radio users.

Sirius shares rose to a session high of $4.13 on Nasdaq after it said late on Wednesday that it still expects to have a total of 6.2 million subscribers by the end of the year.

Only a few hours earlier, XM Satellite Radio Holdings, the bigger provider of nationwide radio service for a monthly fee, trimmed its year-end outlook to 8.5 million from 9 million, citing weaker demand and the slow introduction of new products.

Sirius also said it continues to expect to generate positive free cash flow for the full year 2007.

Sirius' stock had declined on Wednesday in sympathy with XM's news, analysts said. But analysts noted that XM's woes appear to be unique to XM.

"While we interpret XM's pullback as overdone, it was self-inflicted. Sirius's pullback, however, was undeserved," said Oppenheimer & Co. analyst Thomas Egam in a client note.

Barrington Research analyst James Goss maintained his "outperform" rating on Sirius, saying the stock is "the current preferred choice for those interested in participating in this industry segment." He cut XM to "market perform" from "outperform."

XM has more than 6.5 million subscribers, and Sirius has some 4.1 million subscribers. The sector remains one of the world's fasting growing new technologies, and analysts have forecast total users may top 40 million in a few years.

But XM has been battered this year with bad news, including probes by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission and U.S. Federal Trade Commission, concerns about its relationship with beleaguered automaker General Motors Corp., and charges that it is spending too much in its quest to gain new users.

Lawsuits from major recording industry companies as well as its own shareholders have weighed on the stock.

Bear Stearns analyst Robert Peck on Thursday cut his opinion on the stock to "underperform" from "outperform," citing questions about the credibility of XM's management.

"We think the market has lost faith, and unfortunately what used to be XM's premium over Sirius, has been eroded," he said. "Sirius continues to hit expectations ... (and) we think it is difficult for the market to continue to penalize Sirius for XM's short-term travails."

XM shares were down 1 percent, or 13 cents, to $13.62 on the Nasdaq.

New York Giants running back Tiki Barber will host a new issues-oriented talk show on Sirius.

Barber will host "Tiki Barber’s National Sweep," debuting tonight (5/25) from 7-9 PM ET on Sirius Stars//102. On the weekly, two-hour talk show, which will run during the NFL off-season, Barber will take calls from listeners and talk about a broad range of subjects that will include news, politics, entertainment and sports. Scheduled guests on the series premiere will include Arizona Senator John McCain and New York Giants Hall-of-Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor.

More

The AP is reporting...

Lawyers on both sides of the CBS Corp. and Howard Stern breach of contract lawsuit said Wednesday they have settled.

A clerk in the courtroom of Judicial Hearing Officer Ira Gammerman said lawyers for the parties called around 3:15 p.m. to announce that they had an agreement. The clerk said that as far as she knew they did not divulge details.

A woman in the office of Stern's lawyer, Peter Parcher, confirmed that the sides had agreed to a settlement, but she said the agreement had not been signed yet. She said Parcher was not available to comment.

more via the AP

As Daniel Powder would say, XM had a Bad Day.. Today they had to cut back their 06 Sub Guidance.. SIRIUS just wants to make sure that everyone knows that it is XM's Bad Day... SIRIUS today in what we think is a very very smart move.. .Reaffirms the SIRIUS 2006 Guidance!!

SIRIUS, today reaffirmed its guidance of more than 6.2 million subscribers by year-end 2006, representing an 87% increase over the company's subscriber base at the end of 2005. The company continues to expect to add more than 2.8 million net subscribers during the year.

"We continue to experience dramatic growth and strong demand for our service across our retail and automotive OEM channels," said Mel Karmazin, CEO of SIRIUS. "This supports our expectation that we will capture the majority of retail satellite radio net additions in 2006."

According to The NPD Group*, SIRIUS achieved 54% retail market share in April 2006, compared to 38% retail market share in April 2005. For 2006 year-to-date, SIRIUS has achieved 58% retail market share, compared to 40% retail market share through April 2005. Also according to The NPD Group*, SIRIUS achieved 55% year-over-year retail unit growth in April 2006 and a 120% increase year-to-date.

SIRIUS' first quarter of positive free cash flow, after capital expenditures, could be reached as early as the fourth quarter of 2006, and the company continues to expect to generate positive free cash flow for the full- year 2007.

MORE in the SIRIUS PR

SIRIUS wants to know your top presets.. Call toll free and let them know! 866-MY-SIRIUS that 866-569-7474... Leave a message and it could end up on the air!

Via a PR Today...
"The genuine leather LC1 protects the S50 while allowing easy access during operation, with a removable cover, Velcro access for in-case dockability, and a slim rugged belt clip to keep it with you on the go. The S50-LC1 has a Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price of just $24.99 and is available at authorized SIRIUS retailers.."

This "new" is not that new to people who shop at TSS Radio they have had it for a few weeks already, and for just $19.99..

There is already S50 cases out by speck. GSI was first to review the Tough Skin Rubber for the S50 here..

There is a leather case for the S50 by Speck.. You can see all the S50 accessories here..

From our Inside Sirius Alliance Partner, Satellite Standard Group..

Despite the assertion by XM Satellite Radio's Hugh Panero that slow subscriber growth is a sector issue, Sirius Satellite Radio reiterated their guidance (which they raised 3 weeks ago by 200,000 subscribers) of 6,200,000 by the end of 2006. David Frear of Sirius satellite Radio reiterated Sirius' guidance at the Morgan Stanley conference today. He further stated that the issues that XM is facing are XM's issues and not Sirius', and that Sirius remained on target for their goals.

According to NPD, the retail channel has seen growth of 66% through April 30, 2006 over the same period from a year ago. Sirius has seen 96% of that year over year NPD retail growth, while XM's growth sits at 4%.

Within the last three weeks there has been a 700,000 subscriber swing in subscriber numbers. Sirius raised by 200,000 and XM has lowered by 500,000.

More

SIRIUS Satellite Radio today announced that David Frear, its Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, is expected to participate in a question and answer session at the Morgan Stanley Media & Communications Conference in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, May 24, 2006, at 2:00 pm ET.

A live audio webcast of the presentation will be available via the Investor Relations section of the company's website on Wednesday, May 24, 2006, at 2:00 pm ET.

Our Inside Sirius Alliance, Satellite Standard Group has some reports from today's Annual Meeting. This event was not online or on a SIRIUS station, making some investors upset, but here is what came out of the meeting.

New SIRIUS Wearable Unit:
Mel Karmazin also held up the unit in his hands.
The unit is described as slightly wider than the S50, a black face, white/light trim, and a knob on the face controls. (more)

Karmazin invested about $15Mil in SIRIUS:
Mel Karmazin did point out that he has himself invested about $15,000,000 into Sirius, and that he feels that Sirius is undervalued. It has been reported that Mel Karmazin went on to say that as an insider, he is restricted as to when he can buy stock, but that he plans on buying more when he is allowed to do so. (more)

Mel talks about Jim Cramer:
Mel stated that Cramer changed his tune on Sirius shortly after signing a syndication deal with CBS, who currently has Sirius named on a law suit against Howard Stern.

Mel also mentioned the publisher of Cramers new book Simon a Schuster, who happens to be owned by Viacom (parent company to CBS Radio).

