XM 202 Listener Update Thread

wackbag.com is reporting that O&A are fired but it is totally unsubstantiated at this time. Interestingly, the LA Times have printed a somewhat pro-O&A article and seem to get most of it right:
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...-home-business

Well not surprisingly, when I called in to cancel, the phone operator 'guaranteed' me that O&A would return in 30 days.

I can't see them getting fired. There's enough negative publicity surrounding this that has hurt XM in the long run.

Their page on XM radio has been re-worded to help assure subscribers they are returning on XM202 on June 15th (previously it was the apology and the suspension notice without this guarentee), so I'd say things certainly look better today.

http://www.xmradio.com/onxm/channelpage.xmc?ch=202

Tryed to Cancel XM (since they don't have O&A why pay for what I'm not getting?) but saw on another board where they don't cancel your account when you ask. So I called XM back and the indicated my account was still open. If XM is going to censor O&A why not just listen to their FM show? After all its FREE FM. Just a heads up if you feel like me, you may not have been cancelled. CALL BACK.

I think the problem is that what you are canceling is your renewal. My account was paid up through July and since they won't prorate my money back I still have XM until my prepay runs out.

If they didn't do it this way then everyone could sign up for the maximum term and get the biggest discount, but then cancel after a few months and end up paying less than if they had paid month to month.

This is exactly what you can do if you pay up front for a long-term deal. Cancel at any time for a prorated discount effectively getting a lower rate.

Rave D is correct. Just before the price increase took place a few years ago, I got the 5 year plan. Had the plan not allowed for early cancellation, I never would have done this because, at the time, Opie & Anthony only had a series of 1 year deals. There was no way that I was going to continue my subscription if they had got fired.

Right now, that 5 year plan is what has caused me to take the free month deal when I called to suspend my account (which they apparently don't do). If I canceled and XM is telling the truth, that O&A will be back in June, I would have to re-subscribe at the higher priced rate (plus multiple reactivation fees).

IMO, calling to suspend/cancel and then accepting the free month (I think that they are offereing up to 3 free months, I didn't know that since I made my call within an hour of the suspension announcement), makes the same statement to XM as canceling your account does, without "cutting of your nose to spite your face". XM knows that most of the people, who called immediately after the suspension, will cancel if O&A don't come back on the air in June (which is exactly what I will do).

By accepting the offer, people make the same point, cost XM revenue based on their decision to suspend O&A and still have the opportuinty to cancel should XM change their mind. The people who cancel and then sign up again will end up paying XM more money for suspending O&A than they would have had O&A never been suspended in the first place.

They will definitely refund any time remaining on your multi-year package. I had 35 months remaining on a 3-year plan, and they just refunded $349.77 to my credit card.

I disagree on the "free month(s)" sending the same message to XM as an outright cancellation. What it tells them is you're pissed, but your anger can be bought off. Maybe you'll call back and cancel for sure after the 30-90 days, maybe you'll find something els you enjoy and not want to, maybe you'll forget or not care. Total number of subscribers is the metric they use to gauge their performance, and taking the freebies does not affect that one lick.

Of course, with 3 years remaining of dirt-cheap prepaid service like you have, I might not have cancelled immediately either.

My g/f MySpaces with Big A, a sometime guest on O&A and Ron and Fez. He messaged her saying that the rumor is that they will indeed NOT be coming back. Oh well, I guess we'll see in about 3 weeks.

I received this reply email from XM on the suspension:

"Thank you for contacting XM Satellite Radio.
We apologize for the delayed response to your e-mail and we understand your concern in regards to the suspension of Opie and Anthony.
We appreciate your loyalty to Opie & Anthony, but we highly encourage you to remain an XM customer. The broadcast of the O&A Show has been suspended for thirty days beginning May 15, 2007, and it will return at its regularly scheduled time on June 15, 2007.
In its place, Ron and Fez will air on Channel 202.
If you have comments or questions, please email us at thevirus@xmradio.com."

Same corporate line. Time will tell.

Listening to Ron&Fez this weekend, I heard some new commercials on 202 for O&A. "If you are looking for Opie & Anthony, they will be back on June 15th at their regularly scheduled time." I wonder if that was a reaction to the cancellations.

Think it's more of a reaction to the fact that Ron & Fez suck.

Now that's ridiculous.... Ron and Fez definitely doesn't suck, they are still our little hidden gem and while they may never be a mainstream show, it is the funniest, smartest, and BEST show on XM hands down.

There is so much wrong with this little game of telephone... I think I'll wait it out, thanks though.