As Jamie Dlugosch mentioned a few days ago, Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) shares are trading for less than a can of pop at the local gas station. The company, which just completed its merger this past summer, saw its biggest customer -- automakers -- fall on hard times just as it was poised to try and grow as a combined company. Timing is everything; if Sirius were operating back in 2006, it'd be just fine. But it is almost 2009 and the economy is in a world of hurt. So are consumer spending dollars and just about any automaker you look at.

That's a one-two punch for satellite radio. Although I've used satellite radio before, the talk radio and interruption-free decade channels were about it for me. Sirius is now shuffling channels, trying to find a better mix that newer customers would be drawn to, as well as eliminating DJs on some music channels to save costs. When the difference between pay radio and terrestrial radio starts diminishing, that is a signal of the end. Sirius can't expect to have lackluster music programming and a lack of actual DJ personality to be perceived as "better" to existing customers, who could turn off satellite forever and create their own music service with a $50 MP3 player.

Note to Sirius: millions of consumers already do this. They download new music, podcasts and other entertainment directly (and in many cases, for free) and listen to what they want on their portable device over their car stereo systems. Although Sirius XM CEO Mel Karmazin acknowledged that MP3 players, iPods and the like were large competitors to satellite radio, this time his company is probably seeing it in force as it cuts costs and erases one benefit after another that are supposed to come with the $13/month radio service. Satellite Radio will survive the economic downturn, but who knows if it will be a shell of itself with a declining customer base and even more piles of debt after it is all through.

Sirius XM Radio, Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) is making good on its promise to make several programming alternatives available to customers after swallowing rival XM Radio back in July.

While SIRI shares sit below $0.50 today as the Dow plummets yet again, the company's newest radio plans are aimed at increasing subscriptions. The new plans are aimed at letting customers have more choice by purchasing programming from both the Sirius side, as well as the XM side.

Looking to boost its revenue and number of subscriptions, Sirius XM Satellite Radio Inc. Thursday announced a range of new programming options that lets subscribers buy programming from both of the recently merged rival services. The "Best of Both" plan actually tips the scales at $16.99/month, which is over $4 higher than the normal $12.95/month subscription. But, that amount does give all XM subscribers to ability to hear Howard Stern while giving Sirius folks the ability to hear Oprah's satellite show.

But the big news is this: a new $6.99/month plan will allow customers to ability to choose 50 "ala carte" channels from either service. That's what many of us having been waiting for: we may only want a few channels but don't want to pay for all of them. If you've been on the satellite radio fence for a while, will you jump on board now for less than $7 a month and get your fix? You won't get Howard or some live sports without additional fees -- and only certain radios are supported -- so be prepared.

When Sirius Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) bought and closed in on rival XM Radio last month, the first thing Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin did was to look at cost cutting via taking out redundancies from the merged company. Although all kinds of ideas are floating in the air to increase Sirius subscriptions and push its stock price back above the $1 mark, some are questioning how the combined satellite radio company can grow in 2009.

Indeed, Sirius estimated its subscriber base this morning to be at 19.5 million paying subscribers by the end of this year, with growth hitting 21.5 million subscribers by the end of 2009. So, that leaves Sirius with a goal of growing its base two million subscribers next year. Analysts noted that those numbers are a slowdown from 2007's addition of 3.7 million subscribers and 2006's addition of 4.4 million subscribers. Of course, there were two companies offering service those two years -- now there is one.

Unless Sirius can be really aggressive in marketing its aftermarket radios in new vehicles (the subcompact, four-cylinder kind consumers are actually buying) and ensure Sirius radios are offered as standard equipment in the vehicle product mix outside the defunct truck and SUV markets, it will have a tough time hitting 2009 prospects for growth. There are simply too many other alternatives for consumers listening in their cars (iPods and podcasts/downloaded music, anyone?). Karmazin's constant explanation during the XM merger process was that consumers have so much choice about what to listen to and where, that a combined Sirius/XM would not be a monopoly threat. He's right, and it's starting to show as subscriber numbers slow down.

Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) saw a quarterly subscriber increase of more than 50% as the satellite radio company reported a smaller-than-expected Q3 loss this morning. Still ahead is Sirius' planned merger with competitor XM Satellite Radio (NASDAQ: XMSR), which is still on the regulatory burner as this is being written.

Sirius did see a Q3 loss of $120.1 million ($0.08 per share) compared to a year-ago loss of nearly $163 million ($0.12 per share), but revenues did rise 45% to $241.8 million for the quarter, compared to 2006's $167.1 million. The results barely fell short of the market's expectation of $244.3 million. Putting it another way, Sirius pretty much hit analyst expectations. How the estimates can nail such a specific figure is anyone's guess.