Is Mel indicating that Cramer is now jaded? (more)

Thanks to SSG for the updates!

It looks like the big retail stores are getting ready for the growth in SatRad over this next year.

With SIRIUS coming out with new units like the Sportster 4, the upcoming live portable, and the new SIRIUS home connect units fromEton RCA and GE.

The AP did a little story about how SIRIUS and XM need more space in retail stores.. Just some more good news for Sat Rad fans...

"The satellite radio market is changing, and retailers' displays are changing with them.

Marketers cite the growing number of home and portable satellite radio options and the growing convergence of satellite radio tuners for home, portable and in-car use."

"Sirius is also getting into the satellite-ready home audio products, with the first products in its Sirius Connect Home program due in May, a spokeswoman said. The products will include three RCA- and GE-branded products.

Sirius also began March shipments of its first shelf-system docking station for its S50 MP3 player, which time shifts satellite radio songs when docked with a home docking station. The S50 plays the time-shifted songs and stored MP3 files through included headphones. The Sirius-branded S50 Executive System retails for a suggested $249."

more via the AP

GSI is told that "Go to bed with Cosmo" will launch Monday June 5th from 7pm-11pm EST.
SIRIUS Cosmo Radio is on SIRIUS 111

Thanks Jason!

Satellite standard Group is reporting that Home depot is now carrying Sirius Satellite Radio.

A few weeks back, Home depot announced that they would be beginning to carry automotive accessories in some of their stores.

Sirius satellite radio is now available at select home depoot stores, and this happens just in time for the Father's Day push.

Hopefully we will see an expansion of sirius availability at Home Depot, especially with Tony Stewart of NASCAR, who drives the Home Depot #20 car, beginning a show on Sirius.

more via our Alliance Partner SSG

As WE 1st Reported Here!

Debuting in January 2007, Tony Stewart Live will air on SIRIUS' upcoming 24/7 NASCAR channel. The weekly, two-hour show will feature Stewart taking calls from listeners, talking with prominent guests and covering the spectrum of motorsports -- from NASCAR to open-wheel racing and beyond. Matt Yocum, who is a pit reporter for the NASCAR broadcasts on FOX/FX and NBC/TNT, will be Stewart's co-host on Tony Stewart Live.Preview editions of Tony Stewart Live, hosted by Stewart, will begin airing on SIRIUS in October

More

A 2nd NEW SIRIUS commercial is now posted at Sirius.com, entitled "Trunk"
You can watch the latest commercial by visiting Sirius .

Sirius Satellite Radio’s Chris Rathaus, 63, died of Cancer in Hospice in New York this week.

Rathaus was best known for his audio production skills. He was awarded the IRTS Worldwide Gold Metal for best audio production in 1998.

More via Radio Ink

Our Inside Sirius Alliance Partner The Sirius Fan Network is reporting:

NASCAR driver Tony Stewart is expected to announce Friday that he will be joining Sirius Satellite Radio to host his own weekly radio show next year. Stewart hinted at the possibility that he would pursue a broadcasting career during a short stint as a co-host on an Atlanta radio station in earlier this year.

More

Sirius Satellite Radio is launching a daily music show hosted by some of America’s top music bloggers.

Dubbed Blog Radio, the show debuts on May 29 on Left of Center, the satcaster’s college, indie and alt.rock channel 26.

Airing weeknights at 10 p.m. ET, the show will be hosted by a blogger who will showcase his or her favorite music and provide views and insights into the indie rock music scene.

“Blog Radio further solidifies Sirius’ position as the leader in the discovery of new music and demonstrates our commitment to providing a vehicle for independent musicians and opinion makers to be heard,” said Sirius senior VP of music programming Steve Blatter.

UPDATED Below...
RUMOR:
An email tipster, tells Get Sirius Info that yet again a new SIRIUS item that has been announced by Xact Communications will never happen, or be significantly delayed. The XS088 aka the Power Pod II for the Xact Replay Unit (and Starmate Replay) has been scraped. The tipster tells us that they contacted Xact about the XS088 and was told the Power Pod II is a “no go” We at GSI are working to confirm this tip, but we fell it is important to report this. As you know Xact has a habit of announcing new SIRIUS units, and accessories that never happen. Like in infamous REGO that is still a big NOGO. Xact also talked about their own Spotster Replay like packaged unit. The odd thing is that Xact.com has the Rego STILL on its web page, two years after it was it come out. GSI is treating this as a rumor and will follow this news.

(Thanks TK09443)

UPDATE: We have gotten some more emails on this.. Someone has emailed us that they know that this unit has tested well, and was working just fine. They also said that was the case with the Rego as well. The units work just fine.... They do not know anything about this unit getting cut, but they do know it has been working just fine in testing....

Again GSI is working to get more info on this and to check on the Power Pod II ...

Breaking news.. All the Major record compaines are gowing after XM over the new Inno.. As you know SIRIUS made some deals over the S50.. SIRIUS also made comment that the new SIRIUS unit coming soon, will not fall under that deal, and they do not think the need to make a deal.. So what is all this mean?!?!? XM is getting hit right now.. but what will SIRIUS do for this new unit coming soon?!??! We are told the new SIRIUS unit will only have a buy it button and will not work like the S50.. GSI is working to get more info on that and will get that to you ASAP...

Here is more on Record Industry V XM via the AP:

WASHINGTON (AP) - The recording industry sued XM Satellite Radio on Tuesday over its new iPod-like device that can store up to 50 hours of music for a monthly fee, sending to the courts a roiling dispute over how consumers can legally record songs using next-generation radio services.

The federal lawsuit, filed in New York by the largest labels, accuses XM Satellite of ``massive wholesale infringement'' because its $400 handheld ``Inno'' device can record hours of music and automatically parse recordings by song and artist. The device is sold under the slogan, ``Hear it, click it, save it.''

The lawsuit seeks $150,000 in damages for every song copied by XM Satellite customers using the devices, which went on sale weeks ago. The company said it plays 160,000 different songs every month.

XM Satellite has balked at the industry's efforts to collect expensive distribution licenses similar to those required for Internet downloading services, such as Apple Inc.'s iTunes. Its chief rival, Sirius Satellite Radio Inc., has already agreed to pay for such licenses to cover similar gadgets for its service.

SIRIUS has updated the Howard 100 page.

Also Howard 100 has cut the Howard 100 News at Noon and Six.

Now you can get Hourly updates from Howard 100 during the replay hours.


So check it all out here...

SIRIUS has launched their new slogan with the launch of a new TV Spot and more. Listen for radio spots with the new tag line ,"SIRIUS Satellite Radio, The Best Radio on Radio".. Also it will be added to print ads, store displays and much more!

Morgan Stanley increased its estimate for SIRIUS penetration of total Ford production from 17% to 28% in 2007, also some chatter that the figure could increase further in 2008.

"We remain bullish on the long-term model for satellite radio," Swinburne said.

More via Forbes.com

SIRIUS.com has posted the New TV Spot, "Sunroof" Check it out here..

As we know the NEW SIRIUS Live Portable is due out this summer. GSI can now confirm that Directed Electronics (The Maker of the S50) will make this new unit...

On the Directed Electronics conference call today they slipped out that a live portable unit that is based on the S50 platform is coming out this summer.

They said the price point has not been set.

