There has been lots of chatter all across the internets since Monday’s DoJ approval announcement.  One of the more interesting takes came from Bay Area DJ, “Big” Rick Stuart.  Mr. Stuart writes as a radio professional, a former employee of Mel’s at CBS Radio, and as a Sirius subscriber.  I thought his insights were interesting (as well as pretty much in line with mine).

As he writes here,  

1) big names stay and to listen to some of them you’ll pay more than “basic”
2) little weird stations might not stay or if they do will with staffing cuts
3) I don’t think there will be any programming duplication and Mel can be a loyal guy so if there is a choice XM staff gets cut
3) new hardware is coming soon, very very soon
4) the NAB will fight it all the way (and lose)
5) the very under the radar Sirius Backseat TV service will expand quickly

Now, I think he’s underplaying the pricing changes that will be favorable to many consumers, like the “Mostly Music” choice, but I encourage you to check out his post.

Vinnie Politan, a former Court TV Anchor takes on all issues in daily discussion and debate.

On Indie Talk, listeners encouraged to speak up, speak out, and speak for themselves on new kind of political talk radio.

SIRIUS today announced that it will launch an exclusive daily morning call-in show with Vinnie Politan on its new Indie Talk channel.

Indie Talk is a new kind of political talk radio; an uncensored, non-partisan forum for independent thought and opinion targeting the blogger generation. The channel has no agenda: Indie Talk gives equal voice to individuals from any affiliation or background.

Politan’s show will launch March 24 and air live Monday – Friday from 6:00 – 9:00 am ET exclusively on Indie Talk channel 110. Every morning Politan will take the country’s pulse as he takes calls from men and women of all ages and backgrounds, shining a spotlight on their reactions to breaking news, issues and buzz. Topics on the show will be caller and headline-driven and span the worlds of politics, entertainment, and beyond.

A former prosecutor and Court TV reporter and anchor for many years, Politan brings an informative and entertaining journalistic insight to Indie Talk. Vinnie Politan recently hosted SIRIUS’ Court TV Morning Radio and co-anchored Court TV’s Bloom & Politan. Politan was a prosecuting attorney in Bergen County, New Jersey. Politan was also an AP Award-winning reporter and anchor for Central Florida News 13 in Orlando, FL, where he covered the 2000 presidential election.

SIRIUS to devote five channels to tournament coverage allowing listeners to hear every shot of every game

Exclusive talk shows ‘The Shark Tank,’ hosted by Jerry Tarkanian, and ‘Rivals Radio’ to provide expert analysis throughout tournament

SIRIUS will be the exclusive satellite radio provider of every game of the 2008 NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, offering listeners uninterrupted play-by-play access to every match-up from the opening round game on March 18 through the National Championship game in San Antonio, TX on April 7.

SIRIUS will devote five channels to tournament coverage and be the only radio broadcaster to air every game in its entirety with no blackouts. Games will air on SIRIUS channels 121, 122, 126 and 127. SIRIUS host Steve Torre will anchor SIRIUS’ coverage on these channels, providing up-to-the-minute scores and highlights during game breaks and directing listeners to other games around the dial. SIRIUS will also carry Westwood One’s coverage of the tournament, with pre-game shows and cut-ins to live game action, on SIRIUS Sports Central, channel 123.

On Selection Sunday, March 16, SIRIUS will provide live coverage as tournament brackets are announced, giving listeners up-to-the-moment info on who’s in and who’s out, on SIRIUS Sports Central channel 123 (6:00–9:00 pm ET).

Full tournament brackets, with match-ups and SIRIUS channel assignments, can be viewed and downloaded at www.sirius.com/collegesports starting Monday, March 17.

SIRIUS’ Left of Center, channel 26, will bring music fans behind-the-scenes at this year’s SXSW music festival in Austin, TX.

The festival, known for showcasing up-and-coming artists and giving unsigned bands the opportunity to highlight their talents, has become one of the largest music festival in the US. Listeners will hear hourly updates with the inside scoop on exciting new artists, interviews, latest news, gossip and festival information.

Listen in: Wednesday, March 12 through Saturday, March 15 (daily 12 pm to 12 am ET) & Cooking with Pappy – Friday, March 14 from 2 pm – 8 pm ET

SIRIUS’ Left of Center features the best in the world of Indie and Underground music. Artists that can be heard on the channel include Radiohead, The Arcade Fire, Moldy Peaches, Ween, Iron & Wine, Kate Nash, Vampire Weekend - and other music left of the mainstream.

