Crain's NewYorkBusiness.com has told me some amazing news. Today, at 5:00 pm EST, the all-talk radio station 92.3 WFNY will change back to its historic rock roots as WXRK, or K-ROCK, according to sources at CBS Radio (NYSE: CBS).

The move couldn't come fast enough.

Its the first sign of change under new CEO Dan Mason, who replaced Joel Hollander last month.

The move back to rock music ends the all-talk format when Howard Stern went to Sirius Satellite Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) at the end of 2005. WFNY has struggled from day one. The station had a paltry 1.3 share of the audience during the 2007 winter quarter, the same a year ago.

Opie & Anthony, currently serving a 30-day suspension at XM Satellite Radio (NASDAQ: XMSR), will get to keep their morning drive job on the new (old) WXRK. After 9 am, the station will return to its rock roots.

Just minutes ago, Opie from the O&A was the first live voice listeners heard, as Guns N' Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle" played in the background. The station officially kicked off the format change playing one of Nirvana's greatest hits, "All Apologies."

Its O.K. K-Rock, I forgive you.

Rock music comes back to NYC! O&A spared originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 24 May 2007 17:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc.'s (NASDAQ: XMSR) 30-day suspension of shock jocks Opie and Anthony for airing crude sexual comments is excessive and unfair.

Opie (Gregg Hughes) and Anthony (Anthony Cumia) were doing what they've done for years. Didn't XM know what got them fired in Boston (an April fool's gag in which they said the mayor got killed in a car accident) and New York (a couple who had sex in St. Patrick's Cathedral at the urging of a guest)?

So, the fact that the duo aired a homeless man's rant about sex that referenced Condoleeza Rice, Laura Bush and Queen Elizabeth isn't that shocking.

XM's protestations to the contrary ring hollow.

So, why are people offended now?

Continue reading Media World: XM is suspending Opie and Anthony for being themselves

Media World: XM is suspending Opie and Anthony for being themselves originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 16 May 2007 07:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. (NASDAQ:SIRI) took a positive step toward getting regulators to get on board with its acquisition of rival XM Satellite Radio (NASDAQ:XMSR).

If the merger happens -- I know it's a big if -- satellite radio will become more like cable television. People who want fewer channels will pay less than the $12.95 per month that they do now, the same if they want their current level of programming and more if they want more.

Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin is pledging not to raise prices. The arguments from Sen. Herb Kohl and other critics that the merger isn't good for consumers just don't make sense.

It's in the company's best interest to give the public great programming at a reasonable price. Satellite radio is far from a monopoly. People who are upset with Sirius or XM can plug in their iPods into their cars or listen to free radio.

I realize the National Association of Broadcasters is lobbying hard against the deal. NAB got into some hot water after our sister blog Engadget noticed that its anti-Sirius was looked very similar to Mastercard's well-known campaign.

Priceless.

Still, I am optimistic that a compromise will be worked out.

Sirius and XM will have to accept some sort of government regulation and satellite radio will survive.

Sirius XM is good for consumers originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 21 Mar 2007 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. (Nasdaq:SIRI) and XM Satellite Radio Inc. (Nasdaq:XMSR) are billing their deal as a $13 billion merger of equals. That's not quite the case.

Sirius is buying XM for about $4.57 billion, according to Bloomberg News. XM investors will receive 4.6 shares of Sirius stock for each share they own. The deal values XM shares at $17.02 a share, a 22 percent premium over its latest closing price.

Mel Karmazin, the CEO of Sirius, will run the company. His counterpart at XM Hugh Panero will leave. Karmazin, who attracted high-profile talent like Howard Stern and Martha Stewart, clearly won the battle for satelite radio supremacy. But if he doesn't attract significantly more advertising revenue, he will lose the war.

Until now, advertisers haven't really warmed to satellite radio. In fact, they aren't too keen on the medium period. TNS Media Intelligence estimates that radio advertising spending will rise 1.7 percent this year, which is only slightly better than the 0.9 percent decline for newspapers. Meanwhile Internet display advertising is forecasted to jump 13 percent.

The commercials on Sirius (where I am a subscriber) are awful. They seem like the types of spots that you would hear on an AM station in the middle of the night. I can't speak to XM. In their latest quarters, XM and Sirius got a miniscule $17 million from advertising.

Continue reading Sirius, XM isn't a merger of equals

Sirius, XM isn't a merger of equals originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 19 Feb 2007 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.