GSI told you about it here...

Now we are told by TSS RADIO, that they now have this Item in stock!

- This unit is compatible with the XTR3, XTR7, and XTR8 Sirius Satellite Radio's for Xact as well as the SIRIUS One, Starmate, Starmate Replay, Streamer GTR and Streamer GT



- Digital AM/FM Radio Tuner with 10 Preset
- CD Player Capable of Playing CDRW and MP3 Playback
- 4" Full Range Speakers 5w Per Channel Features

- Top Load CD Player with 45 Second ESP
- Digital AM/FM Radio Tuner with 10 Presets
- Rotary Volume Knob
- Receiver Eject Button
- Auxiliary Line Level Input/Output
- Stereo Headphone Jack
- 4" Full Range Speakers 5w Per Channel
- Extended Outdoor Play with 8 'D' Batteries (batteries not included)
- AC Adapter Included

Get this NEW Item from TSS Radio for only $139.99 with free shipping.
Here is the User Manual for this unit (pdf)

Directed Electronics makes many SIRIUS branded units, like the Sirius S50, SIRIUS Sportster, Sportster Replay and Starmate receivers reported net sales in the first quarter of 2006 increased by 42.7% to $74.3 million, an increase of $52.1 million over the prior year first quarter net sales.

James E. Minarik, Directed's President and Chief Executive Officer said... "Our SIRIUS satellite radio products experienced significant growth during the quarter, and we believe we are well positioned for continued record performance fueled by solid subscriber growth and the introduction of new products expected this summer and fall."

* Net Sales Increase 43% to $74.3 Million
* GAAP Net Income Increases 182% to $4.0 Million, or $0.16 per Diluted Share
* Excluding One-Time Income Tax Benefit, Pro Forma Net Income Increases 134% to $3.6 Million, or $0.14 per Diluted Share
* Excluding One-Time Income Tax Benefit, Company Raises 2006 Earnings Outlook to $1.00 - $1.03 per Diluted Share

More here

Sirius will broadcast the NBA's Toshiba Vegas Summer League games from July 6-14th. 40 Games will be played over the 9 days and players will include the rookie from the upcoming NBA draft in June (which I suspect will also be broadcasted on Sirius even though no formal announcement has been made). No schedule has been released yet, but Sirius is confirmed signed on to broadcast a select number of games.


Check out more information at NBA.com

As many GM owers wait for the SIRIUS GM connect to hit the market here is something that will work now and for only $199.99 it is not a bad deal.

This Combination of the Soundgate "Kenwood to General Motors" KNGM1 Vehicle Interface along with the SIR-KEN1 SiriusConnect Tuner will allow specific GM Models to allow AND control SIRIUS using the GM OEM (factory) radio controls.

It's very important to check this product's manual above to clarify that your GM will allow the use of this package.

Please take the time to thoroughly read all information on this page prior to placing an order!
Radio Must have a "Band" Button
If the vehicle is equipped with a factory XM Satellite Radio tuner, the factory tuner must be disconnected.
Features Include
Sirius text-messaging on certain GM radios with Kenwood Sirius tuner
Full digital protocol translation
Ultra-reliable SMT construction (surface mount technology)
Controls Sirius tuner with the factory radio.
Factory-match connectors for ultimate reliability
Installation Overview
Plugs in at back of radio
Requires 12V+ battery and 12V- ground
May require splicing into factory wiring

Works with the following Vehicles

Buick
2004-2006 Rainier
2003-2006 Rendezvous

Cadillac
2003-2006 Escalade

Chevrolet
2003-2006 Avalanche
2004-2005 Blazer
2003-2005 Cavalier
2005-2006 Colorado
2005-2006 Equinox
2003-2005 Express Van
2003-2005 Impala
2003-2005 Monte Carlo
2004 S-10
2003-2006 Silverado/HD
2004-2005 SSR
2003-2006 Suburban
2003-2006 Tahoe
2003-2005 Trailblazer w/o Factory Video System
2003-2005 Venture w/o Factory Video System

GMC
2005-2006 Canyon
2003-2006 Denali/Denali XL
2003-2005 Envoy w/o Factory Video System
2004 Jimmy
2004 S-15/Sonoma
2003-2005 Savana Van
2003-2006 Sierra/Sierra Denali
2003-2006 Yukon/Yukon XL

Hummer
2003-2006 H2
2006 H3

Isuzu
2003-2005 Ascender

Oldsmobile
2003-2004 Alero
2003-2004 Bravada
2003-2004 Silhouette w/o factory video system

Pontiac
2003-2005 Aztek
2003-2005 Grand Am
2004-2005 Grand Prix
2003-2005 Montana w/o factory video system
2003-2005 Sunfire
2004-2005 Vibe

Get more info and buy it today from TSS Radio for $199.99 with free shipping

Radio Ink reports that during a Question and Answer with investors, Sirius Satellite Radio Executive VP/CFO David Frear said he's encouraged by XM's conversion rate. Frear said that there are 11-million satellite radio subscriptions in the country which is about five percent penetration of the core target which is the car universe.

"When you consider the fact that at most of XM's OEM partners, the build rate is about in 35% of the production and they're converting 54%. That's saying that 20% of the people that are going to dealers every day want satellite radio in their cars. So when you look at that in comparison to the five percent overall penetration now, you've got to take that as an incredibly bullish sign for satellite radio."

VIA Radio Ink

TSS RADIO is now talking Pre-Orders for the New SIRIUS Sportster.

TSS Radio tells us that they are expecting the Units to come in and ship out in Late May/June. Email sales@tss-radio.com to pre-order, no payment info needed until the item ships to to them form SIRIUS. Pre order here

In his first ever "Live AM Drive visit" back to terrestrial FM radio, Howard Stern along with crew from the Howard Stern Show called in to wish BOOKER (an old co-worker a K-Rock) well on first day on Philly's Q102.

Many of you got to hear the call live on the Stern Show today, GSI Has gotten a copy of the call as it was on Q102 in Philly... The funny thing is Howard was able to do a free AD for SIRIUS on the Air owned by Clear Channel...

Listen to is Here

Lawyers on both sides of the CBS Corp. and Howard Stern breach of contract lawsuit said Wednesday they are close to a settlement.

CBS lawyer Irvin Nathan told Judicial Hearing Officer Ira Gammerman, "We have an agreement, but there are details that have to be worked out." He added that the parties were "very close" to a settlement.

Stern's lawyer, Peter Parcher, confirmed Nathan's report but refused to elaborate.

This all started back on Feb 28
More via the AP

The new SIRIUS Sportster pops up in Summer 2006 Crutchfield Catalog twice:
GSI was the First to tell you about the new Sportster Unit!

Howard 101 and Playboy also head up north!
SIRIUS Canada Gets Updated Web PageWith 110 full-time channels, SIRIUS Canada offers the most commercial-free music, dedicated sports, news and exclusive entertainment programming in Canada.

SIRIUS Canada Inc. announced today that it has achieved a key milestone in its performance to-date having surpassed 100,000 subscribers nationwide. With the best content and programming, SIRIUS Canada is the country's leading satellite radio service and is the number one choice among Canadian satellite radio subscribers.