COSMO Radio, Maxim Radio, Martha Stewart Living Radio and Candace Bushnell to devote shows to the most romantic day of the year.

SIRIUS Satellite Radio today announced that it will broadcast extensive, steamy, and seductive Valentine’s Day programming, including an entire week devoted to love, sex, relationships and dating on SIRIUS’ COSMO Radio channel 111 as well as a “Valentine’s Day Crisis Line” on Maxim Radio channel 108.

Other sexy Valentine’s Day programming spanning multiple channels and days includes: SIRIUS Stars’ Candace Bushnell talks with love experts about the importance of loving yourself and Martha Stewart Living Radio’s tips for everything from romantic dinner ideas to special Valentine’s Day baked goods.

For complete programming details about SIRIUS’ Valentine’s Day lineup, visit www.sirius.com/valentinesday.

COSMO RADIO channel 111

Wake Up! with CosmoRadio, Weekdays 7:00 – 11:00 am ET

Cocktails with Patrick, Weekdays 5:00 – 8:00 pm ET

Get In Bed with COSMO, Weekdays 8:00 – 11:00 pm ET

Interview with Laura Bell Bundy and Candace Bushnell February 14 at 4:00 pm ET

All week long the hosts of COSMO Radio will be breaking down Valentine’s Day for both single and attached listeners with tips on making the day extra special, decoding a guy’s gift, and giving (and getting) the hottest kisses.

On Valentine’s Day, COSMO Radio host Victoria Keelan will sit down with fun, fearless, female Laura Bell Bundy, the star of Broadway’s hit show Legally Blonde and special guest Candace Bushnell.

MAXIM RADIO channel 108

Maxim Radio’s Valentine’s Day Crisis Line, February 14 10:00 am – 11:00 pm ET

Sex Files, Wednesdays 2:00 pm ET

Maxim Radio’s “Valentine’s Day Crisis Line” will offer listeners 13 hours of free, expert advice for men who are stressing about the most romantic day of the year. Special guests include Carmen Electra, Christine Lakin, from the new movie “The Hottie & The Nottie,” and Maxim magazine’s sex columnist Gillian Telling. Maxim Radio will also air a special Valentine’s Day edition of Sex Files, the weekly call-in show dedicated to love and sex issues hosted by Amy Spencer and Yvonne Fulbright.

MARTHA STEWART LIVING RADIO channel 112

Morning Living, 7:00 – 11:00 am ET

Everyday Food The Radio Show, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

Living Today, 1:00 – 5:00 pm ET

All week long Martha Stewart Living Radio hosts offer romantic dinner ideas, creative ideas and tips for Valentine’s Day baked goods and gifts, as well as special guest interviews.

SIRIUS STARS channel 102

Candace Bushnell’s Sex, Success and Sensibility, February 14 at 6:00 pm ET

Candace will devote her special Valentine’s Day show helping listeners learn to love themselves by finding their inner beauty. Candace and her love experts won’t let listeners cry, mope, or whine about not having a date this Valentine’s Day; instead they will give listeners tips on how to love themselves before loving someone else.

SIRIUS Stars will also air ‘love messages’ from listeners all day on Valentine’s Day. Listeners are encouraged to call 866-99-38-BOP and choose option #9 to leave a message or send an email to VALENTINE@SIRIUS-RADIO.COM.

SIRIUS Satellite Radio will be providing comprehensive coverage of the Daytona 500 on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio channel 128, which will include the live race broadcast and like last year, multiple channels carrying in-car audio.

Channel 128 will be providing full coverage of the Gatorade Duels on Thursday, Feb. 14 (1:15 pm ET), the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on Friday, Feb. 15 (7:30 pm ET) and the NASCAR Nationwide Series race on Saturday, Feb. 16 (12:45 pm ET).

On the big day, Sunday, February 17, SIRIUS is giving listeners 15 hours of live coverage of the 50th running of the Daytona 500 starting at 8:00 am ET. (Oh my god, set your alarms!) SIRIUS NASCAR Radio channel 128 will carry the race broadcast live nationwide (2:30 pm ET) and additional Driver2Crew Chatter™ channels will carry the in-car audio of NASCAR’s top drivers. The Driver2Crew Chatter™ combines the race broadcast with the driver-to-crew chatter, allowing fans to follow the overall race call and the in-car audio of a driver on a single channel.
(more…)

Just announced: Indie Talk, a “groundbreaking talk radio channel” to “serve as an uncensored, unfiltered forum for independent thought and opinion.”

