Grammy® award winning singer/songwriter, Pink will be hosting the SIRIUS Hits 1 Weekend Countdown, playing the biggest hit songs in North America along with updates on the week’s pop culture craziness.

You can catch Pink Exclusively on SIRIUS Hit 1, Channel 1,
Saturday, March 24 @ 3 am, 7 am, 11 am, 3 pm & 9 pm
and will be rebroadcast
Sunday, March 25 @ 12 am, 6 am, 12 pm & 4 pm
and
Monday, March 26 @ 12 am & 3 am (all times Eastern).

SIRIUS channel Area 33, recent nominee for International Dance Music Radio Station of the year, will broadcast live from Miami’s South Beach for five dance-filled days starting today, March 20. Listeners will have the chance to hear live extended DJ sets from SIRIUS’ own Paul van Dyk and Paul Oakenfold as well as other major turntable acts such as Bob Sinclar and Robbie Rivera. The party begins tonight at 9p.m. eastern time so get your Sportster Replay Boombox ready!

The party schedule is as follows: (All times Eastern)

• Tuesday, March 20^th (9pm-4am): DJ Behrouz live from Mokai

• Wednesday, March 21^st (8pm-12am): DJ Bob Sinclar from the Tommy Boy Records Party at the Victor Hotel

• Thursday, March 22^nd (11pm-3am): Richard Vission, Fedde LeGrand. Steve Agnello, Sebastian Ingrasso, Robbie Rivera from Nikki Beach

• Friday, March 23^rd (6pm-10pm): Christopher Lawrence, Above & Beyond, Bennie Benassi, Donald Glaude from Nikki Beach

• Saturday, March 24^th (8pm-10pm): Paul van Dyk from Space

• Saturday, March 24^th (10pm-12am): Paul Oakenfold from Space

Featured “behind the turntable” interviews in the SIRIUS Miami VIP Suite will include:

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This concludes jimboxlax’s interview with Larry Kirwan. This section gives an insight into Larry’s views on Sirius, and its future including the proposed merger, along with what Larry hopes to accomplish going forward with Celtic Crush, Black 47, and his other many projects.
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What do you listen to on Sirius besides Sirius Disorder?

I listen to Disorder quite a bit, as I enjoy Meg’s programming. I used to love The Globe and, like many, wish that Sirius would bring back a World channel. Otherwise, I listen to the Jazz station as I’m a Miles Davis freak. And, of course, the Reggae channel, Left of Center, and Outlaw Country. I also enjoy the Opera and classical music channels. But I often just spin around and stop when I hear something interesting.

What do you see in the future for satellite radio? For FM?

I think satellite radio will continue to prosper as long as people feel that they’re getting a good choice. FM, because of the strict programming, is pretty much a joke, particularly to someone who remembers its golden age.

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Bunch of fun stuff going on for St. Patrick’s day. Let’s start at the bottom of the channel numbers and work our way up:

-FLOGGING MOLLY, hosts special St. Patty’s programming featuring Celtic punk-rockers on Hostile Takeover (Mar 16 @ 7pm ET and rebroadcast: Mar. 17th @ 1 am ET)

-LARRY KIRWAN, from Black 47 and The Irish Tenors perform on Celtic Crush (SIRIUS Disorder, channel 32, Mar., 17 @ 12-1pm ET and rebroadcast Mar. 17 @ 10 pm ET & Mar. 20 @ 10 pm ET)

-PADDY MALONEY, from The Chieftains, performance, (SIRIUS Disorder, channel 32, Mar. 17 @ 3pm ET & 11 pm ET.)
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INTERVIEW WITH SIRIUS DISORDER DJ - LARRY KIRWAN OF “CELTIC CRUSH”

Larry Kirwan hosts “Celtic Crush” on Sirius Disorder (ch. 32) which airs:
Saturdays 10 am - 1 pm ET
Rebroadcast Tuesdays 10 pm - 1 am ET

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Larry Kirwan Interview - Part 2 - Celtic Crush on Sirius Disorder

This is the second of my three part interview with Larry Kirwan. This section gives an insight into Celtic Crush - How it came about, what you are likely to hear on the show, and Larry’s favorite artists and stories. Part 1 can be found here.

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According to the Sirius Disorder website, Celtic Crush is described as:

” Celtic Crush travels among diverse music, from old to the very new. Ireland native Larry Kirwan has firsthand experience throughout Ireland and America as a member of the premier Celtic rock band Black 47. Being an author as well as a performer adds to Larry’s unique abilities as a poetic host. His guests have ranged from Lunasa to Celtic Woman. Larry draws from his private record collection for this three hour soulful mix of traditional and contemporary music from the Celtic countries and England. ”

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Please explain what Celtic Crush is all about and what we are likely to hear during a show?

