XM director quits over looming `crisis'

[Dirtybird12]

<p class="textBodyBlack"><font size="2">WASHINGTON - <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11383797/" target="_self">XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc.</a> <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11383797/" target="_self">posted </a>a much wider loss in the fourth quarter on higher costs for marketing and acquiring subscribers. At the same time, a key director quit over disagreements about the company&rsquo;s direction, warning of a looming &ldquo;crisis.&rdquo;</font></p>

<span class=post_edited>This message was edited by CircusFreak on 2-16-06 @ 11:10 AM</span>

[spadanko]

I hope this doesn't mean anything bad for the Boys....

[Doctor Manhattan]

<strong>CircusFreak</strong> wrote:<br /><p class="textBodyBlack"><font size="2">...At the same time, a key director quit over disagreements about the company&rsquo;s direction, warning of a looming &ldquo;crisis.&rdquo;</font> </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><font color="#000066" size="2">I have a friend who works at XM. It turns out that someone at XM hacked into the Satellite controls&nbsp;and is showing a couple robots he built and placed in the satellite really bad movies as some sort of &quot;experiment&quot;</font></p><p><img src="http://img493.imageshack.us/img493/3199/10satellite5rs.jpg" border="0" /></p>

[Sheeplovr]

<p><span class="postbody"><font size="2">warning of a looming &ldquo;crisis.&rdquo;</font></span></p><p>oh no! Al Dukes Prime is going to Punch off East side dave's head</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

[TooLowBrow]

<img src="http://ichart.finance.yahoo.com/z?s=XMSR&t=5y&q=l&l=on&z=m&c=SIRI&a=v&p=s">

[Doctor Manhattan]

<font color="#000066" size="2">So XM is projecting that they will &quot;be in the black&quot; by the end of 2006. How do companies stay in buisness for so long while losing money?</font>

[cupcakelove]

<strong>SKW</strong> wrote:<br /><font size="2" color="#000066">So
XM is projecting that they will &quot;be in the black&quot; by the end of 2006.
How do companies stay in buisness for so long while losing money?</font>
<p><br />
</p>
<p>Loans and investment capital.&nbsp; Sometimes, because of things like rent, you can actually loose more money by shutting down.<br />
</p>

[TooLowBrow]

<p>How can the U.S stay in business while losing money, when is it projected our country wil be in the black again?</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>also, i dont have real player on my computer, can anyone tell me what this link <a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/finance/external/forbes/SIG=10uoa9ous/*http://www.forbes.com/video/?video_url=http://www.forbes.com/video/fvn/business/pk_sir021506_al&id=pk_sir021506_al&title=Video%3A+Howard%27s+End&partner=yahootix" target="_self">Video: Howard's End</a>&nbsp;is about?</p>

[Death Metal Moe]

<p>I guess things aren't as rosey as O&amp;A want us to believe.&nbsp; Ultimately, this is stuff that they can't hurt or fix themselves but they'll probably make it sound like they can.</p><p>This is why I don't care for the &quot;Sirius vs XM&quot; arguments myself.&nbsp; I have XM and like it for now, that's it.&nbsp; I'm sure the music is comparable.&nbsp; IT's the special content like the talk that makes or breaks the deal for me.</p><p>XM does have the tech edge of course.</p>

[Snoogans]

i dont think this is as bad as it sounds. I don't think satallite radio is going anywhere, and being that XM is still shitting on Sirius, i wouldn't worry. <br />

[Dirtybird12]

<strong>Snoogans</strong> wrote:<br />i dont think this is as bad as it sounds. I don't think satallite radio is going anywhere, and being that XM is still shitting on Sirius, i wouldn't worry. <br /><p>LOL wow - If this was an article about SIRIUS&nbsp; or a director of Sirius leaving, I wonder if it would still be &quot;not as bad as it sounds&quot; </p><p>Not saying that is IS as bad as it sounds, but if it was about SIRIUS you KNOW certain people would be quoting the artilce and jerking off all over themselves about how the little doggy company is in trouble. <br />welcome to the SPIN ZONE baby</p><p><img height="253" src="http://www.columbia.edu/cu/humanrights/filmseries/2004/fs-denial-bt.gif" width="197" border="0" /></p>

<span class=post_edited>This message was edited by CircusFreak on 2-16-06 @ 12:08 PM</span>

[Snoogans]

yea, you are absolutely right. i dont think anyone would deny that<br />

[TooLowBrow]

