Karmazin Talks Up Sirius XM On TV Show

In an interview with Internet and WTVS (TV)/DETROIT TV show "AUTOLINE DETROIT," SIRIUS XM RADIO CEO MEL KARMAZIN said that the biggest impact on the company from the economic downturn has been the credit crunch, although he added the company is "very far along" in finding synergies to reduce costs. KARMAZIN said that the company "will have more gross (subscription) adds this year than we did last year."

"So far, we have not been able to identify anything that's changed" in the company's churn rate among "self-paying" subscribers, said KARMAZIN, and he expects "a couple million" more subscribers in 2009. He also dismissed Internet streaming to cars and other technologies as a threat to his company, asserting "it's all about the content... we've invested an awful lot in our content."

Responding to a question by WWJ-A/DETROIT's JEFF GILBERT, KARMAZIN said that "we're currently having discussions, because we'd like to have MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL available to SIRIUS subscribers the same way XM subscribers are able to get HOWARD STERN." KARMAZIN said that an "a la carte" radio will be available in first quarter 2009 to allow subscribers to pick and choose programming from XM and SIRIUS, although he suggested that he did not see why someone would want to pay for a la carte programming when the $12.95 monthly package is "more efficient."

See the show by clicking here.

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