Celtic Crush takes a world view on what Celtic Music is, where it’s come from and where it might go.  My taste is very broad and I see Celtic in the least obvious places.  Apart from all the obvious choices:  The Pogues, Flogging Molly, The Chieftains, Enya, U2, Damien Rice, Thin Lizzy, Sandy Denny, Afro-Celt, Van Morrison, et al; I might also check out the Celtic side of Bob Dylan, The Band, Lou Reed, Cat Stevens, Richard Thompson.  I also explore the music of Irish Trad bands such as The Bothy Band, Solas and Lunasa; the Breton revolutionary Alan Stivel, Carlos Nunez from Galicia and try to demonstrate how Celtic music and thought has influenced world culture.  After every set of three songs, I talk about some memory that one of the tracks might have unveiled or give an anecdote regarding one of the musicians that I might have known or, just in general, ruminate on the world and what’s going on at that particular moment.  In reality, I suppose, I’m taking the free form style of FM disc jockeys of the 60’s and 70’s and adding a dash of the Irish storyteller’s passion and techniques.

How did “Celtic Crush” come about?

A couple of years ago I was up in Sirius doing an interview with Meg Griffin on the release of a Black 47 CD.  We’re old friends and we had a relaxing and free spinning chat.  Sirius had been receiving requests for a Celtic show; and, from what I understand, Steve Blatter spotted me in the corridor and thought that I’d make a good fit.  And voila…

How did the show evolve from its beginnings?  Didn’t we used to hear a lot more “RiverDance-like” tunes?

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Sirius DJ and BackStager “Long Paul” has reported 2 updates to the channel changes coming next Wednesday.  First, he informs us that the 90’s Rock station will be called Frequency 24, but will not debut until March 31st.  You can imagine where it will be on your dial.  He also announced that 29 will be the long-awaited, and much requested punk channel.

This news is obviously developing, expect more updates as Wednesday approaches! 

Update:  Apparently the “90’s Rock” stations debut is being delayed until the end of March, so that The Who Channel has a home through the end of their tour.

The Hard Rock Cafe is offering you the chance to have a party with you and your friends with a bunch of wiseguys, including “Little” Steven Van Zandt, Vincent “Big Pussy” Pastore, and other guys from The Sorpranos. If you would rather just go see Sirius HQ, they have a guest spot at the Wiseguy show up for bid as well. Can’t get to NYC? There is a cigar set signed by the Wiseguys from the Show. Also available are a Gibson Firebird guitar signed by Little Steven, Saxophone signed by Clarence Clemons, and a NASCAR VIP pass to RCR Racing. Bidding for NYC ends December 27th and for the Sirius stuff, December 29th! The Hard Rock starts at $100,000. The Wiseguy show started at $.99, but within the 10 minutes I wrote this, it went up to $112.50.

The only part I take issue with for the auction is that while a portion of the proceeds do go to VH1’s charity Save the Music Foundation, it is not what it should be. Most of the items are 50% of the final sale price, except for the Hard Rock, which is only 10% of the final sale price. I hope that the Hard Rock is not trying to profit off of this…

The auction is available here

Comment here

I first learned about the power of a great music venue after meeting with SIRIUS Disorder’s Meg Griffin.

The passion and respect shared by Meg about this place only adds to the emotion behind it’s closing. Surely fans will appreciate what CBGB’s founder and owner, Hilly Kristal, said:

“Although we mourn the closing of CBGB, we should remember CBGB, not merely as a place. It is a state of mind.”

SIRIUS will broadcast CBGB’s final concert, featuring artist Patti Smith, on SIRIUS Disorder (24), beginning at 9 pm ET on Sunday October 15.

In photo is CBGB’s Hilly Kristal and SIRIUS’ Meg Griffin; taken by rock photographer Bob Gruen.

SIRIUS Backstage has learned that on-air talent Michelle Visage will exit The Beat, SIRIUS’ dance hits channel.

Visage, who had several pop and dance hits in the early 90s, has been a host on The Beat for more than two years.

From 1996-2003, she was a morning radio co-host on WKTU. From 2003-2005, she co-hosted “The Jamz Session” on Hot 92 Jamz (KHHT) in Los Angeles. She joined Mix 102.7 in New York City in 2005 and is co-host with “Brookyn’s Own” Joe Causi of The Morning Mix (WNEW-FM).

Haneen Arafat, long time program director for SIRIUS’ slate of Adult Contemporary programming, has announced that she is departing after more than 6 years with the company.

All Access is reporting that Arafat “will exit on FRIDAY (8/11) to focus on her voice talent business full time”.

Arafat was in charge of day-to-day programming decisions and playlist management for Starlite, The Pulse and SIRIUS Love. She also lent her voice on-air to Starlite and the Nordic Rox show, as well as special liners across the SIRIUS service.

She is one of the original music talents to join the company, that includes Pop music legend Kid Kelly and free-form radio expert Meg Griffin.

This move may signal a music lineup shakeup at SIRIUS. We’ll provide more insight as it becomes available.

The SIRIUS Backstage team had the chance to meet and interact with Haneen during her tenure at SIRIUS, and we have great respect for her willingness to reach out to SIRIUS fans. We wish Haneen well and expect great things in her future.

Comment here.