5.2 Satélite

Mercados financeiros cautelosos com Sirius e XM

"Investors and analysts are remaining cautious on the satellite radio space, despite recent surges in both subscribers and automobile installations. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on Sirius earlier this month, and rated the stock as "overweight," while pointing to a 2008 breakeven. And Jonathan Jacoby of Banc of America Securities recently delivered a "neutral" rating on the stock, while warning of increased royalty costs and downward ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) pressures"

isto apesar de:

"labels are also eyeing a new breed of satellite receivers like the Sirius S50 that allow consumers to record sizeable chunks of satellite radio broadcasts."

(via Digital Music News)

Assinantes via satélite chegam aos 55 milhões em 2010?

É apenas mais um estudo, mas com números excelentes para os dois operadores de rádio via satélite nos EUA: "total satellite receiver installations will jump from 12 million today to 55 million units by 2010. That represents a 35 percent compound annual growth rate, which will be driven by a mix of transportable and in-vehicle receivers" ("JupiterResearch Projects Massive Increases for Satellite Radio")

Uma característica (negativa?) da rádio satélite

Os dois operadores (Sirius e XM) não têm compatibilidade de recepção; ou seja, se quiser ouvir as rádios de um dos operadores tenho não só de fazer uma assinatura (como é normal), mas de comprar um receptor que só recebe as rádios daquele operador. Uma limitação?

Alguns pormenores aqui.

O que a rádio via satélite tem feito para entrar nos carros

excerto de uma entrevista ao presidente da iBiquity, Robert Struble, "If You Aren't Thinking Digital, You're Smokin' Dope" (04/11/05)
By Reed Bunzel, Editor-in-Chief 
 

"Still, terrestrial radio has a lot of ground to make up to equal what satellite has done.
Yes, but I don't begrudge the satellite guys. If I had their business model and their capital, I'd be doing the same thing. But satellite paid mightily to get in cars. They threw $400 million at GM; they also paid every single receiver manufacturer to develop the radios. Our approach and business model is much different. We don't have the dollars, or a subscription model where you give radios away. But we do have the ability to say, “This is the standard. This is AM and FM radio. This is approved by the FCC, and if you don't have this in your product line two or three years from now, you will be selling black and white TVs in the age of color.” Sure, a number of people will want to pay for radio, and that's fine. But the vast majority of the country - 94 percent of people - get free, over-the-air radio, and this is the new standard."

Os dois problemas da rádio via satélite

- Má qualidade de som ("Satellite radio sound is, at best, barely passable")

- falta de imaginação face ao FM, copiando os formatos, programas e vozes ("Satellite radio companies have hired famous FM radio programmers from the past.  In some cases, these are the same geniuses who are responsible for perfecting today’s horrible broadcast radio formats. That means satellite music streams, while diverse, can also be monotonous, repetitive and just plain boring")

Citações de Gary Krakow, da MSNBC. com, "New radio formats sacrifice sound quality", 17/3/05

Sirius e XM chegam ao Canadá

O Canadá vai ser o primeiro país a experimentar aquele que parece ser um bom negócio para a rádio do futuro: a rádio via satélite (paga).

A luta das rádios de satélite parta se imporem nos auto-rádios

Agora é a Sirius:

"Sirius Satellite Radio will keep a major auto manufacturer in its corner, at least through 2012. The satellite underdog recently extended its exclusive deal with DaimlerChrysler, covering all Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler and Mercedes-Benz vehicles, as well as Freightliner Trucks. Sirius projected that the deal will generate an additional 750,000 subscribers in the next year alone, though some critics have questioned the company’s methodology for counting new customers. As part of the deal, all Jeep, Dodge, and Chrysler cars will continue to offer factory-installed receivers, and new buyers will enjoy a one-year trial subscription. The deal extension is part of a much larger satellite radio embrace by auto manufacturers. That support is likely to make the difference for both Sirius and XM Satellite Radio, and help both push far beyond the first-mover crowd. Already, satellite radio subscriber levels have doubled in the last year alone, and are expected to hit 10 million by Christmas. Meanwhile, auto giant General Motors recently extended its commitment to XM, and will rollout 1.55 million new XM-enabled dashboards in 2006. Honda also continued its XM deal, and is expected to deliver 550,000 factory installs next year. Sirius will release its earnings on Tuesday."

