Comments:

1. I certainly tend to agree that some of the people who post here are SPERMs.
   
   (just kidding, kinda) by NFL-Fan
   
2. My Father was a Sea Man (wow, bad joke) by Mkrucejr
   
3. This is the part I hate about Sirius the most. They are more concerned for their stockholders than their subscribers, and this is supposed to be their policy. by realwx
   
4. Quote:

   Originally Posted by realwx This is the part I hate about Sirius the most. They are more concerned for their stockholders than their subscribers, and this is supposed to be their policy.

   Realwx,
   
   That's how the business world works, all of them or more concerned about their shareholders than their customers.
   
   I would agree with Sirius that many people have no idea what they're talking about, but it's a shame they have to lable suggestions like that. by SISO
   
5. Well, i have to say it.... you used the term "bad taste in our mouth" when talking about SPERM. Sorry, had to get that out.
   
   Perhaps im reading too much into this, but, with the discussion of "where is OUTQ going" as far as the lineup, this doesent bode well. by bandwagon03
   
6. Digg this:
   
   http://digg.com/offbeat_news/SIRIUS_..._its_listeners by BenDee
   
7. I see a lot of anger here.
   
   It's understandable. We've been disrespected. We've been put in our place, at the bottom of the satrad food chain. Our loyalty has been dismissed and our ideas stepped on and squished like a snail on the sidewalk.
   
   So what now? Do we cancel our subs and sell our tuners? Do we write nasty letters to Mel by the thousands? Do we hang around electronics stores and advise people to buy XM?
   
   Face it. We're stuck. They got us where they want us and they have no real incentive to change their policies or attitudes. by Capn Ramius
   
8. Quote:

   Originally Posted by Capn Ramius I see a lot of anger here. It's understandable. We've been disrespected. We've been put in our place, at the bottom of the satrad food chain. Our loyalty has been dismissed and our ideas stepped on and squished like a snail on the sidewalk. So what now? Do we cancel our subs and sell our tuners? Do we write nasty letters to Mel by the thousands? Do we hang around electronics stores and advise people to buy XM? Face it. We're stuck. They got us where they want us and they have no real incentive to change their policies or attitudes.

   If you want to change it, get it publicized. Companies hate having a negative perception about them in the general public. by BenDee
   
9. Which begs the question, BenDee...
   
   Did that Digg (I Digged it) do that? Is it publicity? (I'm just curious.)
   
   Do you see this becoming a big movement? by Capn Ramius
   
10. Quote:

    Originally Posted by Capn Ramius Which begs the question, BenDee... Did that Digg (I Digged it) do that? Is it publicity? (I'm just curious.) Do you see this becoming a big movement?

    Yes, if it appears on the front page of Digg.com then it will be BIG publicity.
    
    However, this isn't gonna become a largely publicized thing outside of Sirius/XM blogs or fansites. Just my opinion. by SISO
    
11. Thanks, SISO.
    
    I don't know much about the blogosphere. by Capn Ramius
    
12. Quote:

    Originally Posted by realwx This is the part I hate about Sirius the most. They are more concerned for their stockholders than their subscribers, and this is supposed to be their policy.

    Well the stock isn't excatly doing wonders. so maybe they need to reconsider their game plan! by VinnyM27
    
13. Doesn't sound a whole lot different than most of the large corporations I've known over the years... by JohnBrowningFan
    
14. Which came first, the Sperm or the Egg. Once upon a time we were all Sperms. by VDCHawk
    
15. The first thing that came to my mind was the old Steve Martin line "well Excuuuusssseee Me!" I mean is that a fine how do ya do, for all the love and effort we as fans put into bringing Sirius into the forefront, to just get dismissed like that is terrible. But you all had a point, that's just how it is a lot of times in the business world. But sometimes corporations forget, that without their customers, they would have no business. I work in retail, and this is drilled into our heads all the time. And I also agree that negative publicity is often the key to getting things changed. So post away I say, and let's see what happens. by AKmaro1
    
16. I used to be, way way waaaaaayyy back in the day...
    
    by TheScionicMan
    
17. Oh my god! The audacity of these people! SIRIUS doesn't care about listener input?! You're telling me all these canned/generic responses over the years were intentional?
    