<p>If XM is still spending this much on acquiring new subscribers by the time the second quarter rolls around, despite having Major League Baseball as an effective selling tool and being a few months removed from Stern's publicity, then I would worry.</p><p>But not yet. Pierce may have had a fair point about keeping costs in check, but I think he bailed too early.</p>

[TheMojoPin]

<strong>CircusFreak</strong> wrote:<br /><p class="textBodyBlack"><font size="2">WASHINGTON - <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11383797/" target="_self">XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc.</a> <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11383797/" target="_self">posted </a>a much wider loss in the fourth quarter on higher costs for marketing and acquiring subscribers. At the same time, a key director quit over disagreements about the company&rsquo;s direction, warning of a looming &ldquo;crisis.&rdquo;</font></p><span class="post_edited">This message was edited by CircusFreak on 2-16-06 @ 11:10 AM</span> <p>Aw, he's just being overdramatic...what &quot;crisis&quot; could be so bad you'd just take of and run like a little gi-...</p><p><img height="210" src="http://www.monitorduty.com/mdarchives/pariah.jpg" width="195" border="0" /></p><p>...AAAAAAAAAH!!!&nbsp; FLEE!!!&nbsp; WE'RE ALL DOOMED!!!</p>

[badorties]

<p>&nbsp;</p><p>did we care this much over infinity's finances ...?</p>

[Tenbatsuzen]

<p>&quot;creative&quot; and/or &quot;strategic&quot; &quot;differences&quot; is corporate lingo for &quot;someone is a wacko and/or doesn't get along with everyone else&quot;.</p><p>writing a breakfast club style letter, basically saying &quot;Fuck You&quot; to the people in charge just reeks of sour grapes for some reason.</p><p>Stuff like this on a much higher level doesn't effect O&amp;A.&nbsp; If Logan and/or Wickland quit or was fired, THEN there's problems.</p>

[mendyweiss]

XM is still the leader in the field, however, I think this news will expedite the merger between XM and Sirius.

[Death Metal Moe]

<strong>mendyweiss</strong> wrote:<br />XM is still the leader in the field, however, I think this news will expedite the merger between XM and Sirius. <p>How many fucking times do we have to go down this road?&nbsp; That's not going to happen because it would form a monopoly.</p>

[cupcakelove]

<strong>Death Metal Moe</strong> wrote:<br /><strong>mendyweiss</strong> wrote:<br />XM is still the leader in the field, however, I think this news will expedite the merger between XM and Sirius. <p>How many fucking times do we have to go down this road? That's not going to happen because it would form a monopoly.</p><p>This is true, about 5 or 6 years ago Dish Network tried to buy DirecTV and was stopped by the government for that reason.<br /></p><p> </p><p> </p>

<span class=post_edited>This message was edited by cupcakelove on 2-16-06 @ 9:54 PM</span>

[Snoogans]

<p>and now direcTV pisses on dish network</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

[Snoogans]

<p>the only way there could be only 1 satellite company is if one goes under and another one isnt started by someone</p>

[Dirtybird12]

<p>the limit (according to someone i spoke to at xm) is 10 yrs. I dont think anyone else can start up a sat company for 10 yrs.&nbsp; at that point the 2 could merge. Both sirius reps and xm reps have given me the &quot; in 10 yrs&quot; story. </p>

[Tenbatsuzen]

<p>&nbsp;</p><strong>CircusFreak</strong> wrote:<br /><p>the limit (according to someone i spoke to at xm) is 10 yrs. I dont think anyone else can start up a sat company for 10 yrs. at that point the 2 could merge. Both sirius reps and xm reps have given me the &quot; in 10 yrs&quot; story. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Didn't Sirius reps also tell you R&amp;F were going there? </p><p>FCC issued two SDARS licenses.&nbsp; Until the FCC wants to issue more licenses (and there has been no timetable set when they will), anyone can start a satellite company, but they ain't getting a license and they ain't broadcasting.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

[curtoid]

LOOMING &quot;Crisis&quot;? Jeeeez - I don't know if I should do an Oprah/fat/looming joke, or a spinster/knitting/loom joke here. Like XM when R&amp;F aren't on - too many choices.&nbsp;&nbsp;

[Dirtybird12]

<strong>Death Metal Moe</strong> wrote:<br /><p>I guess things aren't as rosey as O&amp;A want us to believe.&nbsp; Ultimately, this is stuff that they can't hurt or fix themselves but they'll probably make it sound like they can.</p><p>This is why I don't care for the &quot;Sirius vs XM&quot; arguments myself.&nbsp; I have XM and like it for now, that's it.&nbsp; I'm sure the music is comparable.&nbsp; IT's the special content like the talk that makes or breaks the deal for me.</p><p>XM does have the tech edge of course.</p><p>XM DOES have the tech edge - now if they just fix the phone problem they would be&nbsp;completely rad</p>