Está forte a aliança entre o satélite e os fabricantes automóveis

O fabricante de automóveis General Motors acaba de anunciar que vai incorporar milhão e meio de auto-rádios com adaptadores de recepção para uma das duas empresas de rádio por satélite nos EUA, a XM Satellite Radio. Isto é muito importante para o mercado rádio, porque mostra que o satélite é uma alternativa credível.

"General Motors Increases Commitment to XM Satellite

Massive auto manufacturer General Motors has recently increased its in-dash commitments to XM Satellite Radio. The company just indicated that it would place 1.55 million XM-compliant, factory-installed receivers in its 2006 models, a 90 percent saturation rate. GM previously shipped 1.4 million XM-ready automobiles in 2005, and 1.17 million in 2003. "GM was out in front of the satellite radio movement and our customers have benefited enormously," said GM North America vice president Mark LaNeve. "We equip more GM vehicles with XM than any other manufacturer. Nobody else comes close."
For XM, the GM relationship couldn't be more important. The satellite leader recently crossed the five million subscriber mark, and a substantial number are coming from the GM partnership. For the satellite radio industry overall, the trend is becoming increasingly obvious, as car manufacturers are now including a satellite-ready receiver in a large percentage of new models. Whether that alone will create a long-term industry is unclear, though the automobile pre-installations lower the barriers tremendously for new subscribers. Most notably, a pre-installed, in-dash system means that consumers can instantly activate service over the phone or internet, a development that will help to move both XM and Sirius past the early adopter."

As vantagens da rádio por satélite

A rádio por satélite, beneficiando das suas vastas possibilidades, mostra que pode posicionar-se para o futuro. Competindo com a rádio na internet e, principalmente, encontrando ofertas especializadas que vão ao encontro daquilo que podem ser os trunfos dos leitores digitais de música.

A Sirius vai lançar uma rádio só com Bruce Springsteen (e não é caso único): " Fans of The Boss will soon have a station of their own, courtesy of Sirius Satellite Radio. Starting November 1st, the satellite underdog will open a channel focused entirely on Bruce Springsteen, a move that will loosely coincide with the reissue of the classic album Born to Run. The station, which will be called "E Street Radio," will offer rare cuts, live performances, interviews, and album tracks from the massive Springsteen catalog. Scott Greenstein, president of Entertainment and Sports at Sirius, pointed to the channel as "the most comprehensive presentation ever of Bruce's music and a true inside look at the work and artistry of an American icon."

E Street Radio is just one of several personality-driven stations for Sirius. Howard Stern, who is being given two channels, is the biggest example, though others like mega-rapper Eminem also have stand-alone stations. Such specialization is virtually impossible for the broad-strokes terrestrial business to duplicate, and is part of the larger advantage that satellite radio offers. Meanwhile, the Bruce channel will end on January 31st, though the station will probably entice a large number of subscribers during that three-month window."

As vendas de downloads

"Single track download sales in the UK are now approaching the 25 million mark, moving from 5.7 million units in 2004 to 16.9 million sales already this year. Weekly digital track sales regularly top 500,000, and now account for 60 percent of the overall UK singles market. “Although physical single sales declined by 21.8 percent in the third quarter, single track downloads increased by 288 percent to increase the overall market by 49 percent,” the organization claimed"
Digital Music News

Carros com receptores satélite

General Motors Delivers Three Million XM Dashboards
General Motors has now produced more than three million vehicles with factory-installed XM Satellite Radio receivers. The landmark, announced last week, is another big win for XM, which has benefited immensely from the GM partnership. "Being the exclusive satellite radio partner of the world's largest automaker has been a key element of XM's success to date," said XM chief Hugh Panero. Now, the leading satellite company is positioned to benefit from a growing number of activations from new GM customers, many of whom will receive trial subscriptions. XM surpassed 4.4 million subscribers in July. GM became the first automaker to offer in-dash satellite radio capabilities in November, 2001.

