Sirius Canada adds Howard Stern

[Digiital]

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/MediaNews/2006/02/01/pf-1421299.html

February 1, 2006
Sirius Canada adds Howard Stern

TORONTO (CP) — The self-proclaimed “King of All Media” will be heard via satellite radio in Canada starting Monday.

Sirius Canada says U.S. radio host Howard Stern will be included as part of the company’s 100-channel premium lineup.

Stern, considered North America’s top radio personality, debuted on Sirius Satellite Radio in the U.S. on Jan. 9.

But Stern was not included in the Canadian lineup when Sirius Canada launched its service.

At the time of his October 2004 deal with Sirius, the company said it could be worth up to $500 million US over five years to headline two Sirius channels.

Sirius Canada is a corporation owned by the U.S. Sirius satellite company, the CBC and Standard Radio.

[grs7]

According the the Sirius Canada website it say it will broadcast Howard on Howard 100. It makes no mention of Howard 101 ( currently broadcast replays and Bubba the Love Sponge) or Howard 102 which is currently not in use.

I will stay with my U.S. subscription as I don't trust Sirius Canada or the CRTC (the Canadian version of the FCC) to keep these channels going very long or censor the content.

[Mike]

According the the Sirius Canada website it say it will broadcast Howard on Howard 100. It makes no mention of Howard 101 ( currently broadcast replays and Bubba the Love Sponge) or Howard 102 which is currently not in use.

I will stay with my U.S. subscription as I don't trust Sirius Canada or the CRTC (the Canadian version of the FCC) to keep these channels going very long or censor the content.

Only Howard 101 will be broadcast, apparently there is no room for the Howard 101 and it will remain uncensored. It's a pay service so the CRTC cannot tell Sirius Canada how to run their stations.

[Digiital]

Thats a load of BS. It's not like they are adding another channel and required more bandwidth, it's there already, AND the units sld here in Canada are the same ones they sell in the US, SO if they can get 120 channels in the US then those units can recv 120 here. Somethings fishy if you ask me. I think they figured there is about 60,000 people using fake US addresses, and hope they switch over to the Canadian pay system instead of paying US. ....

[grs7]

Thats a load of BS. It's not like they are adding another channel and required more bandwidth, it's there already, AND the units sld here in Canada are the same ones they sell in the US, SO if they can get 120 channels in the US then those units can recv 120 here. Somethings fishy if you ask me. I think they figured there is about 60,000 people using fake US addresses, and hope they switch over to the Canadian pay system instead of paying US. ....

I agree. they were losing too many subscribers to the U.S. If it is above the CRTC, how come they had to get the CRTC to approve the licences of the 2 satelite companies in Canada. Don't forget that the CBC and Stardard Brodcasting are major shareholders in Sirius Canada. If they do not offer the 2 active (100 & 101) and one unprogrammed (102) Stern channels, it will not be full Sirius offering. If you read what is on the Sirius Canada website it states only information about Howard 100, not 101. There are now directions on the Sirius Canada site on how to lock or unlock channels under the guise of parental controls.

[Mike]

Thats a load of BS. It's not like they are adding another channel and required more bandwidth, it's there already, AND the units sld here in Canada are the same ones they sell in the US, SO if they can get 120 channels in the US then those units can recv 120 here. Somethings fishy if you ask me. I think they figured there is about 60,000 people using fake US addresses, and hope they switch over to the Canadian pay system instead of paying US. ....

The way it is setup in Canada I believe they are not using the same channels. Sirius Canada has it's own lineup and their limit is 100 channels. Also, the recievers are the same models but they lock on to a different signal.

Here is some info from Wikipedia:


Other differences

In addition to the differences in programming there are some other minor differences between Sirius Canada and the US.

Sirius Canada does not offer signup over the internet; instead, new customers must activate over the phone. Sirius Canada does not currently offer its subscribers access to the Sirius channels streamed on the Internet, although apparently this will change soon.

The selection of Sirius-compatible radios sold in Canadian retail channels is limited to only the Sirius One, the Sirius Starmate and the Sirius Sportster Replay. In particular no battery powered portable reciever is currently being sold. However, people report that Sirius Canada will allow receivers purchased in the US to be activated on the Sirius Canada system.

It is possible to activate receivers purchased in Canada on the US network but the receiver's firmware is different and if you do this you will still get the Canadian channel lineup.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirius_Canada

[ChiPPy]

It's a pay service so the CRTC cannot tell Sirius Canada how to run their stations.

So is my cable television, but the CRTC has their gurbby little hands all over that. They also had all sorts of regulations set up for the satelite radio companies before they even got started here. Being a pay service in Canada doesn't exempt you from anything it would seem.

[BillD]

Who cares, really? It was no loss when Stern was replaced on Q107. Anybody who tunes in to Stern regularly really needs to have their head read. I have no intention of paying for radio, so it doesn't matter to me, but I certainly would avoid any company that promotes Howard Stern.

[Exmortis]

Who cares, really? It was no loss when Stern was replaced on Q107.
It doesn't matter. It's showing a double standard that is not right. If you can pay to get porn on your TV, why can't you pay to get Stern on your radio? Give me a logical explanation to that one, please. Or are you saying that explicit porn is fine over just radio?

[BillD]

The above announcement says you can get Stern, so what's the problem. I think you should be able to get what you want. The fact that Stern is getting the amount of money he is, I find disturbing, but that is just a personal opinion. You have to have a pretty juvenile mind to be able to be a fan of Stern for any length of time.

[Exmortis]

For the records, I'm not a fan of Stern and will not pay for radio of any kind. I don't spend enough time in my car for that and get free excellent quality radio on the net when I'm at work or home. So there's no point for me for satellite radio.

However, the double standard the CRTC was showing is very indicative of how they always operate.

[ChiPPy]

You have to have a pretty juvenile mind to be able to be a fan of Stern for any length of time.

Count me in. Juvenile or not, I really enjoyed Stern on Q107, and WBUF Buffalo. Up until now, I have not thought about Satellite radio, because before Stern, there really wasn't anything on SR that wasn't already on free radio. I think Howard Stern, like him or not, is the only reason ANYONE is considering SR at all.