First week of the year is looking like a pretty good one. Highlights include the premiere of the Fox News Talk on XM 168, Deep Tracks Essential 5002, and the college football national championship

Monday:

Fox News Talk | XM 168 | 9 AM ET - Fox News Talk Premieres on XM…Fox News Schedule is here

Deep Tracks Essential 5002 | Deep Tracks - XM 40 | The alphabetical countdown of XM 40’s library begins

Wednesday:

The Rose Bowl | ESPN Radio - XM 140 | 8 PM ET -Only one team walks away the National Champion. Be in Pasadena for every play, when USC takes on Texas.

Thursday:

LIVE! MusicFest at Steamboat | XCountry - XM 12 | Thursday through Saturday, 8PM ET ; Sunday 4PM ET -X Country is LIVE from MusicFest at Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Friday:

Gorillaz Live in Manchester | Ethel - XM 47 - 8PM ET | XMU - XM 43 - 9PM ET -Recorded live in concert from Manchester England on November 5th, 2005

This has been a phenominal year for the Satellite Radio, especially for XM. XM will have eclipsed 6 million users (that’s speculation but I’ll be very shocked if that doesn’t happen). Here’s my list of things I would love to see XM Radio make happen.

- More BBC Concerts on Deep Tracks
- Bring back On The Rocks, Liquid Metal, and Special X
- Bring DJs to Top Tracks
- XM2G02 Units
- Broadcast IT again
- Get some DJs on XM 8
- Get a Chill Channel
- More new guests on Opie and Anthony
- Better online interface @ XMRO
- xmradio.com to provide RSS content feeds

Those are the things @ the top of my list. Like I said its been a great year for XM Satellite Radio and I really think things will be more exciting in 2006. Happy New Year everyone !!!!

I’ve had a few emails and a comment about Deep Track’s Essential 5002, so I thought I’d give some addtional info on it. What is it you may ask? Starting @ 12 PM East on Sunday Deep Tracks will be playing the Essential 5002, which according to the XM Radio website says…. Can’t name every Deep Tracks song titles in alphabetical order? That’s what the 5th Annual Deep Tracks 5002 is for. Where the Essential 5002 are played, by song title, in alphabetical order, from A Apolitical Blues to Zu Zu Man.

Sound cool? Well it is…I believe this countdown of sorts lasts about 3-4 weeks if my memory serves correctly. The list from last year is located here here That link goes to a pdf btw. Anyways, its a fun show tune in when you can !!!!

One of my favorite channels on XM Radio has to be Top Tracks (XM-46). I think its probably a favorite of many others as well. So I started thinking about it and I asked this question on the xm411 forum as well, the thread is here. After seeing a few replies if I were running things here’s what I’d change if were the program director:

- Put some DJs on. I think XM is trying to program Top Tracks ipod style which there is nothing wrong with, but it makes the overall feel sort of have a cold feel to it.

- Alot of people say break this station up into 2 stations….I say no no no. As one of the XM promos for Top Tracks says…”Bringing the best rock and roll ever recorded to the XM Nation - Top Tracks XM 46″

- I know Top Tracks has a mix of about 300 songs or so at a time (Im guessing at that and I have nothing to base it off of except my listening), but I wish that this mix of songs would take place more often…like maybe every 72 hours or so…too much great music in the Top Tracks catalog

With all this said Top Tracks is still one of my favorite XM stations. I listen to it at least once a day for a period of time..although with the Deep Tracks 5002 coming up next week Top Tracks might be getting heard slightly less. For those wondering Deep Tracks 5002 is starting on New Years Day and XM basically plays the entire Deep Tracks catalog…very cool stuff !!!!!

This week is one of my favorite weeks of the year on XM Radio. Why? Well here are a few reasons:

- Countdown Shows out the wahzoo
- College Bowl Games
- Lotsa Live Concerts

Its stuff like this that XM provides that make it so unique.

So here’s what we have for this final week of 2005

Monday:

The Fred Essentials, Version 5 | Fred - XM 44 | Noon ET - Dont miss the countdown of 2,044 of Fred’s most essential songs.