    
    ^
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    That's my "pretending to be shocked" impression.
    
    
    
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by BenDee Digg this: http://digg.com/offbeat_news/SIRIUS_..._its_listeners

    If you haven't already--Digg this story! If enough votes are received, it'll be promoted to the front page for millions to see. by Chad
    
18. I wish Jeff could chime in about this and what the true relationship was between Sirius and Backstage and what he feels happened. by Blink
    
19. Sometimes what people say they want to listen to and what they actually will listen to are two different things. However, putting all listener feedback in this category is dumb. What bugs me about this "sperm" thing is the sheer arrogance of the empty suits at Sirius automatically blowing off feedback from their paying customers, while the "real" experts program the music stations on the cheap; treating listeners as numbers and trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator with tighter-than-tight playlists, canned voice-tracking and constant song repetition....just like FM. If that's the best the "real" experts can do maybe they should be a little less condescending to listener suggestions. by WayneEdwards
    
20. I think we should all step back and look at where this is coming from, not calling John a liar, but he appears to be upset over his firing. For all we know this could be an inside joke between management. Even if it's not, when you get thousands of emails from people recommending this and that to something you've worked hard on you might feel that it's a bit frustrating too. Sure, some would welcome it but some wouldn't. by SISO
    
21. There is probably a different name for consumers who give feedback/suggestions at every company. Do you really think any company likes hearing from its consumers? They probably consider it whining and complaining. Im sure some of you work at companies that don't like hearing suggestions or complaining from its employees, I know I use to work at one. God forbid you'd want to improve something or make something more productive. Yeah its pathetic but you can't take this kind of name calling personally, who cares what they call us(if iindeed its true), just enjoy your radio and music. JMO by Heather2004
    
22. Personally, I have no trouble believing any of what's John's said. One need only review the evidence we hear on OutQ every day: Six daily shows, six white gay male hosts (and one lesbian producer/co-host)...no live talk, all music and a few reruns on weekends...rarely, if ever, do we see the popular opinions expressed in public forums such as the OutQ MySpace boards affect what is heard on the air (though the recent replacement of Sunset Cruise with Signorile and DeCaro reruns on weeknights may be an exception there).
    
    Four years and not even one lesbian hosted show, forget about trans or bi? No, I think it's pretty clear that the suits at Sirius are focused on directing as much of the content on OutQ as they can at what they see as the most financially lucrative demographic of the GLBT community, white gay men 18-45.
    
    I don't really believe this will ever change, though I hope like hell they prove me wrong. by Radiogrrl
    
23. Quote:

    Originally Posted by SISO I think we should all step back and look at where this is coming from, not calling John a liar, but he appears to be upset over his firing.

    Point taken. I have to say I noticed McMullen wrote in his post that he hasn't posted here before because it is against Sirius policy, yet I've seen posts by Long Paul and Cosmic Commander who as far as I know are both still employed by Sirius. by WayneEdwards
    
24. Quote:

    Originally Posted by WayneEdwards I have to say I noticed McMullen wrote in his post that he hasn't posted here before because it is against Sirius policy, yet I've seen posts by Long Paul and Cosmic Commander who as far as I know are both still employed by Sirius.

    Doesn't mean the policy doesn't exist. We here at SBS know for a fact that such a policy either has, or still exists within Sirius. by DaJoker
    
25. If I was smarter, I might think the executives at Sirius were Pompous Egotistical Neurotic Insider Sycophants---but that doesn't spell something clever like SPERM! by RoadRunner
    
26. Quote:

    Originally Posted by DaJoker Doesn't mean the policy doesn't exist. We here at SBS know for a fact that such a policy either has, or still exists within Sirius.