Sirius had a devil of a time in the quarter when it can to subscribers, as it added almost 525,000 new ones to its ranks for the July-September period alone. This is the unreal part: Sirius ended the Q3 period with right at 7.7 million subscribers -- a 50% increase than a year ago.

In other words, Sirius added half its customer base just in the last year alone. Now, that's growth (in subscribers, not profit). XM Radio still has more subscribers at 8.6 million, but Sirius may indeed have more before the merger is finalized and complete if it continues growing at the rate it has been in the last few quarters.

Sirius Satellite Radio, Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) will be up bright and early tomorrow morning, as the company will be reporting its Q2 financials in a live webcast at 8 a.m. EST.

We'll have live coverage of that event right here at BloggingStocks, so be sure and return tomorrow morning to hear what the satellite radio company-in-flux has to say about its recent performance.

Of particular note recently has been CEO Mel Karmazin's announcement that a cheaper "a la carte" option would be available to customers of a combined Sirius / XM Satellite Radio Holding, Inc. (NASDAQ: XMSR) -- something like $6.95 per month -- which has probably gone a long way toward appeasing regulators who still continue to believe that a "monopoly" would be in place with a single national satellite radio operator.

Sirius is expected to report a loss of 10 cents per share on revenue of $228.3 million for Sirius' Q2 period, down from a $0.17 loss for the year-ago quarter. If the merger (buyout, actually) is approved between XM and Sirius soon, this may be one of the last quarters where a loss is expected and delivered. If you're holding onto SIRI, are you ready for this? Thought so.

Satellite radio companies XM Satellite Radio Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: XMSR) and Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) have continued normal operations as they await the approval on their proposed merger. The stocks, however, declined some 30% since the merger announcement. Although many knew the regulatory approval of the only two satellite radio companies would not be easy, faith in the approval seems to be going lower every day, affecting the share prices of both companies in recent months.

Isn't a merger agreement supposed to hike share price instead of sinking it? Generally, this happens, however, when it involves telecommunications and a threat of possible market monopolization, then the reverse happens. Although, when I liveblogged Sirius's latest quarterly results, CEO Mel Karmazin sounded supremely confident that the merger process would be approved after just a few more roadblocks. Potentially myopic investors don't agree, apparently.

I don't think that this merger is violates antitrust regulation. While it appears that way from the single-minded antitrust regulators, consumers today have more choice on in-car entertainment now than ever before. FM stagnation getting you down? Use that "auxiliary input jack" on most new vehicles and listen to anything from your MP3 collection. Older car? No worries, use and FM transmitter. Still like terrestrial radio? Get HD Radio for those FM broadcasts with CD quality. Antitrust concerns here? Unless you can only use satellite radio (for some odd reason), it's highly doubtful.

Sirius Satellite Radio Inc.'s (NASDAQ: SIRI) pending buyout of rival XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: XMSR) is sitting on the hot plate as May approaches, with no clear approval in sight yet. Since the combination of the only two satellite radio companies was announced in February, have the metrics in that industry gotten any better?

Nope -- both companies are still on the way to turning a profit as each gains more and more customers on the slow road to break-even and sustainable profitability. Although XM Radio announced last week that it lost much less cash in the Q1 period than in the year-ago Q1 period, both companies are still deep in the red right now. That brings us to the planned buyout of XM by smaller rival Sirius. Can the proposed company get to profitability faster while not limiting customer choice?

That is the question proposed from every analyst looking at the combination right now (as are U.S. government regulators). As such, Sirius' Q1 expectations set to be dropped this morning are for an EPS figure of -$0.12 for the three months ending in March. The year-ago Q1 EPS figure stood at -$0.33, so perhaps Sirius has lost quite a bit less money in 2007 just like XM has. If you're a SIRI or XMSR investor, are you yearning for the merger of both companies with baited breath? If you are, read Sirius'1 full Q1 results release here before
we get started.

See what the company has to say as the Q1 results for Sirius Satellite Radio will be covered below in real-time. Remember to use the "Refresh" button on your web browser to refresh this post every few minutes as updates occur. All times below are in EST.

8:00am -- waiting on hold as the Sirius Q1 conference call has not started

Sirius Satellite Radio Inc.'s (NASDAQ: SIRI) pending buyout of rival XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: XMSR) is sitting on the hot plate as May approaches, with no clear approval in sight yet. Since the combination of the only two satellite radio companies was announced in February, have the metrics in that industry gotten any better?

Nope -- both companies are still on the way to turning a profit as each gains more and more customers on the slow road to break-even and sustainable profitability. Although XM Radio announced last week that it lost much less cash in the Q1 period than in the year-ago Q1 period, both companies are still deep in the red right now. That brings us to the planned buyout of XM by smaller rival Sirius. Can the proposed company get to profitability faster while not limiting customer choice?