"In just over five months we have reached 100,000 subscribers exceeding all of our expectations, and our growth continues to climb," said Mark Redmond, President and CEO, SIRIUS Canada Inc. "SIRIUS fans are loving the wide range of commercial-free music, leading news and sports programming, and exclusive content from Howard Stern, Lance Armstrong, Martha Stewart Living Radio, the CFL and the NFL."

"I would also like to thank all of our customers, our many distribution partners and the entire SIRIUS Canada team for this amazing achievement. We look forward to introducing more Canadians to the SIRIUS Satellite Radio phenomenon as we continue to add new content, hardware and distribution agreements in the near future."

n celebration of reaching this important milestone, the company also announced that it will take its premium satellite radio offering to 110 channels with the addition of 10 new full-time channels to its lineup. SIRIUS Canada will add three commercial-free music and seven news and entertainment channels including the tremendously popular Howard 101, Lime, CNN Headline News, FOX News Talk, and from Canada's leading weather information provider, The Weather Network Satellite Radio Service. Now with 65 commercial-free music channels, SIRIUS Canada offers the most commercial-free music choice among satellite radio providers in Canada. The additional channels will be available within the next four weeks.

The latest additions include:

Entertainment and Talk

Howard 101: (Channel 101) - The sister station to Howard Stern's "Howard 100", "Howard 101" features the west coast morning feed of Howard Stern, plus Bubba The Love Sponge^®, Scott Ferrall and many weekly specials from the world of Howard Stern.

Playboy Radio: (Channel 198) - Playboy Radio features a full range of original live programming created for SIRIUS, including a new morning show featuring segments with Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, live call-in shows and broadcasts from the Playboy Mansion -- sexy, smart and refined adult programming.

Music Channels

SIRIUS Love: (Channel 3) - For the true romantic, light the candles, turn the lights down low, and feel the emotion. It's nothing but love songs-romantic music for you and the one you love. Features music from superstars such as Celine Dion, Barry White, Barbara Streisand, Whitney Houston, Elton John and many more.

BackSpin: (Channel 43) - Put on your Adidas and your Kangol hat and join the party-you'll hear nothing but the early days of hip-hop. Tune in to one of the original pioneers of old skool rap, Kurtis Blow, every weeknight.

Hot Jamz: (Channel 50) - The best hip-hop and R&B. From unadulterated crunk to smooth R&B, if it's hot right now, it's on Hot Jamz.

Lifestyle

Lime: (Channel 114) - Lime Radio is healthy living with a twist, connecting listeners with leading experts about a range of topics from personal transformation to the environment, from corporate responsibility to building better relationships, from the intuitive arts to alternative healthcare. Lime Radio has everything you need to bring balance to your life.

News and Weather

CNN Headline News: (Channel 133) -- Your "need to know" network featuring Prime News Tonight, Showbiz Tonight, Nancy Grace and Robin & Co.

Fox News Talk: (Channel 145) -- Opinions, news, analysts and listener call-ins with hosts Bill O'Reilly, Tony Snow, Alan Colmes, Neil Cavuto and John Gibson.

PRI: (Channel 136) - Public Radio International offers programs like PRI's The World, To the Point, Odyssey, To the Best of Our Knowledge, The Sunday Edition, The Newshour with Jim Lehrer and many more programs from North America's finest public radio stations, independent producers, and others.

The Weather Network Radio Service: (Channel 185) - Delivering national and regional Canadian weather information to listeners, including severe weather coverage, to our listeners 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

As with all SIRIUS programming information, the new SIRIUS channel lineup will be posted online at www.siriuscanada.ca

Via Orbitcast.com
At the CIBC Conference today, David Frear, SIRIUS Satellite EVP and CFO, said this about their upcoming live wearable satellite radio:

"You can expect it to have not only to be a live wearable, but you can expect it to have a great form factor, a great battery life and also some storage and playback capabilities. And the full functionality of that device will be unveiled in the course of the next several weeks."

He then continued to shine a bit more light on SIRIUS' beliefs behind the wearable market:

"Providing the option of wearability to consumers is an important option to provide them with. We don't believe that there's anything about live wearable that really is category changing. We don't think it's going to change the trajectory of growth [and] doesn't alter the guidance that we've given you.

For 50 years, 5% of radio listening has been done in a wearable mode. We don't think these products change that because we don't think that a product can really change consumer behavior. But we do think it's an important option to offer.

The MP3-like functionality that [we have] offered since October, in the S50, is something that our subscribers like. They like the ability to have a single device where they can listen to their radio in the car or home and they can take content with them as they go. So you want to offer the functionality, and you want to offer the option."

More via Orbitcast.com

GSI is told that this unit will be something that will out shine any thing on the market.

SIRIUS will launch “The Catholic Channel,” in cooperation with the Archdiocese of New York. The lifestyle radio channel will air 24/7, featuring contemporary talk, music programming and live daily masses from St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York.When it launches in the fall, the channel “will feature a modern format with an open dialogue focused on Catholicism in the 21st Century, especially as it is lived in today’s world,” Sirius said in a release. “Listeners will be encouraged to call in to talk about the issues that are on their mind and in the news, everything from what’s happening in the church today, to the headline stories of current events and politics, and the latest in the world of entertainment, the arts and sports.”

Daily program hosts and guests will include members of the clergy and laity around the world. Regular and previously unavailable content from the Vatican will also be a part of the channel, including programming from Vatican Radio.

A prominent contributor to The Catholic Channel will be His Eminence Edward Cardinal Egan, Archbishop of New York, who will periodically appear exclusively on the channel.

The Catholic Channel will join other religious-themed programming on Sirius, including EWTN Global Catholic Radio Network , which features talk shows, news, daily devotions and teaching series; and Christian Talk, faith-based programming provided by FamilyNet, the broadcast arm of the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, which features programs such as Pat Robertson’s “The 700 Club.” Sirius also offers Christian and gospel-themed music channels, including Spirit contemporary Christian pop music, Revolution, dedicated to Christian rock, and Praise, featuring Gospel hits.

UPDATE: Just to remind everyone SIRIUS and The NY Archdiocese has worked together in the past, first at Christmas and a few weeks back on Easter.
More via Billboard Radio Monitor

Today I got a Starmate Replay Boom Cube from TSS Radio. I have had a few hours to play with it, and over all this is a much better "boom box" then the Sportster one. The sound quality is much much better. It has a deeper sound, and also is very crisp. The shape of the Boom Cube us just that a cube. It is a very sold unit, and also feels and looks to be much better quality then the Sportster Boombox. The Starmate replay is not a docking unit but the cube has a plug that just hangs around when the receiver is not in the cube. You just plug the wire harness into the Starmate Replay unit, and you are all set. Sure the Sportster units dock into its boom box a lot easier, but this works just fine. My only concern is the plastic clips that hold the unit in the cube. How much stress can these clips take? They feel ok to me but only time will tell on that. You can see in the photo that you can pop the unit out with two fingers. The only cheep feeling part is the pop up handle, it works just fine, but it feels a little cheaper then the rest of the unit. I put the 8 D batteries in the cube and that sure did add to the weight, not that bad, but it will load down anyone running to the beach with their hands already full. (The Boom Cube also works off the AC power cable provided) I will do more testing on battery life this weekend. On the front of the unit the buttons light up to match the Starmate Replay blue lights, this looks very nice. There is also a headphone and aux in jack on the front of the unit. Headphones sound good coming out of the cube. I have not done much with the aux in yet. Over all so far so good! This looks to be some steps ahead of the Sportsters Boom Box. I will post updates as I have more time with the unit. Is it worth the 100 bucks, Sure! If you want to take SIRIUS out by the pool ,to the beach or with you when working outside. I think it is also worth it to get the Boom Cube as your home dock. TSS Radio has them in stock as of now but GSI is told that they are moving fast, you can also get some package deals and save check them out here..