The news follows a major announcement involving Ford, which will widen its factory support for receivers from XM competitor Sirius. That is part of a growing level of confidence from major manufacturers, who are steadily taking the plunge into factory installations of satellite receivers. That development is likely to create a major upward adoption curve, with a more casual consumer suddenly able to avoid complicated dashboard installations.
But some have urged caution, noting that competing formats like HD radio could wipe away satellite's gains by offering channels free of charge.
Already, BMW is nibbling on the trend by offering HD radio support in its upcoming 7-series super-luxury model.

A Honda também.

20 canais da Sirius num telemóvel

É uma boa notícia:
"Sprint (NYSE: S) customers will be the first wireless customers to enjoy SIRIUS Satellite Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) programming via their mobile phones. Sprint today announced the availability of SIRIUS Music, which offers customers unlimited access to 20 commercial-free music channels, plus a channel devoted to exclusive artist interviews and performances. Sirius Music broadens Sprint's portfolio of music offerings and puts content from the biggest names in music right in the hands of millions of Sprint customers nationwide. Sirius Music is available on Sprint multimedia handsets under the Music & Radio category.

"SIRIUS offers some of the best commercial-free music available, and Sprint is proud to be the first and only wireless carrier to offer this exceptional and unique programming, " said Jeff Hallock, vice president, consumer product marketing and strategy for Sprint. "Sprint is providing customers with more choices for streaming music any day, everyday, on the one device they'll always have with them, their Sprint phone."

The SIRIUS Music channel includes a wide assortment of music, from Pop, Hip Hop/R&B, Rock and Country to Jazz, Blues, Broadway, Electronic and Dance. It also includes channels dedicated to individual decades, such as '60s & '70s/Vinyl – top tracks from classic rock's formative years; '70s & '80s/Rewind – classic rock's 2nd generation, from the late '70s onward; '80s Glam/Hair Nation – vintage rock from the big hair '80s; '80s Alt/First Wave – alternative rock's pioneering artists and sounds; and Alt Rock/Alt Nation – the best alt-rock of the '90s and today.

"SIRIUS has the best programming in all of radio," said Scott Greenstein, SIRIUS President of Entertainment and Sports. "With Sprint, we are making a portion of SIRIUS' unique content available, for the first time, to customers via their mobile phones. Since pioneering commercial-free music, SIRIUS has enjoyed becoming a regular part of our subscribers' day, and we look forward to inviting Sprint users to share in that experience."

Comentários (negativos) aqui: "But without unique and compelling content you can't effectively compete in the content business. Without unique and compelling content why should Sprint do a deal with you?It would be so much easier to go to SIRIUS"