<span class=post_edited>This message was edited by CircusFreak on 2-17-06 @ 12:10 PM</span>

[booster11373]

<strong>Tenbatsuzen</strong> wrote:<br /><p>&nbsp;</p><strong>CircusFreak</strong> wrote:<br /><p>the limit (according to someone i spoke to at xm) is 10 yrs. I dont think anyone else can start up a sat company for 10 yrs. at that point the 2 could merge. Both sirius reps and xm reps have given me the &quot; in 10 yrs&quot; story. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Didn't Sirius reps also tell you R&amp;F were going there? </p><p><strong>FCC issued two SDARS licenses</strong>.&nbsp; Until the FCC wants to issue more licenses (and there has been no timetable set when they will), anyone can start a satellite company, <strong>but they ain't getting a license and they ain't broadcasting.</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>So the FCC can control the creation of a&nbsp;satelite network but can't control content?</p><p>What if some rich guy wanted to start one, Launced a satelite, created recievers, sold recievers etc...</p><p>Why could'nt they broadcast, whats to stop them from just saying fuck you FCC</p>

[UnknownPD]

<p><font size="2">The &quot;its a monopoly&quot; thing so it will never happen doesn't really hold water. The FCC has the ability to waive any monopoly considerations. My guess is that if either company went belly up the FCC would allow only one company to operate &quot;in the consumers interest&quot;. At least for a period of time.</font></p><p><font size="2">There is also an&nbsp;FCC rule that requires satellite receivers to accept &quot;both&quot; signals as soon as it is technologically practical. Its never been enforced and neither company has an interest implementing it. </font></p><p><font size="2">...and there is always the possibilty that a technological change could undermine the entire satellite radio business model.</font></p><p><font size="2">There are a lot of ifs surrounding satellite radio. But I've got to go with the earlier comment that the &quot;quitting director&quot; has more to do with personalities than business. </font></p>

[cupcakelove]

<strong>booster11373</strong> wrote:<br /><strong>Tenbatsuzen</strong> wrote:<br /><p> </p><strong>CircusFreak</strong> wrote:<br /><p>the
limit (according to someone i spoke to at xm) is 10 yrs. I dont think
anyone else can start up a sat company for 10 yrs. at that point the 2
could merge. Both sirius reps and xm reps have given me the &quot; in 10
yrs&quot; story. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Didn't Sirius reps also tell you R&amp;F were going there? </p><p><strong>FCC issued two SDARS licenses</strong>.
Until the FCC wants to issue more licenses (and there has been no
timetable set when they will), anyone can start a satellite company, <strong>but they ain't getting a license and they ain't broadcasting.</strong></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>So the FCC can control the creation of a satelite network but can't control content?</p><p>What if some rich guy wanted to start one, Launced a satelite, created recievers, sold recievers etc...</p><p>Why could'nt they broadcast, whats to stop them from just saying fuck you FCC</p>
<p>The FCC might be able to stop you from selling recievers and you
would probably have to setup your company outside of the US.&nbsp; The
FCC can legally control content on satelite radio, they just decided it
didn't need to be, since its subscription only.<br />
</p>

[snapdemon]

<p>I experienced this first hand and couldn't believe that the U.S. government could shoot down a buyer of the company I work for. Everything worked out okay, but to all the guys saying the government cant stop the sale, I saw it happen from inside.</p><p>Here is a link to my almost totally unrelated experience:</p><p><a href="http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2002/01/gelatin.htm">http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2002/01/gelatin.htm</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p>

[Dirtybird12]

<p>I wonder if Fezzy used the company card to pay for Elfishes bar-tab? har har har</p>

[curtoid]

<strong>UnknownPD</strong> wrote:<br /><p>&nbsp;</p><p><font size="2" /></p><font size="2">...and there is always the possibilty that a technological change could undermine the entire satellite radio business model.</font> <p>&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.woxy.com/" target="_self">Internet radio</a>&nbsp;and <a href="http://www.thecosmiccircus.com/" target="_self">Fake Radio</a>,&nbsp;baby. Once they perfect internet radio receivers, watch out sat-rads and terestrial. Radio available everywhere. Podcasts are just the start.</p><p><img height="320" src="http://images.apple.com/itunes/podcasts/images/herowin20051012.jpg" width="450" border="0" /></p>