Not really big news to all of us but today SIRIUS announced the newest generation of its popular "Plug & Play" radios, the Sportster4.

At just 4.5" x 2.5" x .6" and weighing 4.2 ounces, the Sportster4 is 40 percent smaller than the Sportster Replay, while still maintaining a large, easy-to-read 6-line scrolling display and rotary tuning knob.

With an MSRP of $169.99, the Sportster4 is scheduled to be available later this month.

"The new Sportster4 includes all of the key features that helped make the Sportster series the best selling Plug & Play in satellite radio, only now in a smaller, sleeker package," said Bob Law, Senior Vice President and General Manager Consumer Electronics Division for SIRIUS.

The Sportster4, conveniently transportable between home and car, is very easy to use and comes with a smaller dock for attractive installation. Special features include:

* A replay feature that allows users to pause, rewind and replay up to 44
minutes of live SIRIUS programming, and play back individual selections
from the buffer

* SIRIUS Game Zone(TM) that lets users select favorite teams from each of
the sports leagues, including NFL, NBA and NHL, and view scores on one
screen

* SIRIUS Game Alert(TM) that advises users when their favorite teams begin
playing and when scores change

* MEMO with S-Seek Alert stores names of favorite artists, songs and
programs, and alerts users when playing on any channel

* Program alert that allows users to program the Sportster4 to switch to a
selected channel at a specific time

* One-touch Jump(TM) that takes users to and from their local SIRIUS
traffic and weather broadcast or any favorite SIRIUS music, sports or
talk channel with the touch of a button

* A new vehicle dock with an auxiliary input for MP3 players

Sportster4 also boasts 30 presets, parental controls, a real-time satellite updated clock with 7 times zones, auto shutdown and sleep timer. Sportster4 includes the receiver, remote control, vehicle docking station, suction cup and vent clip mounting options featuring a standard AMPS bolt pattern and auxiliary input for MP3 players, vehicle power adapter and magnetic ultra low profile antenna. A boombox and other new accessories will be available this summer.

This new Xact Boom Box is just hitting the market. We have gotten some email reports of this unit at Target Stores and a Sams Club. This unit is compatible with the XTR7, XTR8 and XTR3 Sirius Satellite Radio's. (Also the Starmate Replay, Streamer GTR, The Org Starmate.)
Also this unit has:
Digital AM/FM Radio Tuner with 10 Preset
CD Player Capable of Playing CDRW and MP3 Playback
4" Full Range Speakers 5w Per Channel
Read the Manual here
This Unit will retail for $149.95
Full Details here

Looks like Visteon is making a play in the portable satellite radio market and has filed a patent (application # 20060094349) for a Dockable portable satellite receiver. Via Orbitcast.com

Here is clip from the patent info:
A portable satellite receiver includes a tuner, an antenna, and an amplifier. The portable satellite receiver has a protective housing enclosing the tuner, antenna, and amplifier. The portable satellite receiver is configured to interface with an accessory device through a communication link such that the accessory device receives audio signals from the portable satellite receiver over the communication link.

The portable satellite receiver includes a satellite antenna, and a "protective housing" which encloses the satellite tuner and a "media player." That media player is essentially a MP3 player, that also has the ability to record the satellite radio signal. On top of that, the media player will interface - wirelessly - with a docking station (or what appears to be called the "satellite entertainment system"). The "protective housing" also has a plug to interface with this docking station. There is no word if this is for XM or SIRIUS or both... That is the big question..

So, they're essentially applying for a patent on a live satellite radio/MP3 player.

One thing to note about Visteon they make head units that are sat ready, for both SIRIUS and XM. Visteon also won the deal with Hyundai to provide radios with XM.

[US Patent Application: 20060094349]
More via Orbitcast.com

The Directed Electronics earnings conference call will take place on Monday, May 15, after the market close. Directed is the manufacturer of many Sirius Satellite products, including :

The S50, SIRIUS Sportster™ Replay and Starmate™, SiriusConnect™ for Alpine®, Kenwood®; JVC®, Panasonic, Sony® aftermarket head units, the new SIR-ALP10T (the first live traffic tuner providing real-time updates on traffic disruptions) , SiriusConnect™ receivers, etc.

This conference call will provide further insight into demand for Sirius products and service.

For further information on Direct Electronics: www.directed.com
via Satellite Standard

Now with the new SIRIUS rebate, GSI just wanted to pass on this gift Idea for Mom or Dad or even a grad. For only $144.95 you can get the SIRIUS Starmate replay and the new boomcube package. This will get you 1 Starmate Replay unit, 1Car Kit and 1 Boomcube for the home. Plus it is free shipping from TSS Radio. They also have some very good package deals..

GSI first told you about this new rebate on May 1.
Here is the deal: Get up to $50.00 off SIRIUS units
$50.00 Rebate - For The S50
$30.00 Rebate - For Sportsters and others
$20.00 Rebare - For Starmates and others
Click on this chart to get all the details:Fathers day rebate runs to 5/27/06.
Activate by credit card or SIRIUS prepaid card no later than 06/10/2006.
More info here
Offer valid only on a purchase of any eligible Sirius receiver at participating retailers from 05/07/2006 through 05/27/2006. Sirius receivers purchased from from BJ's, Costco store locations; Sam's Club, Target and Wal-Mart store locations and Wal-Mart.com are not eligible for this offer. Offer open only to residents of the United States (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) who are at least 18 years old. A subscription, paid by credit card (which may be combined with SIRIUS prepaid card), must be activated no later than 06/10/2006. After completion of the initial subscription period, service will renew automatically for additional periods of the same length on SIRIUS’ standard Terms & Conditions. Requires submission of receipt (either original or photocopy) for the purchase of the eligible SIRIUS hardware, the original UPC code from the hardware packaging, the electronic serial number of the hardware (either original cut from the box or photocopy) and a fully completed redemption form sent to: Dept 4239, SIRIUS Rock Stars & All-Stars #6641, PO Box 72922 Detroit, MI 48272-4239. Must be postmarked on or before June 27, 2006. Customers may prequalify for rebates at www.web-rebates.com/sirius. No reproductions of rebate offer or proof of purchase accepted. Once the necessary documentation has been submitted, SIRIUS will verify that the required subscription has been activated and remains active and that the account is active and in good standing and mail a check for the appropriate amount to the name and address on the redemption form within 8 to 10 weeks. If rebate is not received within 10 weeks, check status at www.web-rebates.com/sirius or call SIRIUS at 1-888-539-SIRIUS. Activation fee and taxes may apply. Limit one rebate per ESN. Service cannot be assigned or transferred. SIRIUS makes no warranties with respect to SIRIUS-compatible hardware. Subscription to service is sold separately from hardware and is supplied in accordance with SIRIUS' standard Terms & Conditions. Service may not be available in all areas. Cannot be combined with any other gift or rebate offer. Cannot be sold or transferred. SIRIUS reserves the right to modify or terminate this offer at any time. All fees and programming are subject to change. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. Rebate fraud will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. ©2006 SIRIUS Satellite Radio Inc. "SIRIUS," the SIRIUS dog logo and related marks are trademarks of SIRIUS Satellite Radio Inc.