    Thanks....that being the case I have no reason to doubt McMullen's observations, and tend to agree with Roadrunner's theory. by WayneEdwards
    
27. I just re-read it, and i must say every time i do, i get a little more upset. A lot of you guys dont remember the boys big trip to NYC to the sirius HQ, but i do, (im sure you can do a search and find it)
    
    Everyone was so excited, and psyched about all the good vibes from the Sirius Execs, Program Directors, etc. Its just VERY disheartning to see that McMullen took heat for that, and that a lot of the "good vibes" may not have been as genuine as first thought. That is the one big advantage XM has always had, they hire people that are passionate about music, not to say that XM doesnt have high level business execs either, i think the difference is in philosophy and ideals. by bandwagon03
    
28. Having a derogatory nickname for listeners who make suggestions is a bad idea, something that management should discourage, not have fun with.
    
    But I've gotta admit, based on what I've read on this board, that listeners have some mighty stupid ideas* for what should be on satellite radio. Despite the improvement over traditional radio, it's just not possible for everyone to have a channel that plays only their favorite music.
    
    * I remember seeing one listener who thought it'd be cool for each subscriber to have a channel that would broadcast whatever music that listener had uploaded to the Sirius website and that broadcast would be encoded so that only that same listener could hear the music being played. Hello! Ever hear of an iPod? If I had to read "suggestions" like that day after day, I'd think up a pretty derogatory nickname. by Vogelfrei
    
29. Quote:

    Originally Posted by RoadRunner If I was smarter, I might think the executives at Sirius were Pompous Egotistical Neurotic Insider Sycophants---but that doesn't spell something clever like SPERM!

    by VDCHawk
    
30. Ummm...OK. This guy may have some valid points, but overall it sounds like a bunch of sour grapes...He did not get his way, and now he's jumping up and down like a three year old who lost his teddy bear. So, if management went with all of McMullen's ideas, and gave him an unlimited budget and resources, OutQ would have been a success?
    
    These guys at Sirius have a business to run. Just because you think something is a good idea, does not mean it will resonate with the millions of other people who listen to Sirius every day. It's like people who tell you in a focus group that they want to hear "deep cuts" of classic rock on the radio, yet when it is programmed, the station does horribly. In reality, people want to hear the same 300 to 500 songs they know.
    
    Perhaps there is some insensitivity at Sirius...I don't really know. But I am sure they get hundreds of emails each day, and to respond to all of them personally is more or less impossible. And many of those emails are probably off the wall. by limegrass69
    
31. While I like many appreciate John's opinions of Sirius I have to disagree with many of them. I have worked for Sirius for nearly 4 years and not with out many ups and downs. But even with the challenges that come with the job I am so proud of the people and company I work for. Perhaps John's experiences have been different then my own but I have only ever held the highest respect for our listeners and have only heard the advice to do just that from the powers that be. To imply that the listeners are not the focus of Sirius is absurd. After all we wouldn't have jobs if there weren't listeners out there tuning in. Changes are always being made at Sirius to better serve the listener requests. Speaking from personal experiences my co-host and I wouldn't make nearly 20 (unpaid) public appearances a year if we didn't truly care about our listeners. So while John may feel that Sirius doesn't care...just know that there are many of us that do.
    -Romaine
    Co-Host of Derek and Romaine on Sirius OutQ 106 by Romaine
    
32. Quote:

    Originally Posted by Romaine While I like many appreciate John's opinions of Sirius I have to disagree with many of them. I have worked for Sirius for nearly 4 years and not with out many ups and downs. But even with the challenges that come with the job I am so proud of the people and company I work for. Perhaps John's experiences have been different then my own but I have only ever held the highest respect for our listeners and have only heard the advice to do just that from the powers that be. To imply that the listeners are not the focus of Sirius is absurd. After all we wouldn't have jobs if there weren't listeners out there tuning in. Changes are always being made at Sirius to better serve the listener requests. Speaking from personal experiences my co-host and I wouldn't make nearly 20 (unpaid) public appearances a year if we didn't truly care about our listeners. So while John may feel that Sirius doesn't care...just know that there are many of us that do. -Romaine Co-Host of Derek and Romaine on Sirius OutQ 106

    I am guessing company policy in regards to posting on public message boards has changed? by Blink
    
