I have used the XM traffic info the last two days (during my 90 day "free" trial). It has been very useful getting around DC's horrible traffic. XM charges $10/month for traffic standalone or $4/month as part of one of the basic packages. I have considered just using the traffic option, because traffic does suck around here and my commute is about an hour. I just like Sirius' programming, not to mention customer service is way better.

Plus, Tuesday night I was driving home and commercials started playing on XM's music channels. I called customer service and was like "what the he!!?" They said, "well...Clear Channel decided that they would start airing commercials even though we asked them not to."

There idiots! After they lost NASCAR, they will probably fold!

 

XM signed a deal with Clear Channel for the latter to program a few of XM's music channels - about seven, I believe. Clear Channel then insisted in running commercials on those channels. XM objected, it went to arbitration, and Clear Channel won. XM now puts "cm" next to those channels in its device channel displays. XM still has more noncommercial music channels than Sirius does. That, of course, hasn't stopped Sirius from beating XM about the head and shoulders with ads that it, Sirius, has the only 100% commercial-free music channels. Next time maybe XM's lawyers will examine any agreements with Clear Channel more carefully.

The satellіte radio service that overpays for programming such as NASCAR and Howard Stern is the one more likely to fold, IMHO.

 

I've tried both XM and Sirius- I only have Sirius now. XM is better for music and XM NavTraffic is pretty cool but Sirius is better every other way (news, sports (terrific NFL channel), Howard, world radio, etc). Also, Sirius customer service is much better than XM's- I've had a lot of experience with both. I don't listen to music on satellite radio much since I mainly listen to the world's greatest composer, Philip Glass, all the time!

 

I called XM's totally wonderful (sarcasm intended) customer service again about the clear channel channels. There are four music channels that play commercials. XM has added four channels that offer the same type of music that are commercial free. They are: CC-11 XM-17; CC-21 XM-30; CC-22 XM-26; and CC-24 XM-78.

I agree with gspotter, having dealth with both companies Sirius is much better as far as programming the non-music channels. Their customer service far exceeds XMs miserable automated crap.

As for overpaying for NASCAR and Howard Stern. Sirius put a serious (pun intended) dent into XM's market share with the signing of HS, and once NASCAR moves in January, you will see a similary suge of people signing up for Sirius service. Not to mention that XM might actually lose customers that were there for the NASCAR. Sirius has every major sport but baseball and golf. That is a huge selling point!

 

Maybe it's just me, but I have trouble watching Nascar on TV...having to listen to it on the radio w/ no picture makes it more unbearable...lol. Just my $0.02