On May 5th Sirius Backstage hit the 20,000 member mark. The 20,000th member was The Toilet. What a shitty name to be the 20,000 member but still a big milestone for SBS and SIRIUS Fans. I think this shows how SIRIUS fans are growing by the day. GSI and all of our alliance partners are seeing more and more visitors a day. SIRIUS Fans and Subs love the service and love to get and give all the info they can. Congrats SBS!

Satellite Standard Group our Inside Sirius Alliance partner has this real photo of a Sportster 4 from Sirius Satellite Radio. To date we have all seen the airbrushed pictures of the unit, and while they present a nice image, they simply are not the real deal.

The unit is both FCC and Canadian ICES-003 compliant, so it looks like those North of the border will get to enjoy this unit as well.

There still seems to be some question about whether the screen on the unit will be color. The documentation that we have reviewed indicates that the screen is NOT color. (GSI and others got reports of new SIRIUS PNP units with color screens, most were thinking the new sportster could/would have one. Many still think there will be a PNP unit out this year with a color display, but the Sportster 4 will not be in color.)

It should be noted that there was correspondence between the FCC and the manufacturer of the unit regarding rule 15.21(b). As many are aware, this is the rule that limits what frequencies fm modulators can transmit on, or what levels those transmission can be. the FCC requested additional information on April 25, 2006. The engineers from the manufacturer answered the questions on May 3, 2006.

Despite the question and answer session, this unit should be hitting stores soon.

Get more info on the New Sportster Here

via Satellite Standard Group

As you know we and others reported that SIRIUS was likely to show off its new units during Tuesday’s conference call. We are told that SIRIUS is now holding back on new product announcements to prevent what happened with the S50. As you may recall last year the S50 was shown off in August then the speculation started to fly. Some SIRIUS fan pages were filled with false information about the unit. Mostly about what people were thinking the S50 would and would not do. These falsehoods posted on some SIRIUS forums about the S50 caused disappointment for the first users of the product. This bad information lead to negative press about the unit, and other repercussions. SIRIUS has locked down information about all the new units to prevent mostly uninformed kids from posting information about the new units possible causing the damage they did last year. SIRIUS also wants to have a date set in stone, so they do not have release dates slip like they did with the S50. The only information about this new unit is that it is due this summer, and will be a wearable SIRIUS/Mp3 unit with a buy button. We will follow this..

The SIRIUS Starmate Boomcube has been out in a few markets and stores around the USA! Now TSS (aka The Sirius Store) has them in stock and shipping right now, not only to the USA but also to Canada! This is a wonderful mothers day or fathers day gift. Get yours today for only $99.99 with FREE shipping (USA Only)! Now TSS radio also has a wonderful package deal, you get the Starmate Replay with car kit and the Boomcube, for only $169.99 to your door (free shipping to USA Only). WHAT A DEAL!
Here is more on the Boomcube:
* Compatible with the Starmate Replay, Streamer GTR and Xact XTR8
* Take your Starmate Replay to the park, beach, work, or wherever
* 4 microdrivers plus a subwoofer for full-range sound
* Advanced circuitry for enhanced sound
* Front panel Aux in and headphone jack
* Antenna with built in storage
* Works with 8 “D” batteries or AC adapter
* AC Adapter and Antenna included

Ok sure its just for a weekend, but Jamie Foxx is hitting the SIRIUS Air this weekend. Straight off of his visit on today's Morning Mash Up, R&B star/actor/comedian Jamie Foxx will be extending his stay on SIRIUS Hits 1 this weekend: he's counting down the top 45 songs in North America. That's right, he's In Control of the SIRIUS Hits 1 Weekend Countdown! Catch it at 11 am, 6 pm and 12 am ET Saturday, and 7 am, 3 pm and 8 pm Sunday.

The guys over at Satellite Standard Group has been following the OEM channel at SIRIUS for some time, and has noted that the Ford ramp up in factory installs can be a big boost to SIRIUS' OEM subscriber numbers.

An reader found this interesting promotion on the Mercury website. Looks like buyers not only get 0% for 5 years, but also get a three year SIRIUS subscription to boot.

Visit Mercury HERE

SIRIUS will launch a weekly show hosted by lifestyle guru Deepak Chopra, The best-selling author and leader in the field of health and wellness, will host a live, weekly three-hour call-in talk show.

Chopra said the show, his first on radio, will start in July from New York and will often feature in-studio guests.

"I think this show extends my reach," he told Reuters in an interview. "Even though I have sold more than 30 million books worldwide, not everybody reads books. (This) is a whole different audience, from truck drivers and people on the highway to housewives."

More

UPDATED
Today on the Howard Stern Show there was a news teaser about a story that Howard 100 was working on about Whatever with Alexis & Jennifer.

"Those stories plus Alexis Stewart's and Jennifer Koppelman's show, Whatever, on the Martha channel has to find a new home. Seems the content of the show apparently a bit too racy for the Martha Stewart channel. All coming up on the Howard 100 news. Next news 12 noon eastern time, the midday news, I'm George Flowers, I'll see you then."

Now now this story did not run on the Noon news or 6pm newscast. (Howard 100 news jumping the gun?!?!?) GSI has been looking it to this, and there could be some truth to this story. Some of Martha's people and share holders are worried about the content on the Whatever show. SIRIUS is very happy with the show. Mel called it a "break out hit" yesterday.

GSI is told that there could be a new station in the works that looks to be the new home for Whatever. We are told this new station will be "hot" talk station for woman. Look for talent like April Winchell and other female host. This station sounds like talk by woman for woman with an edge.

You can read more on the buzz of this story on the "Whatever Fan Network"
Whatever just moved from a midday slot to PM Drive time


UPDATE: A Note from Jennifer:
Everyone,
If (when) alexis and i move channels, we will do our best to make sure we are still able to be heard on the internet.
we recognize that many of our listeners stream the show and know how important that capability is.
thank you again for all your support.
alexis and i are convinced we have the smartest and best listeners of all.
xo
jennifer
(end update)

We at GSI, and our Inside Sirius Alliance partners, are still covering yesterday conference call with the most in-depth reporting on SIRIUS. Satellite Standard is reporting on the SIRIUS OEM metrics. Satellite Standard Group thought it would be important to cover some of the OEM metrics for Sirius. The list below simply lays out the deals, how long they last, and any expected installation rates:

Daimler Chrysler
* The exclusive deal runs through 2012
* Available as an option in nearly every model
* Target of 750,000 installs for 2006 model year - 30% penetration

Mercedes
* Exclusive deal through 2012
* target of 50% of production over next 2 years
* Sirius available in nearly every model
* Standard on 2007 SL Class, CL Class, AMG, and 600 model
* Standard feature in the premium PI package