33. I didn't get that impression from the message Romaine. It looks more like he phrased it as management are the ones who don't care much more than the DJs and hosts who interact with the listeners on a daily basis. After being a sub to Sirius for over 4 years now and a member of SBS almost as long, I can say that almost every DJ and host loves their listeners and enjoys hearing feedback and works to make the best listener experience. A good portion of the management seems to believe in focus groups and demographics more than what the listeners think. by BenDee
    
34. Perhaps the policy changed Monday Morning..LOL by bandwagon03
    
35. There is no doubt that the hosts, DJs etc do care about listeners. I don't think there is any argument there. The issue here that John points out, and others have experienced personally, is that Sirius corporate management couldn't care less. So, no, the implication that listeners are not the focus at Sirius is not so absurd. Listeners are NOT the focus, SUBSCRIBERS are. As long as they keep new subscribers coming why should they? These are two very different roles to keep in mind. I can subscribe to Sirius for an individual reason (perhaps it's solely OutQ, perhaps it's solely NASCAR or perhaps it's solely Stern) but I may not be a listener of say, Octane or Elvis Radio. And yet again, I may be a listener of punk rock, but I'm not a subscriber because Sirius has no channel that truly serves my interest. Two roles, one company that should be trying to bridge the gap between them so that they become one, but instead only focuses on the one that meets the bottom line, all else be damned. by DaJoker
    
36. Another opinion from someone who wishes to remain anonymous and asked me to post it:
    
    "Romaine Patterson is doing exactly as she should. Kissing upper management's ass. Were it not for Jeremy Coleman, she and Derek would have been canned two years ago when every other executive who had any say in the matter suggested their termination after they went on an un-provoked verbal attack of the company's then-largest advertiser, Subaru, simply because she and Derek were disappointed with a performance review by PD Dave Gorab. The senior advertising exec at Subaru happened to be tuned in, and were it not for McMullen's relationship with Subaru, SIRIUS would have lost all of their advertising from Subaru for OutQ, Sirius NFL, and Traffic & Weather, as well as a OEM deal that McMullen helped bring about to put Sirius in Subaru vehicles starting in '06. In any other radio station or network, heads would have rolled. McMullen was only one of five people who recommended termination for these highly unprofessional antics, but Coleman was the sole advocate and put his neck on the line for them. Of course, since it's a company policy for employees to not post on a public message board without the authorization of the PR department, her posting her either shows a continued disregard for company policy (isn't that why McMullen was fired, for supposedly violating the company's policy?) or Sirius' official stance publicly on the matter is now being articulated by OutQ's most inarticulate voice." by Radiogrrl
    
37. oooh. catfight. by firsttimer
    
38. Quote:

    Originally Posted by BenDee I didn't get that impression from the message Romaine. It looks more like he phrased it as management are the ones who don't care much more than the DJs and hosts who interact with the listeners on a daily basis. After being a sub to Sirius for over 4 years now and a member of SBS almost as long, I can say that almost every DJ and host loves their listeners and enjoys hearing feedback and works to make the best listener experience. A good portion of the management seems to believe in focus groups and demographics more than what the listeners think.

    Ben that is what I got out of John's message as well. Managements perspective is much different than that of the "talent" by Blink
    
39. Joe Clayton is a right-wing wacko? Reminds me of a phrase that Rush and his slimy ilk are too stupid to admit:
    
    The media are only as liberal as the corporations that own them. by Casual Fan
    
40. Quote:

    Originally Posted by Radiogrrl Another opinion from someone who wishes to remain anonymous and asked me to post it: "Romaine Patterson is doing exactly as she should. Kissing upper management's ass. Were it not for Jeremy Coleman, she and Derek would have been canned two years ago when every other executive who had any say in the matter suggested their termination after they went on an un-provoked verbal attack of the company's then-largest advertiser, Subaru, simply because she and Derek were disappointed with a performance review by PD Dave Gorab. The senior advertising exec at Subaru happened to be tuned in, and were it not for McMullen's relationship with Subaru, SIRIUS would have lost all of their advertising from Subaru for OutQ, Sirius NFL, and Traffic & Weather, as well as a OEM deal that McMullen helped bring about to put Sirius in Subaru vehicles starting in '06. In any other radio station or network, heads would have rolled. McMullen was only one of five people who recommended termination for these highly unprofessional antics, but Coleman was the sole advocate and put his neck on the line for them. Of course, since it's a company policy for employees to not post on a public message board without the authorization of the PR department, her posting her either shows a continued disregard for company policy (isn't that why McMullen was fired, for supposedly violating the company's policy?) or Sirius' official stance publicly on the matter is now being articulated by OutQ's most inarticulate voice."