Tuesday:

Mixed Bag Radio #55: Peter Frampton | The Loft - XM 50 | Noon ET - Conversation and music by Peter Frampton about the past and present with a new album on the horizon called Now

Rewind 1956 | The 50’s - XM 5| 7PM ET - Take a journey with Pat Clarke to one of the most important years of rock and roll…1956 of course !!!

Wednesday:

Eagles On The Bird: The Complete Eagles Part 1 of 3 | The 70’s - XM 7| 6PM ET - Take an inside look @ one of rocks most successful bands ever. Parts 2 and 3 are on Thursday and Friday @ the same time.

Friday:

The Big Score: Best of 2005 | Cinemagic - XM 27| 4PM ET - This will run all weekend long taking a look back at the music that made this years movies

Saturday:

Best of Opie & Anthony | High Voltage - XM 202| All weekend - You ask for it you got it. Here’s the best of Opie and Anthony since their arrival @ XM as voted by you…the XM Nation

New Year’s Eve LIVE from South Beach with Frankie Knuckles |The Move - XM 80| 10 PM ET - Ring in 2006 with the legendary, GRAMMY-winning, Frankie Knuckles, who many call the godfather of house. LIVE from South Beach at Shine.

Phish Live |Music Lab - XM 51| 12 PM ET - Live from Madison Square Garden 1995 New Years Eve

Sunday:

Deep Tracks Essential 5002 |Deep Tracks - XM 40| 12 PM ET - This is one of my favorite Deep Tracks shows that makes XM totally unique. Deep Tracks will play their entire catalog in alphabetical order all 5002 songs….where else are you going to hear a station’s entire catalog….you got it…only on XM Satellite Radio !!!!!

Its really good to see XM going out and getting top notch talent,which they have done with the signing of Mark Messier. He will appear on XM 204- Home Ice as well as in a marketing capacity. The story is here. I’m glad to see that an icon like Messier has signed on with XM Radio to do this. Right now I think Home Ice is lacking some sort of punch. There is really no name behind Home Ice until now.I’m also glad that the NHL is getting treated right just like MLB and NASCAR….thanks once again XM !!!!

Now that the whole Howard thing is coming to fruition I feel compelled to hop up on my soap box and give my 2 cents. There are really 4 sides to this whole thing. You have to look @ this from the standpoint of Sirius, XM, Howard, and Opie & Anthony. Yes these sides overlap in many ways, but lets take a look at each of these separately and then tie it altogether.

Suppose for a minute you’re Mel Karmazin (CEO of Sirius Satellite Radio), I think you see Howard as the savior and the thing that will not only save Sirius, but save Satellite Radio. Sirius has absolutely nothing to lose. It’s no secret how the company has been suffering financially. This is more or less a go for broke move and Karmazin knows it. At $100 million a year there is really no other way to think about it. So right now I gotta think Sirius is very very happy . They have got their name out into the mainstream and they haven’t even paid Howard 1 penny yet, but the question still remains, how do you justify yet actually pay Stern $100 million a year? Extend yourself beyond belief is the first thing that enters my mind.

Now lets think about this from the XM side. If you are Hugh Panero (CEO of XM Satellite Radio) right now what do you think of all this. Well here’s what I think is going through Hugh’s mind right now. I’d say he’s smiling like the cat that swallowed the canary right now. Look at all the free press XM is getting from this. Almost every segment on TV that Ive seen with Howard mentions XM as a competitor and not just a competitor, but a competitor that has a heck of a lot more subscribers than Sirius. On top of that the way XM counts subscribers are very different from the way Sirius does. For those unfamiliar with this. Sirius counts a subscription for every car that rolls off the assemblyline, where XM doesn’t count the subscription until it is actually activated. With the subscriptions aside. To put the Howard thing in perspective from a financial side. XM will have exclusive rights to the NHL starting next season, although this season the NHL is being broadcast on both XM and Sirius. That deal is costing XM $100 million over a 10 year period. With the edition of XM Canada and the NHL doing all they can to improve the league as well as their game. Its hard not to see the ROI here. Oh and of that $100 million XM isn’t even paying all of that. XM did have a shot @ getting Howard, but passed. I don’t think Hugh is looking back on this one at all. I’d have to say at this point XM has to be happy with the way things are going.

