So I just found this offer from XM radio in the mail.....

[Sebastian Doyle]

They want me to reactivate my subscription and are willing to sell me 5 months for $20 to reel me back in.

Not a bad deal in and of itself, and if I wasn't broke and actually thought I would be taking any road trips this summer, it would be a great thing to have in the car.

And just in case the price didn't get me on the hook, they're gonna turn 50 channels on for "free" next week (May 25 - June 7) as a further incentive. Well, that's where their incentive fails....

Their "News/Talk" choices during the "free" period include FAUX Noize, CNN, CNBC, the right wing slanted "POTUS" channel, and the formerly public funded channel which Greg Palast has accurately dubbed "National Petroleum Radio".

Yeah that's right. No "America Left" and no MSNBC. Oops.... there goes that incentive.

Over on the music side.... No Deep Tracks... No BoneYard.....and the punk channel I used to listen to seems to have vanished altogether (what the fuck is up with that)

Not a very good sales pitch, XM. But I'll think about it.

[vi5]

1. We just leased a new van...

..and it comes with a year from of Sirius. I never had any motivation to get satellite radio, but after a month now I'm hooked.

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. Satellite radio is a godsend in red state hell

I wouldn't give mine up for anything.

[onehandle]

2. MSNBC returned a few weeks ago. On XM (120) and Sirius (90).

And they merged all the music channels. Some Sirius stations and some XM stations on both.

They killed duplicates on both. I miss 'Fine Tuning' on Sirius. Nothing could replace it.

The idiots who worship Howard Stern dumbed down the music, big time.

:(

[Sebastian Doyle]

4. Yeah, I know that

Which is why I can't believe they didn't include it in the "free" incentive package. They sure as Hell ain't gonna get me back with FAUX or the slightly less sickening CNN.

[onehandle]

6. Ah. I missed that. But the full lineup is in the 5 month package, right?

I would do it.

[Sebastian Doyle]

11. Yep.

Without the full lineup, I wouldn't even consider it.

[SoCalDem]

8. on my receiver there is no 120...no MSNBC

I am reluctant to complain, since they routinely "lose" my signal and then I get to sit in the car with the engine turned on for 20 minutes while they send me a new signal:(

[onehandle]

9. Weird. Is it an old unit? That doesn't sound right. nt

[SoCalDem]

12. well there IS a 120...but it's got nothing..just skips onto the next number up or down

no biggie..they just repeat the same stuff all day anyway:)

[Sebastian Doyle]

13. Since you mentioned the signal problem

I'm guessing that the XM satellite can't send the right codes to your receiver to update the channels and add MSNBC. Since I've been deactivated a few years now, I don't remember how often the system sends those type of codes, but I'm sure it's at least weekly if not daily.

Is this a built in car radio, or can you hook it up to another antenna somewhere other than a car?

[SoCalDem]

14. Technically, it's not built in, but since my husband

ran all the wires under the carpeting, it might as well be :rofl:

I only am in the car a few times a week, so it's not that big of a deal for me.. I really think I am wasting the money to even keep the service, but radio out here sucks, and by having it, I at least don't have to listen to Hannity/Limbaugh/etc. when I AM in the car :)

[marybourg]

5. At least you seem to still have a radio to play it on. I listened at

home and the radio (for which I paid over $200) lasted 3 years. They tried to give me a cut-rate price too, but I told them they'd have to give me a free radio. That's the only way I'd re-subscribe. Of course, they don't make the radios, but maybe they could arrange to have good ones made for them. I still take my '73 Sony Walkman to the gym (held together by a rubber band).

[Sebastian Doyle]

10. Far as I know, my old Delphi Roadie XM reciever is still working

...minus the fact that it's currently deactivated, of course. Guess I'll find out next Tuesday when they turn on the "free preview".

Now on the other hand, my Sirius receiver never DID work right. Half the problem was bad signal, but the receiver itself just constantly overheated. Couldn't even get through the first half hour of the Mike Malloy show without it dying on me. Managed to hook up a cooling fan which kept it running an hour or two, but once my free trial subscription with Sirius expired, I didn't even bother with the renewal.

Gotta say overall (even though it's the same company now) if I ever was going back, it would be XM before Sirius.

[TheCowsCameHome]

7. Satellite radio is my link to sanity

I'm very happy with none of the shit pumped out by AM/FM.

[KharmaTrain]

15. Save Your Money For An Internet Radio...

If you have an IPhone Or Blackberry you can already get apps for thousands of stations, including America Left, Democracy Now, Progressive stations around the country and tons of podcasts. And it's all part of your monthly cellphone bill. Musically, it can't be beat, either.

XM is desperate to kick up subscription numbers as its growth has stagnated...especially since its merger with Sirius and the bill collectors and investors aren't happy about it. To stay afloat they cut a lot of channels or replay the "established" networks. If I were to subscribe (and no incentive on this end), I'd take a one year deal...let them keep making you special offers to keep your business.