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Friday, January 06, 2006
But think of all the extra CBC channels
Sirius radio in the U.S. has announced that it's handing Howard Stern US$219 million worth of shares a week before his show takes to the air (that's on top of his five-year, US$500 million contract). It's a response to the number of subscribers that Stern's brought to the satellite radio network. Sirius now has 3.3 million subscribers in the U.S., and Stern figures that he's brought about 2 million of those in: fans who have signed up to hear the shock jock freed from the content strictures of terrestrial radio, a result of FCC oversight.
You can bet that Sirius Canada wishes it could get in on some of that action. As we reported last year, the Standard group, which runs the Sirius Canada joint venture (with Sirius U.S.) on this side of the border, abandoned plans for bringing the number-one radio star in the world to Canada. The reason? Here, unlike the FCC, the CRTC has imposed its regulatory authority over satellite broadcasts, something that would make Stern untenable (remember Jeff Fillion?). To be clear, we're talking about private satellites, broadcasting private signals to paying subscribers. But somehow the state thinks it's ok to insinuate itself in a very obstructive way into that transaction. Heck. Who's going to stop them?
So, in accordance with CRTC requirements, Sirius Canada is instead offering a pared-down, bilingual lineup of channels, with enhanced CBC content (six more CBC channels!!)—sorta the opposite idea of the niche, upstart programming style that satellite radio was tailor-made for. Some will suggest Stern never had a market here anyway, judging by his short-lived stints in Montreal and Toronto. In part, that had to do with the fact that the two Canadian stations couldn't keep up with the cost and difficulty of censoring Stern's show on the fly, trying to meet radio content rules. But more importantly, the old radio model required a critical mass of listeners living in a specific geographic area. With satellite, a large number of Stern fans can be scattered across the country. It's much more economical.
Decency types will cheer the absence of Stern from the Canadian marketplace (as some letter-writers did,after we ran our story). But this is a subscriber-only service, so banning it has nothing to do with "public" decency—just censorship. Besides, Stern didn't get where he is today simply by being crass (though that had something to do with it). He reinvented radio by introducing innovative and radical programming ideas. Now he's got a new medium—a blank canvas. It's more than an end to bleeped-out words. It's the end of all the old rules, old structures, of all the old formulas of traditional radio. Imagine what an innovator like Stern could do. You'll have to, since you won't hear it here.
Which makes you wonder how those sign-ups for Canadian satellite services are coming. Anyone buy one? Or know anyone who has? I don't.
Posted by Kevin Libin on January 6, 2006 | Permalink
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I know of several people who have headed down to Montana, and subscribed thru friends and PO Boxes.
Posted by: ld | 2006-01-06 2:27:59 PM
Can we not still find a place in Canada to sign up with the U.S. versions ? I went into The Source but was told Cdn. only, and that anyone selling the U.S. versions were not accepting Cdn. credit cards as payment, to which I replied, "then I'll have to get a U.S. money order eh ?" I know sat tv was available for a long time/probably still is (grey market)...is the radio in the same boat ?
Posted by: MarkAlta | 2006-01-06 2:39:39 PM
Not that I'm the first to buy into any new technology (usually I'm the last), but I would NEVER buy into another CRTC-controlled service. I'm already mad that cable companies allow Canadian channels to simulcast over U.S. ones when they are airing the same program.
And I'm disgusted with Standard for hooking up with the CBC. First of all, when did the CBC get permission from its owners (i.e., us) to expand its mandate into satellite radio?
Second, Standard's unholy alliance with the CBC is akin to what Lenin said about capitalists selling the communists the rope the commies would use to hang them with.
Posted by: Joan Tintor | 2006-01-06 2:57:52 PM
I agree with the folks above. More censorship. More CBC.
Too bad these guys that run the government couldn't regulate their own corruption.
Posted by: Jeff Cosford | 2006-01-06 3:34:35 PM
Okay, so I have to ask.
If there is no community decency requirements anymore (think swingers/sex clubs), why shouldn't there be a 'right' to listen to private radio (even if it is trash). I've heard Stern and am no fan, but for those with that type of taste, I suggest that they get on the Supreme Court's band wagon and fight this as a 'who are we harming anyways'. Just some private fun!
Ed the Hun
Posted by: EdtheHun | 2006-01-06 3:38:48 PM
As a second class Canadian, (farmer) I spend a great deal of time hauling my grain to market via truck. My Sirius came from a local big truck dealer two years ago. If you want 187 channels of US, British and Canadian radio for less than 100 Channels of Canadian Sirius visit a Peterbuilt, Kenworth, Mack or International truck dealer. Now I get the CBC news a half hour earlier in Saskatchewan:>)
Posted by: Norm Colhoun | 2006-01-06 4:11:10 PM
Thanks Norm...
Posted by: MarkAlta | 2006-01-06 6:14:53 PM
I bought my US service at Peterbilt in October...the phone number they give you now connects to Canadian Sirius, and they give you a new US number, though snottily (we "are" in Canada, they told me). You can charge the monthly fee on Visa...Peterbilt gives you a mailing address in WA to make US Sirius happy...and you get CBC 1, if you want it, over the US Sirius...
Posted by: BillBC | 2006-01-06 7:44:08 PM
Guys, you can buy a receiver on eBay, have it shipped here (there's nothing illegal about it) and then you can sign up to Sirius (America) on the web with just a credit card and a U.S. address. (It doesn't matter what address you use, since they never send you any mail.)
Posted by: Kevin Libin | 2006-01-06 8:51:02 PM
CBC has no business in the satellite biz. Pay radio should be the same a pay television.
Any influence that CBC specific policy has should remain strictly over CBC specific properties. Standard Broadcasting headed by Gary Slaight is Sirius Canada's largest partner. He has tried to shift the blame for the exclusion of Stern from the CRTC to CBC.
If CBC's standards and policies are influencing this decision, it should be forced to divest, plain and simple.
CBC has no mandate to be a Canadian broadcasting distributor. It is nothing short of an abuse of its mandate.
http://www.cbcwatch.ca/?q=node/view/1533
Posted by: Johnny | 2006-01-06 9:56:36 PM
The whole thing is an exercise in futility. Satellite Radio is shaping up to be an economic flop in the States, and there's actually some decent programming available there. It won't last a year here...
Posted by: NCF TO | 2006-01-06 10:05:53 PM
It is projected that by 2010, 25 million people will be hooked up with satellite radio down here in the USA. It is a growth industry as of now. If Canadian radio is as lousy as American radio, which I will assume it is because of what I know abooot the CRTC & what I've heard from the CBC, the good people of Canada will buy into satellite radio. I would also suggest you Canucks go for the American version of either Sirius or XM. The content there is NOT regulated by any Canadian gov't hacks. It will last much longer then a year in the Great White North.
BTW, I have been with XM since October 2001, & I am not going back to regulated "free" radio again.
Posted by: danybhoy | 2006-01-07 7:59:58 AM
MarkAlta...I hear what you are saying, but one can subscribe to the U.S. service with a CDN credit card. I have been a subscriber to XM (U.S.) since September. I went U.S. when I saw the proposed channel lineups from both XM Canada and Sirius Canada. Bought a receiver from Fry's in Phoenix for $29.95 US, used the address of my hotel and CDN credit card and bang I was in!
I thought why in the world would I want more CBC (goodbye Sirius Canada) and half the programming (XM Canada) that is available in the U.S. for close to the same cost. Also with the addition of two CDN channels on the U.S. XM system (244 - Canadian News & 153 CDN Comedy) why would anyone want the CDN system anyway.
Posted by: Go Riders! | 2006-01-07 5:55:25 PM
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