No matter what happens in the future I think Howard is in the worst situation out of anyone here….and here’s why I say that. There are 2 sides to this. The first being if he succeeds. Let’s say he does pull in a ton of subscriptions and Sirius does catch up to XM or even dominates the Satellite radio market. With the current financial state of Sirius how long can they afford to flip a $100 million bill because if Howard is successful, he’s obviously going to get incentives and I think the more successful Howard is the deeper Sirius will fall. Let’s say he fails, where does he go from here, back to terrestrial radio? I don’t see that happening somehow or if that did happen I don’t think it would last long.But I must say that Howard’s biggest downfall was refusing to go XM because Opie and Anthony were there, which can only lead me to believe that he’s scared or intimidated by them because of his bullying tactics in the past or he’s just plain scared of them, why else would he refuse to be on the same network they are…it makes no at all.

The folks who have to be salivating the most over this have to be Opie and Anthony. I think they will be the ones who reap the biggest benefit, but before I get into all that. You might be wondering why I don’t lump O and A together with XM. I can’t do that because of the history between Howard and the boys. From what I’ve heard the boys say Howard personally made it very difficult for them to work anywhere due to a gag order that they would have had to sign, which resulted in a 2 year plus layoff. With the presence of Howard on satellite now I think you’ll see Opie and Anthony bring their show up to a new level. The show right now in my opinion is doing well (better than ever actually) and I think will do better with Howard showing up at Sirius. There are going to be people now who are curious about satellite radio, but can’t stand Howard. There are just as many people out there that like Howard out there as hate him (I have to lump myself in the hate category). Those haters are going to flock over to XM and catch the virus. I cant think of a single reason why they wouldn’t.

Well that’s how see things for what its worth. The best thing about all this is that its really putting satellite radio out there in the mainstream. Even though its really been out there for some time. The one big question that I really can’t answer or even take a stab at right now is what will be the effect on terrestrial radio. I’ve spoken to this previously and I think that situation is bad and getting worse. I don’t see any light at the end of that tunnel at all. It’ll be interesting to see how that plays out as well, but to answer the question which I initially broached. I think ultimately Howard means a lot to XM right now and I can sum it up in 2 words…more subscriptions.

Well generally speaking I don’t engage or talk about XM Radio vs. Sirius stuff, but today is the definite exception this also may very well become a rule. In any event today was Howard Stern’s day in the sun, his last day @ terresterial radio. Anyone who halfway keeps up with Satellite radio knows about this. The O and A pests were in full force today. Nothing got out of hand from what I heard, but I did see alot of photos with XM Radio signs.

Here’s my slant on all this stuff. Yes today was huge for Howard and a little less huge for the boys on High Voltage XM 202. However, I think today was a bigger day for Satellite Radio. I think the question of Satellite Radio coming into the mainstream was answered today. It’s here and all Howard’s entrance will put Satellite Radio out there. There are just as many people out there that hate Howard as like him I think. I’ve never been a big Howard fan, but now that the parade is over and the confetti is being swept up. How the heck is Sirius going to flip that $500 million they are paying him. I need to write an article on this opposed to a blog posting, but my big takeaway from all this is that XM has really shown smarts with who they bring aboard. Opie and Anthony were a big part of those smarts, seems to me like a win/win situation there, but back to today’s events. I’m glad Sirius was the one to pay the marketing bill on this one for Satellite radio. My short term prediction is….watch Sirius numbers climb…however watch XM Radio’s numbers climb exponentially.

XM Radio has made another awesome move by adding Good Morning America to the Take 5. The press release is here . This is a very sweet add to the Women’s radio channel and to my surprise this morning Opie and Anthony this morning were tuned in to GMA this morning and carried the announcement. I know this was just a promo but I thought it was kind of cool and of course they spun this into a Sirius slam…I’ll leave it at that, but this is yet another awesome edition to Take 5…nice one XM !!!

Here’s an interesting newcomer to XM Radio. Bob Dylan will be hosting his own show Deep Tracks - XM 40. It sounds like the show format will be different than Tom Petty’s Buried Treasure. Dylan will not only be spinnin’ tunes for us but he will also have guest interviews according to the press release, which is located here. I think the Dylan signing is very cool thing for Deep Tracks. I’ve never heard Dylan as a host before so we’ll see, but it seems like an awesome add to Deep Tracks.