"SIRIUS" XM Has just pissed me off

[acroyear]

With absolutely NO WARNING AT ALL, 2 of my favorite channels, ones that have been on my "top 10" since the beginning, are gone.  5 others of my top 10 have changed names and with that, I assumed changed programming heads to a Sirius person instead of the XM person whose playlist choices I generally trusted (though we'll see if 49 reduces how much Tom Petty they play).

Gone:
Fine Tuning
Cinemagic (suposedly, this returns in January after they're done flooding the airwaves with holiday music)
Broadway (correction this is still there, moved to 75 in the Jazz section)

Moved and Changed:
XM Pops
XM Classical
Vox
Audio Visions (a new new age station called "Spa" is up, not sure of the content/quality)
Top Tracks and Big Tracks (though the format is the same)
the whole Fred and Lucy and Ethel names are gone (not that they were all THAT useful...)

as it stands now, at least my AT40 is still on Sundays at 12 where I like it...but the 70s moved its time slot...

meanwhile, bandwidth is wasted on the small set of total addicts to *5* single-artist channels for Led Zep and Springsteen among others...really, guys, do you think anybody who is such a fan of them to need to hear them 24/7 DOESN'T ALREADY OWN EVERYTHING THEY'VE EVER DONE?

Radio competes with the iPod by offering variety, not by duplicating a single artist addict's playlist.

Comments

[thelongshot.livejournal.com]

While Da Boneyard made the cut, its PD Kevin Kash didn't. Disappointing because I felt he was doing a pretty decent job. Also, Eddie Trunk's show goes on hiatus until January.

But yeah, every time they make a channel change, I pretty much get screwed in it.

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

When Abrahms left XM, I kinda knew this would happen once the merger was announced. He had the attitude to be different from on-air radio, Sirius didn't, but without him batting for XM's DJs and programming style, there wasn't a strong enough personality that would protect the real creative side of the corporation.

[thelongshot.livejournal.com]

To be honest, this was starting to happen well before Abrams left. The process only got accelerated with the merger. I have some doubts that I will still be a subscriber a year from now.

I'm not sure what the deal with Da Boneyard. I couldn't find it on the sats, but I've heard that it did make the cut. Unfortunately they have Hair Nation on at its spot, which I hated when I was a Sirius subscriber. I think I had heard something that currently the AC/DC channel is taking the spot and that Da Boneyard would be back after that is done.

On the positive note, it looks like XMLM is taking more from Hard Attack, which means I might actually listen to it on occasion.

BTW, one band channels = worst idea ever. Even I wouldn't like a channel dedicated to my favorite band.

[dawntreader]

i think sweetpea86 would argue with you about the usefulness of the Springsteen station.

now if they had a Depeche Mode station, maybe that would push me over the top to buying into XM radio!!! ;)

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

Is there a single Springsteen thing she doesn't have?

more importantly, will she go out and buy a Sirius XM radio and pay for a subscription because there's a 24/7 Springsteen channel?

If not, then logically by your own DM example there's no point to it!

[dawntreader]

a: i think she does have the Springsteen channel already.

b: i would totally buy it for the DM channel. ;)

why? they put it in a different order, i'm sure they would use songs and tracks and remixes that i don't have or couldn't get, i don't have EEEVVVVERYTHING they ever ever made (just most), and they would put it in a random order--not a track listing--so each track would be like a tiny 'surprise.'

so yeah, i would totally buy it for the 24/7 Depeche Mode Channel.

E STREET RADIO

[sweetpea86.livejournal.com]

Mr.Shelby!
I actually signed up for Sirius waaaaaaaaaaay back in 2004 when Bruce released "The Rising" which coincided with the initial launch of "E Street Radio."

However, I also listen to 25 "Little Steven's Underground Garage", 63 "Outlaw Country" (produced by Little Steven), 77 "Broadway's Best", as well as various stops at "Lithium", the Buffett station, the 50's channel (ok, and the 60's and 70's), "Classic Vinyl"--which BTW, Joe, I heard "John Barleycorn" last week and thought of you!

Anyway, like you, I am also a tad *skeptical* about the merge, and am equally protective of MY stations, so I definitely know where you're coming from, hon.

Re: E STREET RADIO

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

well, so far, your particular line-up has mostly survived (not sure if the Broadway station is going to go). XM's definitely got the Little Steven channels and shows. speaking of little steven, i really wish, just for retro's sake, they'd re-release United Artists Against Apartheid again.

Fairport Convention's ex-founder Ashley Hutchings once announced their version of Barleycorn by saying they got Barleycorn in the band as a 5th member when Stevie Winwood's traffic split up.

[loresinger.livejournal.com]

FWIW, if you're a Sirius user (like me) we've also had some channels vanish.

[just-showtune.livejournal.com]

I was PISSED when I got in my car this morning. All my presets are fucked. My commute is short enough that I can't yet judge the programming on my fav stations. I do know that the main DJ for On Broadway is gone. Can't say that I loved his commentary or programming, but it remains to be seen if what's there will be an improvement.

[thatwasjen]

And I'm a really really devoted fan of the Sirius Broadway channel. If Seth Rudetsky disappears, I will too.

[just-showtune.livejournal.com]

Nope, he's still there. Listened to him all afternoon/evening yesterday. He's annoying as hell but his programming is far better than what the XM DJ used to play, so I'm fine with him.

On a slightly different topic, I'm a bit annoyed that the Broadway channel seems to have changed how they list artist and song. On the old XM channel it was always listed as the title of the show and then the name of the song. Now it seems to be the name of the actual singer. For the more common or identifiable shows I don't see this as a problem, but I can see that for some of the obscure stuff I'm going to get irritated if I have to go look it up elswhere.

[rsteachout.livejournal.com]

Crap. Now I have to reprogram my favorites. XM Pops/Vox/and Classical are my number 1 button. Also have to reprogram my Broadway button.

Yeesh. I wish they had never merged with Sirius. The stuff the Sirius touted and bragged about, I couldn't stand and never wanted (e.g. Howard Stern). At least I don't have to receive that crap unless I pay extra $$$ for it.

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

With XM, the receivers automatically re-route the favorites settings. they've had that with the first one. Fine Tuning changed channels 3 times and I never had a problem with it.

correction - this time, it might not have worked right...someone above (or below) says they're having problems.

[tyrus.livejournal.com]

wtf? Cinemagic is one of the main reasons I keep XM.

I can't believe I'm actually considering wether or not my membership is worth it now.

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

cinemagic will be back in january. it's just that every year, some channels get the boot to make way for all holidays all the time, and this year it's cinemagic. in previous years, it's been XM Pops, Fine Tuning, and/or one of the jazz stations.

[dawntreader]

just so's you know, i misread "XM Pops" just now as "XM Pope" and actually thought the sentence, "good lord! what channel is that?!"

which just made it that much funnier. *lol*

[thelongshot.livejournal.com]

Well, XM DID have a microchannel dedicated to the Pope's US visit, so that wasn't much of a stretch.

[tyrus.livejournal.com]

Yea, I know about the Holiday shift. But Cinemagic was usually the channel I went to to get away from all the Holiday overload.

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

which worked fine...until they started playing "Holiday Inn", "White Christmas", "Miracle on 34th Street", "The Santa Clause", and finally "A Christmas Story".

then you'd be screwed anyways...

[supergoober.livejournal.com]

My brother-in-law owns everything Rush has ever recorded, and he has XM. He listens to the Rush channel. I don't get it, either.