Sirius-XM rate hikes coming in March

Originally Posted by lifesun

I thought it was a very bad move myself regarding the internet radio hike. It will motivate people to look for alternatives, and then Slacker and Pandora will be found, among others..........for free. Then, people will soon figure out that these services are also available via cell phones and portable devices, and ask........why would I pay for satellite???

Just my 2 cents........

Originally Posted by CoreyM

Anyone have a full list of promises made to the FCC prior to the merger that we can expect them to break in the coming months?


*I realize that the "no rate hikes" applied to the base right, but removing services from the base plan and charging to get them back seems to be an end around.

Why would I pay for online radio when there are better alternatives that don't have me channel surfing like I did with the new XM before I cancelled (in favor of streaming internet radio/iPod podcasts).

Some six months after last summer's merger between Sirius Satellite Radio and rival XM Radio, we're now seeing reports that the new Sirius XM is raising prices starting March 11, charging $2 more per month for additional subscriptions, and $2.99 a month for online streaming (formerly part of the base package). This move is seemingly in line with the FCC merger agreement because technically, the company is not raising its base price -- if you have one receiver and don't stream online, you're not affected. What's more, if you call Sirius XM customer service, someone will explain to you that you can lock in the current rate if you sign up for a three-year subscription (which in satellite radio years, is like, well, a decade). Still, the post-merger move feels like a disconcerting harbinger of price increases to come.

I've personally never been a Howard Stern fan (seems every day there's fewer of those around), and at home, I plug my Internet-connected laptop into the stereo to listen to various online radio as well as my MP3 collection. That means the only place I really listen to satellite radio is my car or at work via the Internet. I like having Sirius on my four-hour road trips to see my Boston-based in-laws, but I think I might just stick with terrestrial radio and my iPod (connected via an inexpensive yet adequate-at-least-in-rural-areas FM modulator) for car rides and ditch the satellite radio rather than pay an extra 3 bucks a month just to listen at work. Yes, it's about saving cash. But it's also about saying screw you to this monopoly before it bites me in the behind.

Anyone else gonna chuck their satellite radio if this price-jacking rumor is true? How do you listen to radio these days? Or perhaps radio really is a dead medium...?

Originally Posted by sebberry

Why would you pay for this when there are already hundreds (er.. thousands) of internet radio steams already available for free? Many of which are >128kbps...

I am still thinking of cancelling my Sirius subscription. The fact that internet users will be getting better quality audio than my satellite receiver is another reason to axe the service. I signed up for "Sirius Satellite Radio", not "Sirius internet radio"

Originally Posted by sebberry

I bought Sirius with the intention of spending the majority of my listening time in the car. Sure when in town I could buy an iPhone and use it to stream free internet radio, but on long trips out of town where there is no data coverage, Sirius is the only streaming audio option.

Originally Posted by lifesun

Unless you don't mind losing or paying for the internet stream now.

Originally Posted by Pat6366

I'm no marketing or business genius but it seems like this is a real stupid approach for them to take. Seems like the add on subs are all bonus for them, since the fixed costs of billing, etc are all taken care of with the main account. That being the case, rather than raise the rate and chase people away, why not lower by 1-$2 and try to attract more people to add subs? And with the internet stream why take it away and piss people off, instead attract more customers by offering an internet only option for those that don't want to buy SR hardware. I will be done with at least one extra sub and possilby my entire account if this goes through.

Originally Posted by nithos

There business gurus feel that the loss of subscriptions by adding $2 will net more than the increase in subscriptions by dropping $X.

There already is an internet only subscription. I think it's $8 a month.