Rádio via satélite mais forte

Agora é a Sirius que apresenta um novo serviço, importante para fidelizar ouvintes.
A notícia da Reuters (Thu Aug 25, 2005 12:31 PM ET):
" Sirius introduces portable unit that stores music
Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. on Thursday said it will introduce a small portable device for its subscription radio service that can store 50 hours of music, news and programs from Sirius channels, a move to narrow the gap with its larger rival XM Satellite.
The new player, roughly the size of a deck of playing cards, is the company's first device to be used outside the confines of cars and trucks. The automotive market accounts for the vast majority of satellite radio usage. XM has had a portable device on the market since last fall.
Sirius's player, dubbed the S50, underscores the trend of the converging consumer electronics devices, specifically satellite radio with digital music players.
With the success of Apple Computer Inc.'s (AAPL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) iPod digital music player, many consumer electronics makers have been looking for ways to add digital music as a feature on other devices such as cellphones and other handheld devices.
One of the key features of the S50, which will be available in October, is the ability to create digital music files from satellite radio broadcasts that can then be transferred to PCs, other players or burned to CDs.
But how much the S50, which has a suggested retail price of $360, narrows the gap with XM is subject to debate. S50 cannot independently receive a satellite signal the way that XM's portable MyFi device can.
The S50 has to be attached to a docking device that is not portable in order to receive signals. That device costs an additional $100.
"One thing that disappoints me is the pricing," said Legg Mason analyst Sean Butson said. "To pay close to $500 for this strikes me as too much." MyFi costs about $300.
Sirius' device comes a month after Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. said it would sell a digital music player that can receive satellite signals from Sirius' larger rival XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. (XMSR.O: Quote, Profile, Research) . XM also has a deal with Napster Inc. to start a service that allows users to buy music they hear on XM stations.

Is Satellite Radio The New Broadcasting Star?

O relatório Satellite Radio Outlook2005 da Kagan (a pagar) prevê que a rádio via satélite atingirá os 46,8 milhões de subscrições e gerará 7,6 mil milhões de dólares em 2014 (Obercom).
Excerto:
"With the addition of 2.7 mil. new subscribers and high profile content deals, satellite radio turned an important corner in 2004, making it one of the hottest sectors on Wall Street. The satellite radio industry has grown steadily since its September 25, 2001, debut. By year-end 2004, it boasted more than 4.3 mil. satellite radio subscribers, generating total annual revenues of $311 mil. between the only two FCC-licensed satellite radio providers, XM and Sirius. The development and potential growth of these two emerging broadcast powerhouses and their market-driving partnerships are the focus of Satellite Radio Outlook 2005: Analysis and Projections for the Industry. This exclusive Kagan research study offers 10-year projections estimating the industry will accomplish “more than 46 mil. subs, generating nearly $7.6 bil. in revenue by 2014.”

O futuro da rádio?

O sucesso da XM aqui explicado:
"XM is not really reinventing radio. Abrams is simply doing what he's done since the 1970s, figuring out what people want and delivering it to them. Maybe it's true that new, popular music once brought people together. But to some extent it did so by excluding choice; radio is the last medium to succeed by limiting its audience's options. Today, with choice expanded by cable, Internet, and satellite, everyone can be their own psychographic. It's a little anarchic, but hey, anarchy is good for rock and roll."

O satélite vai chegar ao Canadá

Os detalhes aqui.

Rádio via satélite e telemóveis

Eis aquilo que parece uma boa resposta por parte da rádio (neste caso, via satélite):
"Sirius Satellite Radio on Tuesday said it reached a deal to supply music channels to telecommunications company Sprint on a mobile phone to be introduced later this year. Sirius said channels being evaluated by the two companies include new hits, classic rock, hip-hop, country and blues. ."
A notícia, aqui.

A rádio tradicional (AM FM) tenta reagir ao satélite

"(...) From coast to coast, broadcast radio is airing silly ads to remind America that “radio is great.” This is obviously a knee-jerk reaction to Wall Street perceptions that satellite radio is gaining momentum as broadcast radio continues to founder."
http://www.radioink.com/listingsEntry.asp?ID=302323&PT=publishersnote

A rádio via satélite na motorizada!

Diz o Radio About(para os Estados Unidos):
"J&M Audio Products offers several installation kits created especially for motorcycles including the: Honda GL-1800, Harley Davidson Road King, Harley Davidson Softail and kits for most cruiser-style motorcycles"

Mais um que se interroga sobre a rádio

no futuro!
Corey Deitz, do About Radio, na crónica desta semana: "Did Video kill the Radio star? Nope. Did Internet Streaming kill terrestrial stations? Uh uh. Did Satellite Radio kill AM and FM? Not yet. But..."