Exclusive: Dish / Sirius News

[Scott Greczkowski]

Updated: Dish / Sirius News

This mornings Dish Network / Sirius / Radio Shack press conference caused more questions then they answered.

I contacted Marc Lumpkin at Echostar for the scoop.

SatelliteGuys has learned that the Sirius channels will come to Dish in the LATE SPRING.

Dish Network will carry up to 60 Sirius music channels. Plus Dish is working with Sirus and their programmers to bring more then just music channels to Dish Network.

The Sirius music channels will be REPLACING the current Muzak Channels

UPDATE 1:32PM.... I just got the following email from Marc Lumpkin (thanks Marc)

Hi Scott, to clarify, DISH Network will offer the SIRIUS Music channels in addition to the Muzak channels OR SIRIUS channels will replace them. That has not been determined yet. We'll make more announcements about this as we get closer to the launch date.​

Thanks,​

Marc

At this time there will be no special deals for Dish Customer to purchase Sirius equipment, however special could be available by the time Sirius launches on Dish.

And there you have it!

 

[dlsnyder]

What is going to happen to E*'s ditribution contract with Muzak? Also Scott do you have any contacts at Sirius? Maybe you can get them to carry the Charlie Chat so we can listen while we are on the road!

 

[dlsnyder]

Upon further reflection, something else that would be really appreciated would be for Dish customers to have full access to Sirus' online content. I could listen to that all day at work!

 

[BobMurdoch]

I'm just excited that the music being piped out to the pool this summer at my house will be MUCH better.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Just FYI,

A few people have asked me exactly what Marc Lumpkin said to me.

Well actually he did not say anything to me, he emailed me.

I sent him a list of questions and he answered, So here is a copy of our email.

1) How many channels from Sirius will be carried by Dish? At first it seemed like only the Music Channels, but later on Charlie Mentioned about carrying the NFL Audio which airs on the talk channels.

ANSWER: We'll work with SIRIUS and programmers to be able to offer more than music channels in the future. We plan to carry up to 60 channels of SIRIUS music channels by late spring of 04.



2) When will Sirius Audio be available on Dish Network?

ANSWER: Late spring.



3) Will these audio services be added in addition to the current Muzak Service or will they be replacing the Muzak channels?

ANSWER: Replacing.



4) Will there be any specials for Dish Network customer to buy Sirius equipment?

ANSWER: The marketing and sales details will unfold as we move closer to getting the product in DISH Network retailer stores.

The questions are mine and the answers are his.

And there you have it.

 

[gpflepsen]

So will Sirius be added as an additional pay-for product or will they be free, a direct replacement for muzak?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

It will be free if you have AT120 or higher.

Remember they are not carrying all of Sirius's 100 channels, only up to 60.

 

[dlsnyder]

Does Muzak have another means of distribution? Of the few installations I have seen recently they have all involved Dish Network equipment.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Yes Muzak is carried on a few other satellites as well. Not just via Dish Network. Infact I believe most of the Muzak customers who were pointed at Dish Network have been repointed over the past few months.

This was the case at my wifes resturant.

 

[mike123abc]

Actually the only music channels that are used for retail are the mono ones. They could just take all the stereo/CD ones off and just leave the mono ones up. The mono ones probably run 16,000 bits per second. I think dish has 21 of them, they could be using about 300k bits/sec hardly any trouble to carry... about a 1/8 of a television channel.

I have muzak via DBS, it is all mono since it is distributed via speakers spaced every so often in the ceiling, definitely not made for stereo.

It is interesting that my DBS lineup is not quite the same as the Dish ones in the guide. My channel numbers are different and have 21 channels:

1. Foreground Music One
2. Hitline
3. Expressions*
4. Hot FM
5. EuroStyle
6. Environmental
7. Moodscapes
8. 50s & 60s hits
9. 70s hits
10. All that Jazz
11. Classical Ambience
12. Country Music One
13. Urban Adult
14. Latino Pop
15. Viva Mariachi
16. KidsTunes
17. Reflections
18. Metro
19. Destinations
20. Quebecois
21. Holiday

* Happens to have the same channel number

Now it is quite possible that Dish actually broadcasts these 2x, once for the DBS customers with the song titles/artists info and once for just Muzak. This seems even more likely since they have different channels.

 

[Chris Freeland]

It could be that E* will continue the Muzak channels for commercial customers only and they may not have a choice as far as commercial customers go, since from what I have read elsewhere E* has a long term contract with Muzak, however it appears this contract may be for the commercial customers only, thus allowing E* to replace DishCD and Audio by Muzak with DishCD by Sirius. I would not be surprised if AT120 will only have 30 - 40 Sirius music channels and requiring AT180 to receive all 60 of the Sirius music channels. This is a win win move for both E* and Sirius.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Update from Marc Lumpkin at Echostar

Hi Scott, to clarify, DISH Network will offer the SIRIUS Music channels in addition to the Muzak channels OR SIRIUS channels will replace them. That has not been determined yet. We'll make more announcements about this as we get closer to the launch date.

Thanks,
Marc

 

[Chris Freeland]

Update from Marc Lumpkin at Echostar

Wow, if E* adds all 60 Sirius music channels to the DishCD and Audio by Muzak channels, will this mean AT120 will now be AT180 and AT180 will become AT240 with 92 - 111 audio channels?

 

[dlsnyder]

Since the Muzak channels are the mono ones it sounds like the Dish CD channels may remain in addition to the Sirius channels.

After the first week or so I probably won't listen to any of them anyway - unless they put up the news and information channels. I would really like to hear BBC World Service and the new Canadian channels that they recently announced.

 

[AppliedAggression]

Yeah i agree, the talk channels would be the best ones. If they can actually have something decent looking for the channels, that'd be a big plus. Rather than just the song name on the screen as it is now.

 

[dlsnyder]

My kids want Radio Disney too.

Here are some entertainment channels

These are the news channels

 

[dlsnyder]

Since the Muzak channels are the mono ones it sounds like the Dish CD channels may remain in addition to the Sirius channels.

After the first week or so I probably won't listen to any of them anyway - unless they put up the news and information channels. I would really like to hear BBC World Service and the new Canadian channels that they recently announced.

New Canadian channels - I knew that sounded familiar but I wasn't sure if it was Sirius or XM. Here is the Sirius press release . I know it sounds strange but I would like to be able to hear those Canadian channels. I doubt Dish will carry them though.

 

[Mr Tony]

The CBC (Radio 1) is real good. I have it on ExpressVU
Radio Canada is the French Language equivalent of CBC radio 1

 

[dlsnyder]

I tune it in from time to time on their website. I really enjoy "As It Happens", which they also play on shortwave on RCI.

 

[skaeight]

So does this mean we will receive all the NFL radio broadcasts? That would be awesome. I'm a Pittsburgh fan, and the idea that I might be able to pump the sweet sounds of Miron Cope into my home theater system instead of the blah announcers of CBS is really cool.