Ford
* Exclusive deal through 2011 with option to extend to 2013
* Deal covers all ford brands
* Beginning May 2006 Sirius will be factory installed option on 8 lines. This includes the F-150, Explorer, Ford Sport Trac, Mercury Mountaineer, Lincoln Mark LT, Ford 500, Ford Freestyle, and Mercury Montego
* 19 Ford vehicle lines to have factory installed option by the end of 2006
* 21 Ford vehicle lines to have factory installed option for the 2006/2007 model years
* Ford expected to generate about 1,000,000 subscribers

BMW
* Exclusive agreement has been renewed
* Four model lines currently have Sirius available as factory and dealer option. Models include the 3,5,6, and 7 series.
* Sirius available as a dealer option on X3, X5, and Z4
* Sirius available as a dealer install on select selected Mini lines

Rolls Royce
* Exclusive agreement
* Sirius is standard
* Liftime subscription is standard

Toyota
* Sirius is available as a port and dealer installed option
* Model lines include Camry, Solera, Avalon, and Land Cruiser.
* Sirius also available on Lexus LS430, ES330, GS, LX470
* Sirius available in three Scion lines
* Availability in the 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, Prius, and IS will be happening over the coming weeks

Volkswagen and Audi
* Exclusive deal through 2012
* Program begins with 2007 model year vehicles
* Volkswagen is targetting Sirius in 80% of their vehicles

Kia
* Exclusive agreement through 2014 with option through 2017
* Kia targets 100% penetration of Sirius in 2009 model year

Subaru
* Sirius will be exclusively available as a factory install on Subaru Forester beginning in June.
* Sirius will be exclusively available as a factory install on Subaru Impreza beginning in September
* It is anticipated that Subaru will be expanding Sirius availablity into other models in the future

Get the full story here

Via our Inside Sirius Alliance Partner, Sirius Fan Network..
This has to be the ultimate outdoor entertainment system, and it just happens to be Sirius compatible.

Frontgate teamed up with Cal Spas, a leading manufacturers of quality Home Resort products, for the introduction of this new Outdoor Entertainment Island.

Crafted with galvanized steel framing, the stucco and ceramic tile finish provide no hint of what's to come. With the touch of a button, the impressive large-screen JVC 42" Plasma TV rises from within the island.

The system also includes:
Four 6" Clarion surround-sound speakers; Built-in subwoofer; DVD/CDplayer with AM/FM tuner; Sirius satellite radio compatibility; A/V coaxial input for satellite receiver or cable TV

Designed utilizing marine technology to withstand adverse conditions of saltwater, sun, wind and cold. Hose down to clean.

The price? $16,995.00
more

Mel Karmazin is in negotiating mode, during Tuesday 's earnings conference call he suggested the agreement reached between SIRIUS and the four major record labels for payments to the latter involving a specific portable receiver could be a one-time deal that won’t be repeated. Sirius is planning to introduce a new portable receiver this year..

“There’s nothing that says we have to come up with a deal,” Karmazin said, responding to a question today about new negotiations with the labels. “We decided to do a deal on the S50,” Karmazin said, “not to be bogged down” and to move the new device into the marketplace more quickly.

Karmazin said one tactic his firm might take is to adopt the notion that their portable device “adheres to the law” and should be considered a legitimate consumer device with recording and playback capabilities.

more via Billboard Radio Monitor

Today SIRIUS talked about Rolling Stone Radio.. It will be on the air to the end of the year.
It was only to last 30 days.. As we reported here the Stones are not going any place for a long time..

Via our Alliance Partner The Satellite Standard Group.

Sirius Satellite Radio has been showing strong growth in the OEM channel. They have solidified long term exclusive deals with DCX, Ford, Mercedes, BMW, Volkwagen, Audi, Kia, and Rolls Royce. All of these exclusive partners are ramping up factory installation programs.

In today's Q1 Conference Call, there were some interesting mentions regarding the OEM's that Sirius has dealer and port install programs with.

Sirius expects the consumer to be the determining factor in what satellite radio service they want. Sirius is seen as more than a commodity, and Sirius has compelling content that consumers are seeking out. People don't just want satellite radio, they want Sirius Satellite Radio.

Sirius stated that they anticipate that the split in these OEM's that offer both services will likely mirror what is happening at retail. This comment was specific to Toyota, which has a factory program with XM. A Sirius executive stated that he recently had dinner with another OEM partner that offers both, and was informed that Sirius had 60% of the installs in the past 4 months. Sirius did not offer up which OEM partner it is, but Nissan is a likely candidate in the opinion of SSG (we have heard speculation to this effect back in December).

The key point with Sirius and OEM's seems to be that with the exception of GM and Honda that Sirius is widely available. For those with GM and Hondas that desire Sirius, there are products in the pipe-line to satisfy that need.

via Satellite Standard Group

SIRIUS today said, they will have Stern online by Fathers day. You can get all the news out for the 1Q 2006 report here here and here.

We have been reporting all this Stern online news over the past few weeks. We will keep you updated on a date..
Also might be online at www.howardstern.com
Stern wants this to be FREE to Subs.. and it will be

Updated info from the SIRIUS 1Q 2006 Conference Call, updated during the call live.
- More Ad revenue in 1Q then all of 2005
- Revenue gave $.65 per month to sub revenue
- SIRIUS will remain AD free on MUSIC STATIONS
- SIRIUS added more net subs and Ad revenue then XM
- Stern will be ONLINE BY Fathers Day
- SIRIUS Canada is #1 over XM Canada and growing faster.. .
- New PNP in time for fathers day
- The new sportster 4 in production will be in stores in late may.
- New live portable with more memory, buy button, MP3 functionality, and more
- 400,000 opt in to Playboy radio
- Rolling Stone Radio to go to the end of the year?!?
- SIRIUS.COM is way up..
- Radio China still on the way. .(Oh.. Thank God, now I can sleep)
- Price bump? SIRIUS cost more in Canada, and yes in the future there will be a increase from SIRIUS in the US.
- SIRIUS has new blue chip advertisers , like "Verizon and Subaru".
- Unique Programing will cut cost on marketing and save
- Developing chipsets in cell phones.. but need to find the right market
- SIRIUS has $715 million in cash, equivalents, and marketable securities
- SIRIUS and XM working down in DC over any new laws on digital music..
- SIRIUS has good relationships with music industry.. (but they still want more money for SIRIUS)
- SIRIUS wants to get subs, and not sell or share content with non-satradio..
- Howard wants online streaming show to be free for his fans
- SIRIUS likes to have exclusive content, and they see no need to sell it.
- Looking at enhancing repeater network
- New wearable unit, lots of money and time to get it right, spending money on antenna.
- SIRIUS has better satellite footprint then XM. This get better coverage without as many repeater.
- SIRIUS S50 is the only unit under the deal with music industry.
- Mel added if SIRIUS feels that it falls under the law, no deal may be needed..
END 0904et

During 2006, SIRIUS reached new exclusive agreements with Kia, Volkswagen, Audi, and Rolls-Royce. SIRIUS will be a standard feature in all 2009 model year Kia vehicles. In the 2007 model year, Volkswagen is expected to include SIRIUS in 80% of its production. SIRIUS is now a standard feature in all Rolls-Royce vehicles sold in the United States.

