Travel Technology - XM Radio Channels Morphing into Sirius

Well it happened this morning, my XM radio in the car showed Sirius channel names and bunch of changed programming. Got NPR and BBC R1 on XM now - other changes seem cosmetic. Same programming just under the Sirius comparable channel name.

With the loss of The System and an apparently weak substitute for Lucy, it's not the same. I'll give it a little time, but will probably cancel with my favorite channels wiped out.

It looks like the changes happened on Sirius also...

Well it looks like like Lucy got replaced with Lithium

They say it's a comparable channel on this link

http://www.xmradio.com/onxm/lineup.xmc

There's a related thread over in OMNI that's pretty active (anyone can get into OMNI now--no entry requirement):
Warning to All XM subscribers: Major Channel Change at Midnight! (11/11/08) (http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=887785)

Well it looks like like Lucy got replaced with Lithium

They say it's a comparable channel on this link

http://www.xmradio.com/onxm/lineup.xmc

Comparable? Like Lithium to Prozac? ;)

There's a related thread over in OMNI that's pretty active (anyone can get into OMNI now--no entry requirement):
Warning to All XM subscribers: Major Channel Change at Midnight! (11/11/08) (http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=887785)

I've avoided Omni for years... and XM + Sirius are travel technology people use when renting cars, etc...

I've avoided Omni for years... and XM + Sirius are travel technology people use when renting cars, etc...

Could someone tell this neophyte (and Sirius subscriber) what Omni is? Thanks.

can xm radio track my listening habits? do they know how many are listening to howard stern?

i do not and never have listened to omni. life is too short.

Could someone tell this neophyte (and Sirius subscriber) what Omni is? Thanks.

can xm radio track my listening habits? do they know how many are listening to howard stern?

i do not and never have listened to omni. life is too short.


"Omni" as in the Section of FlyerTalk called Omni. Look up at the top of this page just to the left of the "My FlyerTalk" thingy.

Since you satellite radio does not have transmit capability, they can not track your listening habits.

Since you satellite radio does not have transmit capability, they can not track your listening habits.

so does that mean they encode each signal to allow a particular receiver to get signal?

so does that mean they encode each signal to allow a particular receiver to get signal?

It's a frequency band off the satellite that always transmits all the channels, your reciever is picking up the signal and decoding the channel you want. Simple as that.

They have no concept of knowing your reciever or transmitting directly to it. It's just in their coverage area (Northern Hemisphere America's) you can pick up either XM or Sirius (both run different satellite constellations). The only item they transmit to the reciever is authentication for your reciever to play when you first subscribe - there is no transmitting from your reciever back to them...

BTW: Yes - I think I know what Omni is as I posted about a 1000 articles there over the last 10 years - but I choose to avoid it and stay on topic for what this is "FlyerTalk" - Just my 2 cents.

To expand just a little bit...

You can buy a receiver in many locations. When you sign up for the service, you need to provide subscription payment method (usually a credit card) and the serial number of your receiver. The satellite system broadcasts activation authority to enable your receiver to decode the broadcast (it's all digitally encoded). I'm not sure if there is a separate control channel or if it's in one big fat multiplexed stream, though, so what's called a "channel" may actually be a stream ID. The receiver then downloads your available "channel" info etc. You can not force the receiver to decode streams that it's not authorized to.

This is also the method by which they control pay-per-listen streams, and/or "adult oriented" info - Sirius used to have "Playboy Radio" that wasn't extra cost, but needed a positive signup. So...the only thing that they really would know is what you were were authorized to receive, not what you actually listen to...

RFTraveler ^

Do they rteally know what they are doing? I sent this off this morning ri Sirius XM management.

I recently renewed my subscription for another three years for $349.

I did this for two main reasons. One, Bob Dylan Theme Time Radio and Tom Pettys Buried Treasure. These two shows played in a loop all day Wednesday and Thursday on Channel 2 making it easy to listen to when time during my work day permitted whether in the car or at my desk listening online.

Now someone at your company in their infinite wisdom has removed Channel 2 where these two wonderful shows played and has assigned them to Deep Tracks at a certain time making it almost impossible to hear them I missed Theme Time Radio on Wednesday because I was on a conference call. I may never hear that show unless it is replayed in the future. Buried Treasure was on at 8PM last night which I missed because I was working out.

It is absolutely ludicrous that Martha Stewart has a channel and Howard Stern has two channels available 24/7? How could your company put up 2 channels for that goof ball and delete channel 2? What is logic in that decision? Money? Greed? What are other surprises are in store for us in the future?

I really do not want to cancel my subscription but I am giving it serious thought. Granted I will miss Mike Marone on the Loft in the morning and Deep Tracks in the afternoon but I see no other option without Channel 2. Channel 2 also had some great in studio interviews and performances with various artist which was excellent radio work.

Your listeners are ticked off. You know it and we know it. The switchboard has been melting all week.

The answer is simple. Put Bob Dylan and Tom Petty back on Channel 2 all day Wednesday and Thursday along with Marty Stuart and the artist confidential program and we will be happy loyal customers.

I paid $349 for another three subscription and your company changed what I bought without warning. I do not appreciate that and neither do hundreds if not thousands of listeners, your customers.

I would like to hear from you. I have called both of you but neither of you have returned my call. Convey to your management to do the right thing and put Channel 2 back on.

Thank you

ok got it. they send a signal for a short period of time that activates my receiver.

on a couple of occasions my receiver has gone stupid. i have to call them and they rebroadcast the on switch.

ok got it. they send a signal for a short period of time that activates my receiver.

on a couple of occasions my receiver has gone stupid. i have to call them and they rebroadcast the on switch.

That may just mean the sw on your reciever isn't the best...

I have an inbuilt XM in my Audi and have NEVER once had to call customer service on an issue like that. (3 years with the same reciever now)