Indie Talk touts talk talent Ron Silver, who’s enjoyed an acting career since 1974. More recently, Silver has become politically active, serving as a member on the Council of Foreign Relations. He transitioned from Democratic to Independent party affiliation, praising the efforts of President Bush.

“Radio needs a change as much as the country,” said Silver. “Indie Talk will give voice to all individuals for an amazing national debate.”

According to the Press Release, Indie Talk promises to “give an equal voice to individuals from any affiliation or background […] and be a platform for listeners across the country to react to breaking news, issues[.]”.

The channel launches February 6, 2008 with the premiere of Silver’s call-in show, airing weekdays 9-11AM EST.

Will this new format appeal the current listeners of Sirius Left/Patriot? Will it draw in new listeners of political talk? Could a national “open-forum” news channel even affect the merger?

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network, Wikipedia

The special broadcast debuts today in conjunction with the release of “Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert” movie in digital 3-D

Miley Cyrus, star of Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana, and pop sensation The Jonas Brothers, are taking over SIRIUS Satellite Radio’s Hits 1 music channel to celebrate the release of Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert movie in digital 3-D.

The special weekend broadcast event, which kicks-off today, will feature Miley Cyrus and The Jonas Brothers sharing behind-the-scenes stories from her wildly successful tour as well as personal stories about their families. In addition, Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas will host a special edition of Hit-Bound, SIRIUS Hits 1’s series showcasing the best unsigned, indie, international and homemade music and The SIRIUS Hits 1 Weekend Countdown!, a countdown of the 45 biggest songs in North America. Miley Cyrus will also spin her personal favorite music throughout the weekend.

Miley Cyrus, daughter of country music singer Billy Ray Cyrus, became an overnight sensation as the breakout star of Disney Channel’s hit series Hannah Montana. In 2007, Miley embarked on the “Best of Both Worlds” tour performing as both herself and Hannah Montana. The Jonas Brothers joined the tour as the opening act in October of 2007. The band’s second, self-titled, album was released in August of 2007 and reached numb

For the Tony Stewart fan that enjoyed listening or calling into Tony’s SIRIUS radio program, you can rejoice. The critically acclaimed talk show, Tony Stewart Live is returning for a 2nd season starting Monday, February 4th, 2008.

The show, hosted by Tony Stewart with co-host Matt Yokum, has a new time slot / night moving from Tuesday nights last year to Monday nights from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm ET. Be sure to mark your calendars, phones, digital assistants, email and other nefarious calendar methods so you don’t miss it as it hits the satellite waves on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio, Channel 128.

“It’s hard to believe we’re already starting our second year on SIRIUS,” Stewart said. “I felt more and more comfortable with each show last year, as Matt and I learned something new every time we hung up the headphones. Our second year on the air will be even better. Our rookie ‘stripe’ is officially off. The show is a great way for us to connect with NASCAR fans, and really, fans of any type of racing. It’s two of the best spent hours of my week.”

Stewart is a two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion (2002, 2005), one of only 15 drivers in the history of NASCAR to win multiple Cup Series titles. In addition to his achievements on the NASCAR circuit, Stewart is the first and only driver to have won championships in stock cars, Indy cars and in USAC’s Midget, Sprint and Silver Crown divisions.

Check out SIRIUS’s web page, Tony Stewart Live.

Jenna Jameson, Bill Romanowski, Playboy Radio Morning Show team live from Playboy’s Desert Oasis and Resort Party

Live remotes from The Beach Bowl, Lingerie Bowl and EA Madden Bowl

Playboy Radio will be front and center on the red carpet for Playboy’s retro-themed “Playboy’s Desert Oasis and Resort” party the night before the big game. Jenna Jameson, NFL great Bill Romanoswki, morning show hosts Kevin Klein and Andrea Lowell to talk with Playmates, athletes, and celebrities.

Playboy Radio will also broadcast live from The Beach Bowl, the celebrity touch football game led by Arizona Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart. Hef’s girlfriend Kendra will act as referee and Playboy Radio hosts will provide play-by-play commentary and interview celebrity participants on the sidelines. Playboy Radio will also broadcast live remotes from the Lingerie Bowl and the EA Madden Bowl.

Live coverage of The Beach Bowl kicks off January 31 at 5:00 pm ET; coverage of the Playboy party starts February 2 at 11:00 pm ET on SIRIUS channel 198.