Canceled XM and Sirius Channels Rankling Merged Sat Radio Subscribers

What happened to the ala carte programming? I think that there should be a total sports package. I subscribe to both services but I can't get Soccer on my XM and I can't get Baseball on my Sirius. I really don't think that there was a lot of planning going into this merger. This merger is the biggest sham of all time. Seems like they don't give a damn about their subscribers.

I am a long time Sirius subscriber I was shocked to have my favorite channel #43 Backspin deleted from my presets, along with #39 boombox....Channel #8 Big 80's now sucks ...I don't know what to do....Do I cancel my subscription?

I do some interstate driving from time to time and the satellite radio keeps me sane, from having to change the channels every half hour or so......What to do, What to do?????Maybe I'll have to burn some more CD's?????

They removed my favorite station

Boombox 39

I would have been fair if subscribers were at least allowed to vote prior to the shutdown.

You gotta wonder if indeed the powers that be just want to tank the whole satrad idea with their recent programming changes.
I lost 6 of ten of my pre-sets last Wed. And I didn't even know it until I woke up that morning! I never heard anything from xm radio abou the forthcoming carnage. I'v never tried calling them, but have sent several emails and never a reply or acknowledgement. I tried to find out why they dropped the Torch several yrs ago and never got an answer. This leads me to believe that any ststions we lost this time, are gone for good.
This truly saddens me. My personal favs were Fine Tuning (nothing else like it, ANYWHERE! They were the only channel I ever heard any Celtic music on. And a fair amount at that! With a good, deep playlist of " The Worlds Most Interesting Music" to use their tag line.
Then there is Beyond Jazz, another irreplaceble channel. Again nothing else like it! Next is Audio Visions. The channel that replaced it is the spa, and by comparison, sounds like elevator muzak. So disappointing! I used to unwind every night listening to AV, now I don't even bother to turn it on. I'm so sad about that! I could go on, but why? They have already shown that they don't care about their supporters.
After a week of trying to adjust to the changes, I really feel the hurt!
I can't seem to find anything close to the music I enjoyed, and I feel like I'm being slapped in the face when I turn on my radio, with annoying dj's, soundbites, shallow playlists of music I can hear on FM and the general feeling that they just don't care.
I listened at home, work and in between for 16 to 18 hrs a day. I'm a musician and a music lover and for years I was just so excited about my radio. It made such a difference in my day! I didn't realise until it was gone that it allowed me a "free" feeling and that someone recognised there are adults out there with musical taste.
I don't have that feeling anymore.
Are the couple of my presets that are left enough to keep me subscribing? I just don't know. I haven't had the radio on since I left work today, and It's the first time that's happened in a long time.
Feeling Betrayed,
H

I'm glad you asked for our opinion; obviously, neither XM nor Sirius ever did. Before the merger, I listened to the decade channels on XM where I have been subscribed since the beginning of 2005. Channel 5 was my home base and I occasionally supplemented it with Channels 4, 6 and 7 in descending order. The merger all but destroyed Channel 5 as I knew and loved it. There is a much shorter playlist and much more repetition than before, and for good reason. In their general programming, they cut back on doo wop, early rhythm and blues, rockabilly and early 1950's pop (The latter is now non-existent except for a special program which, along with other specialty programs, has been reduced in times of broadcast). They also cut back on some of the popular "B" sides and album cuts of artists like Elvis Presley and Duane Eddy from the '50s. You now hear the same songs day after day, sometimes more than once a day and sometimes on consecutive days by the same disc jockey. The jocks themselves are a far cry from Matt The Cat who set the airwaves afire with his weekly "Harlem" show and his "Night Prowl" show which was heard every week night.

I passed these concerns on to listener care at XM in an e-mail which took more than an hour to write (I tried to be civil) and they had the audacity to send me an unsigned e-mail with a link to their new programming lineup which, they said, they were very proud to promote. I was so angered that I immediately wrote back and told them I wasn't interested in their new programming but only in what I had lost at XM. I told them that if I had wanted Sirius, I would have subscribed to them instead of XM and that I was seriously considering cancelation of my three subscriptions, especially in light of their inadequate response. They didn't reply this time, but five days later, I expressed my concerns to the new jocks at XM-5; I wasn't even afforded the courtesy of an answer this time. I would unsubscribe now but for a couple of specialty programs still on Channel 5 at reduced hours and Channel 4 which has always had a long and wonderful playlist and which has now become my primary station. Channel 4 doesn't have a repetition problem because, very simply, they're not afraid to play everything. I understand that Sirius never had a 1940's channel before the merger; maybe that's the reason why Channel 4 wasn't screwed up like 5 was.

i think the merger sucks!! i've been reading all over the place how people are not happy and giving up their service i for one am thinking the same thing.. i'm an XM subscriber..who loves oldschool, RAW HIPHOP... suite 62 and now they replaced them with bullcrap..they should have left the line up's alone and maybe charged a little more obviously this merger wasn't about the subscribers..so i think i'm done with satellite radio

If you're like me and quite frustrated with the lack of customer input from executives at Sirius and XM after the merger then please express your opinions at a simple site I launched this week to communicate to Sirius' board of directors: http://voiceofthelistener.com

at one point I had both sirus and Xm ro see which one I preffered like many I chosed xm though both had good programing xm had the music I enjoyed most now it seems that the stations I liked are gone and been replaced by the sirus stations that were the initial reason for me choosing xm....... there will never be a company that can offer everything for everbody and that is whats happeing with this merger many of us from both camps are unhappy with the changes and will cancel that there is no doubt about.... for me I've canceled why pay for what I can't have so back to my cd's my Ipod for the programing I will enjoy U spend enough time in my car/truck to listen to what I want to not to what some management jerk thinks I should, especialy when I was paying for it... CANCEL ME OUT

I want my Xm back this merge sucks am canceling this year see yaaa back to FM

I'm FURIOUS that Sirius Buzzsaw is gone. That was my favorite music station. I will not be renewing my subscription in April!

I hate what those dorks did...and they're not gettin' any more of my cash. Satellite radio is now like satellite TV....300 channels of crap. Thanks a lot you jerks...thanks for asking your bill-payers what they wanted.... oh wait... you didn't.

Yeah a whole channel devoted to Springsteen...why don't I just toss all my audio equipment into a stagnant pond? Or any toilet large enough to fit my 5 1/2 foot tall speakers?

Yeah...that's right.

I enjoyed the Celtics last year. Now due to the merger I have to pay $100 to listen to them this year. Ain't gonna happen. And when the radio dies, I won't get another one.

I have XM in my car and paid for a 3 year subscription when I bought my car. I change what I listen to quite frequantly. Country, Pop, Rock, Oldies, Old time radio. I liked the XM because I didn't have to listen to the DJs talk, I want music not chatter. At first I thought this is kinda neat quick blurbs..now I hate it. I have gone back to listening to my local stations for country and oldies. I am pretty close to doing the same for Pop. If I want to hear the same 20 songs, I don't have to pay for it. I like the programing in the morning for the Rock station but don't really care for it in the afternoon. So far I'm glad Old time radio is still on .... if it goes, so do I.