That is the question proposed from every analyst looking at the combination right now (as are U.S. government regulators). As such, Sirius' Q1 expectations set to be dropped tomorrow morning are for an EPS figure of -$0.12 for the three months ending in March. The year-ago Q1 EPS figure stood at -$0.33, so perhaps Sirius has lost quite a bit less money in 2007 just like XM has. If you're a SIRI or XMSR investor, are you yearning for the merger of both companies with baited breath? Depending on your position, you probably are seething for government approval so a combined company can reach for profitability on some kind of fast track. But, right now, the track is slower than a bicycle on ice.

Stay tuned tomorrow before the market opens, as I will be covering the Q1 Sirius conference call right here at BloggingStocks in live fashion. See you then!

XM Radio's Q1 conference call should give XMSR investors a glimpse into what the satellite radio company's performance was for the first part of 2007 as well as how the proposed buyout by competitor Sirius Satellite Radio is faring. See this link for Q1's full report.

When looking at the XM Q1 earnings preview post from earlier this week, will XM blow past its expectations or not make them? In any case, how big will XM's net loss be (there will be no net income, heh). The answer: XM's overall net loss actually narrowed from 2006's Q1 period. This is good news for XMSR shareholders.

With that sentiment, let's roll! Remember to use the "Refresh" button on your browser to refresh your browser every few minutes to ensure you're reading the latest updates. All times below are in EST.

10:01am -- the conference call is starting. CEO Hugh Panero starts going over some quarterly details. For the full results, see this.

In-car entertainment is becoming as sophisticated as multi-channel surround sound in the media room these days. Well, to a point. Consumers now have standard old FM and AM radio, hundred-channel satellite radio, iPod and other 10,000-song portable libraries and now even HD Radio. HD Radio is basically the same old content (I think) that is on the standard analog FM band, but with digital clarity and enhanced features.

Do customers care about all this or are they interested in content over "crystal-clear quality"? Both XM Satellite Radio Holdings (NASDAQ: XMSR) and Sirius Satellite Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) would argue that content is king, and 10+ million American satellite radio customers would back that statement up pretty nicely. What about terrestrial radio's comeback, as in HD Radio?

There are some industry watchers who say the death of terrestrial radio is imminent. Too much annoying advertising, deejays who have little to no function, boring and repetitive play lists and boring content in general are the standard gripes. But when HD Radio receiver units come to Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT), will consumers pay for those radios to hear their "boring content" in perfect digital clarity? HD Radio, unlike satellite radio, is free to receive (no monthly costs), which is a boon to many listeners. Add to that the advertising spending the HD Radio partners are planning this year along with national station support (in a fight for survival, no doubt), and Wal-Mart becomes a powerful ally for the aging radio industry. Will consumers even notice though?

The initial fanfare of Sirius Satellite Radio's (NASDAQ:SIRI) purchase of larger rival XM Satellite Radio Holdings(NASDAQ:XMSR) has died down for now. But I am sure it will heat back up in a huge way once Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin brandishes his tongue at federal regulators, who will want to know how combining the two companies into the nation's sole satellite radio provider will benefit consumers.

For one, consumers do have a range of choices for audio entertainment in the car these days. Standard analog terrestrial radio, the newer HD Radio, and portable music players like the iPod can all be seen as competition to satellite radio. This is a very valid argument, and it's hard to refute when the majority of new passenger vehicles and SUVs include an "auxiliary input" on their factory radios to make it easy to listen to that entire music collection on the road from your iPod or other MP3 digital music player.

If we remember history, though, federal regulators blocked a similar proposal from satellite TV operators DirecTV Group (NYSE:DTV) and EchoStar Communications (NASDAQ:DISH) back in 2002. At that time -- and still today -- there was ample competition. Analog (and free) TV, pay TV in for the form of cable television and DVD players were all thought to be the competitors to satellite TV. Federal regulators didn't buy it, and the proposed merger did not happen. What is different here?

Technically, not a whole lot -- except this argument talks about entertainment while mobile, not stationary. Would a combined Sirius/XM be considered a "monopoly" when so many other consumer choices for in-vehicle entertainment exist? In one sense, no. But, if we are talking about a monopoly just in the arena of satellite radio, then yes -- a monopoly would exist in that market after a merger, almost by definition. If programming doesn't fit the needs of consumers and prices go up, a satellite radio consumer would not be able to turn to another satellite radio competitor -- as there wouldn't be one.

This is it -- this may be one of the last financial quarterly reports from Sirius Radio before the company acquires larger rival XM Radio soon (or doesn't.) Sirius is most likely set to have a great quarter in terms of customer additions, as its Q4 period covers the all-important holiday season from last year -- traditionally a huge quarter for just about any industry that sells any product.