    Kissing ass? Hardly! Anyone that knows me knows that I simply say things as I see them. Is there a policy about posting? Probably but that hasn't stopped me or many other Sirius Talent from taking part of message boards. If anything I think of it as just one more way of interacting with listeners. We all have myspace accounts! However, do I go spilling information that is not relevant or "sensitive"? No.
    Have I nearly been fired from Sirius? Yep, bet your ass I have. About three times but hey who's counting. Hell, ask most radio jocks and they will tell you the same.
    At the end of the day I love my job. I have never had anything but respect for upper management...even when in trouble. I support the team that supports me. I have had management that I hated and had no problem saying as much. But that is not the case here. Upper management has never done anything but expect the best from our programming and I only hope that I can continue to help them achieve that goal. You want to call appreciating my team as kissing ass go ahead. I prefer to think of it as respecting the team that more then deserves it. by Romaine
    
41. Regardless of Sirius policy, I'm glad we're hearing from both John and Romaine, and hope they both feel like this forum is a valuable way for them to interact with their fans/listeners/subscribers/etc.
    John, although you've left Sirius, please don't feel like we are no longer interested in hearing about your activities; Romaine, please feel free to comment on OutQ changes (or any other topic that interests you here). Sirius Backstage is about the fans, and I know you both have many of those here!
    
    Romaine, I'd also like to congratulate you on your upcoming blessed event. by RoadRunner
    
42. Interesting new developments. I can't help but think though, that no one much cares outside this forum, nor will anybody ever hear of it.
    
    The SPERM comment kind of bothered me, but I don't claim to be an expert on radio or music. People say silly stuff all the time, funny or true or not. Let's let management run this company and program these channels however they see fit.
    
    If for whatever reason we decide the 12.95 is not worth it, then bail. Short of that, these comments from a fired employee shouldn't paint Sirius as a bad company. by geosync
    
43. Quote:

    Originally Posted by limegrass69 Ummm...OK. This guy may have some valid points, but overall it sounds like a bunch of sour grapes...He did not get his way, and now he's jumping up and down like a three year old who lost his teddy bear.

    That's kind of how I thought when I read it as well. I am not familiar with his show, but it comes off as a little unprofessional to post on a message board trying to stir controversy, when you know no one from management will post a rebuttal. Anyone in radio knows that the possibility of being canned is just around the corner. It's the career with the least job security, with the possible exception of being a manager of a sports team.
    
    
    
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by geosync The SPERM comment kind of bothered me, but I don't claim to be an expert on radio or music. People say silly stuff all the time, funny or true or not. Let's let management run this company and program these channels however they see fit.

    I agree with this as well. If Sirius ends up making the same mistakes that terrestrial radio has made (relying on focus groups and consultants rather than the audience), they will suffer in the end. It's disheartening to think that the management would have such disdain for the paying customers. As for the term SPERM, I say we take a cue from the gay community and embrace it, much like they have embraced "queer" to disarm any negative connotations. I'm a proud SPERM. by Road Hog
    
44. It looks like we made the front page of Digg. by BenDee
    
45. First time here... not a Sirius subscriber, haven't really even seriously considered it before. Just wanted to comment on the publicity angle... I DO read digg posts each morning, and this one caught my eye. So at least in my case, the negative publicity has extended past just the forum posters/subscribers etc.
    
    Note to Sirius: this is one person who will not likely be subscribing to your service, at least in part due to the nature of this "publicity". by ecovert
    
46. Quote:

    Originally Posted by ecovert First time here... not a Sirius subscriber, haven't really even seriously considered it before. Just wanted to comment on the publicity angle... I DO read digg posts each morning, and this one caught my eye. So at least in my case, the negative publicity has extended past just the forum posters/subscribers etc. Note to Sirius: this is one person who will not likely be subscribing to your service, at least in part due to the nature of this "publicity".