SIRIUS enhanced its strong programming line-up during the first quarter with new additions including the Howard Stern channels, Playboy Radio, Cosmo Radio, Blue Collar Comedy Radio, FOX News Channels, and a new morning call-in show from Court TV. SIRIUS is the original and only home of 100% commercial free music.

4,077,747 subscribers at end of 1q 2006

New guidance set to 6.2 million subs for 2006
Subscriber Acquisition Costs was $113 per new sub
Revenue up to $126 million

During the first quarter, SIRIUS added 534,958 net subscribers from the company's retail channel, a 169% increase from 198,558 net retail subscriber additions in the year-ago quarter. The company also added 225,343 net subscribers from its automotive OEM channel, 109% more than the 107,855 net automotive OEM subscriber additions in the year-ago quarter.

first quarter 2006 revenue was up 193% to $126.7 million from $43.2 million in the year-ago quarter.

SIRIUS reported a net loss of $458.5 million, or $0.33 per share, for the first quarter of 2006, compared to a net loss of $193.6 million, or $0.15 per share, in the first quarter of 2005.

The adjusted net loss per share, or net loss per share excluding equity charges, was $0.13 in the first quarter 2006 as compared to an adjusted net loss per share of $0.12 in the first quarter of 2005.

Here is a quick recap:

Full Year 2006:
* Over 6.2 million subscribers at year-end
* Average monthly churn of approximately 1.8%
* SAC per gross addition approaching $110
* Total revenue to exceed $600 million
* Adjusted loss from operations of approximately ($565) million,
reflecting the impact on total SAC of more robust subscriber growth
than previously expected
* SIRIUS' first quarter of positive free cash flow, after capital
expenditures, could be reached as early as the fourth quarter of 2006

Longer Term:
* Total revenue for 2007 of approximately $1 billion
* SAC per gross addition for 2007 to decline further from the 2006 level
* Positive free cash flow, after capital expenditures, for full-year 2007
* Total revenue for 2010 of approximately $3 billion
* Free cash flow for 2010, after capital expenditures, of approximately
$1 billion

more in PR

FIRST ON GSI:SIRIUS will kick off its Fathers day rebate 5/7/06 and run to 5/27/06.
Click on Images to make larger..

GSI VIDEO: View Here
Rita Cosby from MSNBC was at the Howard Stern Film festival, and she ran an interview from the red carpet. Once more Stern getting SIRIUS some free national coverage!

Here is what Rita wrote on her MSNBC Blog:
"I've just come back from talking to the always outspoken Howard Stern. The "King of All Media" is now venturing into another arena, creating the Howard Stern Film Festival to showcase Howard Stern-themed short films.

This was my first time meeting the rowdy radio host and I found him to be surprisingly quite charming. The man always known as being so rebellious was very personable, passionate, and also thoughtful. He seemed equally at ease giving me witty remarks about Angelina and Brad as talking about "United 93" the doomed 9-11 flight which is now profiled in a major motion picture.

After meeting him, I can see why he inspires such deep loyalty among his colleagues like Robin Quivers and his producer Gary Dell'Abate, but also among his many fans. He laughed with me about his ego, and I could tell he's genuinely someone who cares about his fans and the world around him." via MSNBC

You can watch the interview here (save target as)

Communications General Corp. said it has filed a formal complaint with the FCC against Sirius Satellite. CGC says the complaint is "for incorporating 87.7 and 87.9 MHz into the intentional radiator mini-transmitters built into many of Sirius' satellite receivers."

"CGC reasoned that if the FCC ultimately fined Sirius for the use of prohibited frequencies, that action would send a powerful message to other manufacturers of mini-transmitters that they, too, should abandon the use of the prohibited 'below 88 MHz' frequencies," the company wrote in its newsletter.

I have to say in the Washington/Baltimore area many SIRUIS Subs are using 87.7FM and 87.9FM to get a clean sound. Many car radios do not go under 88.1FM, but some do.


To: Mr. Jim Collins
Corporate Communications
Sirius Satellite Radio
jcollins@siriusradio.com

cc: Rebecca Schnall
Media Relations
Sirius Satellite Radio
rschnall@siriusradio.com

cc: FCC (Per E-Mail Header Above)

From: Robert Gonsett, E.E.
Editor, The CGC Communicator
Communications General Corp.
r.gonsett(at)ieee.org or
cgc333(at)cgc333.connectnet.com

Date: March 29, 2006

Re: Impermissible Use of 87.7 and 87.9 MHz in Sirius Satellite Consumer Products


Confirming and expanding on my voice mail message of March 27, 2006, my company, Communications General Corporation, provides consultant radio engineering services for a number of radio and television stations on the west coast and we also publish the CGC Communicator newsletter for broadcast engineers. The CGC Communicator has been in continuous publication for over 30 years.

As editor of that newsletter, I have been following a number of radio and television interference complaints where the FM modulators inside various Sirius Satellite receivers are suspected of causing interference to authorized over-the-air FM and TV Channel 6 signals. Usually the interference is transient in nature, and usually audio from Howard Stern is reported.

Our current focus is on one particular question: Does Sirius (or its satellite receiver manufacturers) have an FCC waiver letter permitting the sale to consumers of "intentional radiator" FM modulators that are capable of transmitting on 87.7 and/or 87.9 MHz? These two frequencies are close to TV Channel 6's aural carrier, and are barred for use in intentional radiator FM modulators by FCC Rule 15.209(a).

On March 26, 2006 at Circuit City in Escondido, CA, I found five models of Sirius receivers on display with built-in intentional radiator FM modulators, and four of those had modulators capable of being tuned to 87.7 and 87.9 MHz. Those receivers are as follows: Sirius Sportster Replay (model DEI SPTK2), Sirius Starmate, Sirius DEI SCFM1 and Sirius Plug N Play Receiver Kit (XAT XTR3CK). The only Sirius satellite receiver on display at Circuit City that appeared to be frequency-compliant with Rule 15.209(a) was the JVC Sirius Satellite Tuner.

FYI, all seven XM Satellite receivers on display at Circuit City appeared to be frequency-compliant with Rule 15.209(a). None of the mini-transmitters built into XM receivers could be programmed to transmit on either 87.7 or 87.9 MHz.

For your convenience, I have copied below a response that I received from [# an FCC source] stating unequivocally with respect to intentional radiators that primary transmissions at 87.9 MHz would violate FCC rules. Rules 15.209(a) and 15.239 also ban the use of 87.7 MHz in the same context.

Our next newsletter is scheduled for publication on Tuesday of this coming week.* If Sirius (or its satellite receiver manufacturers) has an FCC waiver letter allowing the use of 87.7 and/or 87.9 MHz, I would appreciate receiving a pdf copy of that document by Monday of next week at the latest.

Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this inquiry.

Time has the "Time 100: The People Who Shape Our World" SIRIUS' Howard Stern makes the list of Artists & Entertainers.. You can read the write up on Stern here

We will have full coverage of the SIRIUS conference call Tuesday May 2nd. The call kicks off at 8am, earning reports will be out in the 7am Hour. You can listen to the call on SIRIUS//125 or listen live online here. Get Sirius Info, along with our alliance partners will provide the best and most powerful coverage. Look for new programing news, new hardware news (like the new Sportster) and much more. SIRIUS may also talk about the Stern Show online..