7:00 a.m. - Customers Confused about Satellite Radio Merger
By: RNS
Updated: November 19, 2008
Subscribers to the Sirius and XM satellite radio services are confused. "USA Today" reports the recent merger has caused a shift in programming lineup that's left subscribers wondering why their favorite channels have, in many cases, moved and left no forwarding address.
In July, the FCC gave the two independent satellite services a green light to merge creating Sirius XM Radio. The new lineup began broadcasting last week on both networks.
In the shuffle, XM lost several channels but got some Sirius counterparts. The same with Sirius which received some XM channels. The company says emails were sent to subscribers and new lineups were posted online last Wednesday but many subscribers didn't get the memo and are complaining nobody asked them what to keep or kill.
Gone, apparently, are channels devoted to disco and old-school rap. Ryan Saghir, who runs a satellite radio blog says "I'm astonished by the lack of communication."
In the final mix, XM subscribers now receive more than a dozen channels found previously only on the competing service. Sirius adds several popular XM channels.
The Howard Stern show is now available on both as is Martha Stewart plus NASCAR and NFL channels, many at extra cost.