    That's an understandable response, but one I would personally discourage. Believe me that Sirius (and SDARS generally) is a great product. The problem that this post (and others) show is that it is a great product DESPITE management, rather than BECAUSE of management. by RoadRunner
    
47. Quote:

    Originally Posted by RoadRunner That's an understandable response, but one I would personally discourage. Believe me that Sirius (and SDARS generally) is a great product. The problem that this post (and others) show is that it is a great product DESPITE management, rather than BECAUSE of management.

    I agree! I don't think that one person's (biased, perhaps) rant should be considered a true representation of management as a whole. When all is said and done, Sirius (or anyone, for that matter) needs to put out a product that will appeal to a broad cross-section of the population...or there will be few or no subscribers. But, you'll never 100% satisfy everybody everyday. Overall, Sirius and XM are great products, in my opinion. by limegrass69
    
48. I find John's and Romaine's willingness to post here refreshing. I care a great deal about Sirius, but I'm not offended by the "SPERM" remark. I take it as nothing more than a flippant reference to the .00001% of Sirius listeners who are always critical, always have the right answer, always know what's best, etc. It's just a way of blowing off steam -- which is good because there is a lot of heat on these men and women running the Sirius operation right now.
    
    I'll admit that I'm not in OutQ's demographic, but I just might have to give Derek and Romaine's show a listen if it's as funny as folks say it is.
    
    Anyway, peace.
    
    Jake by JakeStone
    
49. I'm also not in OutQ's demographic, but, find D&R a scream to listen to from time to time. With regard to the SPERM remarks, every industry I've every worked in has its own black humor and internal derogatory references to its customers. Many years ago I worked in a very large and well known amusement park (without mice!). We referred to the guests as "the animals". by JohnBrowningFan
    
50. don't know whether the sperm thing is true and don't care. any company that has customers cares about their opinions as a whole. as companies grow larger there is less interaction between customers and upper management. there could be some issues at lower levels of management that could be addressed but what company doesn't have personnel issues?
    
    my experiences have been positive with sirius when submitting suggestions to sirius as far as content. i suggested way before they started carrying college sports that they sign up alabama for sirius. also recommended that they needed to have an alternative channel that plays alternative music like pearl jam, alice n chains, soundgarden and other cool alternative bands and rumor has it that is about to happen
    
    so, do i think that sirius upper management listens to one opinion. the answer is no. but when many people request the same thing then content could change by 4BAMA
    
51. Is John McMullen STILL going on about all this? get over it! the fact that his show was the worst show in the outq lineup never occurs to him.... he gives himself way too much credit. I'm thankful that he got the station off the ground, but am tired of his endless ranting all over the place about it.
    
    He's always trying to trash Romaine Patterson... every chance he gets he tries to make a negative remark about her... about capitalizing on Matthew Shepard's death... I don't see her doing that at all. Romaine is an asset to OutQ, it was her and Derek that got me hooked on the station. Her and other Sirius hosts make a point to interact with listeners on and off the air. John never logged onto a listener message board/myspace group until after his show was dropped...
    
    I Think his "only regret" is having the worst show on the station (it's a tie with OutQ In the Morning). I think he regrets that he hired people with more talent, who stole the spotlight from him.
    
    I used to respect John McMullen... now I think he's just a sore loser. by durancureboy
    
52. Quote:

    Originally Posted by Romaine While I like many appreciate John's opinions of Sirius I have to disagree with many of them.

    Romaine,
    Maybe the issue here is how Sirius treats their middle-management team and not their talk show hosts.
    I'm with John on this one. by satbrat
    
53. Proud SPERM right here! :-D
    
    Actually...all I'd like to see is Sirius play songs that were hits even for just a month or two. That's all I ask. I like most of the top songs that they play...I just feel that it's a little repetitive since I listen to it for 10-12 hours a day at work and at home. I know I'm on the high end of listening hours, but that shouldn't matter. Even hearing a random good song on a 20 minute drive can make the trip that much better. by Mercer Boy