So, that's it -- here we go. Please remember to hit the "Refresh" button on your browser regularly, as updates to this liveblog will occur every few minutes or so. All times below are in Eastern Standard Time (EST.)

8:00am -- I'm sitting on the webcast waiting for a starter's pistol to metaphorically go off. Let's see if Sirius can get started within two minutes of its scheduled start time.

8:02am -- I can hear a bunch of people clearing their throats -- nice editing there, Sirius. We are starting.

8:06am -- call is given to CEO Mel Karmazin, who says 2.7 million new customers were gained in FY2006. 67% of net satellite radio additions in Q4 were given to Sirius (over rival XM). This is be best year and quarter in Sirius' history, according to Mel.

8:08am -- Mel is harping on how Sirius has reversed the trend of losing customer adds to XM, as it is now growing faster than its larger rival. Maybe that is why Sirius wanted to acquire XM, eh?

8:10am -- FY2007 is set to see Sirius have a full-year revenue figure of $1 billion -- the fastest growth to a billion in revenue in the "history of radio." Siruis' ARPU (average revenue per user) is now $11.01.

Will Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. (NASDAQ:SIRI) have a good or disappointing fiscal year when it releases full-year and Q4 results tomorrow? Sure, the proposed merger with XM Satellite Radio Holdings (NASDAQ:XMSR) from just over a week ago has propped up shares -- then they fell back down hard as industry pundits figured that the XM/Sirius deal would face a huge amount of regulatory scrutiny.

In fact, one of the conditions for XM and Sirius even existing was that the U.S. regulatory bodies stated that there needed to be two satellite radio competitors -- and now that seems only one may exist if the merger is allowed to happen. In recent times, though, Sirius has picked up more quarterly subscribers than larger rival XM on the back of the Howard Stern show and other competitive programming.

Will all that add up to another blowout subscriber quarter with actual financials that would make most accountants do a double-take? It was well known that it would take years for either XM or Sirius to become profitable when the companies began, as launching satellites and getting tons of programming on the air is not cheap. But, with terrestrial radio full of dead playlists, boring entertainment, and profuse amounts of advertising, Sirius and XM both are reaping in millions of subscribers per year. Did Sirius bust that mark for its latest fiscal year -- and will it meet, beat, or fall short of expected earnings tomorrow morning? Stay tuned to siri.bloggingstocks.com tomorrow at 8 am EST while I liveblog Sirius's latest earnings, and we'll all see together.

Also check out some other earnings reports that we're following, and let us know what you're expecting.

Although there have been tons of speculation recently on the merger between satellite radio companies XM Radio Radio Holdings (NASDAQ:XMSR) and Sirius Satellite Radio Radio Inc., (NASDAQ:SIRI), I'll agree that a merger seems like it should have been born on the day both companies announced they existed. It seems like cutting-edge companies and technologies always end in mergers to achieve customer numbers and the faster payoff for early investors who grow impatient -- or no longer want the risk.

But, if the two companies were to announce a merger, would the FCC block such an action? This article over at BusinessWeek seems to think so, and there is a good part of me that agrees. I think. The customer has so many choices these days in terms of in-car entertainment: terrestrial radio (which is dull and boring from my perspective), iPods and digital music players, DVD systems and of course, satellite radio.

Should there be a premium to shares of both XMSR and SIRI at this point? Not really. Will more OEM installs for both XM Radio and Sirius offset retail softness for both satellite radio companies? If so, the car deals with GM, Honda, Toyota, Ford had better ramp up soon.

XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc.(NASDAQ:XMSR) and Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. (NASDAQ:SIRI) are
booming, even amid constant predictions of future doom for the industry. Will HD radio be able to pull those subscribers back to earth? Circuit City Stores, Inc. (NYSE:CC) hopes so, as the retailer will begin selling HD radios soon along with online retailer Crutchfield.com and RadioShack Corporation (NYSE:RSH).

Roughly 1,000 terrestrial radio stations are broadcasting in HD Radio already, but relatively few listeners can hear the signals. HD radio gives FM radio CD-like audio quality while giving AM radio FM-like quality.

I don't see how HD radio can lure back former listeners. Sure, there are fidelity enhancements. But all they'll hear is the same tired content, all plugged playlists and tons of ads.

But, the HD Digital Radio Alliance is hoping to change all that now that the country's second-largest consumer electronics retailer has become the first 'big box' retailer to put HD radio products on its shelves -- and just in time for the holiday season.

Will you continue to listen to terrestrial radio stations with the same content, even though it'll sound better than it ever has? Or, are you planning a move to satellite radio soon? I'd be interested to hear from XMSR and SIRI investors as well as consumers on this one.