A Major Channel Shift Is Coming To Sirius XM

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“We’re shuffling a few things around to make room for even more great content.”


That’s how the SiriusXM Listener Care center explains a significant realignment of some of its music channels — a move that will put an end to its “50s on 5” and “60s on 6” channels with their relocation far up the channel lineup.

At the same time, “SiriusXM Love” is coming off the satellite radio dial.

The changes take place on Wednesday, November 3. “Same awesome programming, different home,” SiriusXM says.

Yet, that’s not entirely true, as SiriusXM Love will become an online-only offering, at Channel 708.

Meanwhile, a flurry of channel shifts are set to occur, as follows:

  • The Pulse: Ch. 5 (formerly 15)
  • The Coffee House: Ch. 6 (formerly 14)
  • Siriusly Sinatra: Ch. 70 (formerly 71)
  • 40s Junction: Ch. 71 (formerly 73)
  • On Broadway: Ch. 77 (formerly 72)
  • Kidz Bop: Ch. 79 (formerly 77)

However, the biggest move will see the 50s tunes rebranded as “50s Gold,” taking Channel 72. The 60s, with veteran hosts “Shotgun” Tom Kelly and Pat St. John alongside Dave Hoeffel as air personalities, will be branded as “60s Gold,” taking Channel 73.

The “70s on 7” remains on Channel 7; corresponding decade-specific channels remain on Channels 8-11.

There is more: a user blog offers an unconfirmed report that the new lineup will see NBC Sports Audio take channel 85; Caliente: 151; CBS Sports Radio: 158; and SportsGrid: 159. This could not be confirmed as of Thursday evening, Pacific time.

Channel presets on Sirius XM radios should automatically change, the satellite radio company says.

The biggest unanswered question: Where’s the “even more great content” tied to the channel shifts?

SiriusXM was mum as of Thursday evening (10/28).

244 COMMENTS

  1. Lots of unhappy Boomers here. SiriusXM obviously made this channel change for demographic reasons, to shuttle the older listeners away from the prime channels 5 and 6 and get their old music out of the way. But according to the L.A. Times, Boomers now control 70% of America’s disposal income as America’s fast-growing demo, expected to nearly double by 2050.

    Older listeners have the money to pay for luxuries like satellite radio. Quoting industry pundit Jerry Del Colliano: “The younger the audience, the more they reject paying for satellite radio – no commercials doesn’t entice them because they can have no commercials on streaming music services and get so much more control of their music.”

    In this case, Boomers do not like being dissed by corporations they pay good money to, and that’s what this feels like to many of the folks commenting here — they have been kicked upstairs and out of the way by SiriusXM management.

  2. I agree. So many options out there to be dissed by this company. Way past their peak and the end is in sight

    • SiriusXM will continue to have its place… but with a primary market consisting of OTR truck drivers and those living or travelling in rural and remote locations.

      • As a former OTR truck driver, your reply made me smile. Nevertheless, over the road or at home, The Blend was my first choice of music to listen to. It isn’t anymore. Now its just another oldies channel. I may be a baby boomer of 74, but I like modern soft rock, and there is little to none of that to be found on Sirius XM now. Thus, I, like apparently many others, am trying to decide whether or not I will continue my subscription. At this point, I’m leaning against it.

  3. I went to the San Francisco area for only 3 days. Got back to find that I had no 60’s on 6! Had to do a Google search to find this website with the changes made by SiriusXM. I love my 60’s, but changing it to channel 73 has put the nail in the coffin for me! I will not be renewing and will now stream my music over Spotify, where I can put together lists of music I like and not have to endure some of the useless 60’s and 70’s music that the SiriusXM DJ’s seem to think we like! And, yes, I do think that the end is in sight for SiriusXM. I was great for its time, but that time is fast approaching their sunset!

    • Thank you for your insight on this, I was going to sign up after my free 3 months was up but NOT NOW!!! I did notice that some of these hosts were playing music that I wouldn’t even listen to!!!

  4. I will never know why companies fool with recipes that work. Coke mucked with original Coke some years ago. Facebook changes to META? I don’t like the dropping of Channel 5 and 6 and rebranding to 72 and 73. It made sense on channel 5 and 6. Dumb idea. I probably wont’ renwe S/XM next time around. I just found out that my Bluetooth in my new car lets me pick any radio station in the world and play it on my car speakers. I don’t need S/XM anymore.

  5. I am done. Cancelling. No Love station, no more Sirius. And I won’t be the only one. Baby boomers will rule. Sirius needs to find new strategies.

  6. Bring back channel 70 Love – one of my favorites and why I keep my subscription – seriously considering not renewing when the time comes to do so. Not happy with the recent changes (11/3/21) at all. !!

  7. The shuffling of 50s and 60s music is making me think of not listening to music radio and just play the music I liked from the past. I don’t really need to hear music I don’t like, or sport stations I don’t care about or xmas music for months before the holiday.
    I will record the music I like and play that instead of sirius.

  8. I do think Sirius is moving the older music and our generation out of the way , up the dial .. They started with Willie’s roadhouse and other country music , then it was the Elvis channel , the 40s on 4 now 50s on five and 60’s on 6 and Sinatra . Anyone see a trend here ?

  9. I hated early Christmas music so switched months ago to Sirius. Just as Christmas music starts the 60’s music is put out on some ridiculous numbered station. Was making it easy for listeners a bad thing?
    Hate the rebranding!

  10. Total screw up. 6 hrs if driving and the new 60s finally got a few decent songs. Guess I will cancel this and just use Alexa.

  11. Rather than shifting things around why not reduce the number of redundant channels and allow a little more bandwidth for better audio quality?

  12. Where did the music that was played on channel 54, go???? ??????? It was Studio 54, it was the best disco music!!! It is now called Abba???

  13. I don’t like the change Now I have to remember channels all over What happened to Radio classics One if my favorites The other day I was listening to 40’s next day it was gone. I like CHRISTMAS MUSIC BUT NOT BEFORE THANKSGIVING. Why not have a seasons channel to play seasonal music all year long instead of using a regular channel

  14. Really disappointed in Sirius. I loved the old channel line up including the blend but now I am searching to find what I want to listen to. I may just stream the songs through my phone as this is too expensive of a proposition to not be able to hear what I like.

  15. Very disappointed that The Blend is only playing 70s and 80s music. If this doesn’t change back or a new station created, then I will be canceling my subscription.

    • I know. If I only wanted oldies, I would listen to 60s and 70s. I listened the Blend most of the time because I love oldies, but want to also hear the newer releases. Sigh

    • I completely agree with you! I am not happy with the change in music selection on “The Blend”. They used to ‘blend’ in recent pop (Artists like P!nk, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Gabby Barrett, Lauren Daigle, etc) with the older stuff. Now it’s all dated stuff and, what’s worse, it all seems super mellow! They may as well call it “The Bland” now!

    • I agree with the disappointment in The Blend. It used to be up beat and play a variety of newer and older artists. Now I can’t stand listening to it. If I want mellow I prefer listening to the Bridge. The Bland is a great new name for this. Thinking about cancelling Sirius.

  16. Donna Hills comment of ” We are the dinosaurs and they want to get rid of us” is so true. Covid couldn’t do it but Sirius can. I do not like the change of 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s 90’s. It eliminated my ability to scan up and down with the buttons on my steering wheel while driving. I have been listening to music since I bought a transistor radio to use while on my paper route delivering the afternoon newspaper after school. That was in the late 50’s. When not in my car I have a radio on somewhere.

    • You hit the nail on the head with your comment. My situation and complaint exactly. Who’s the turd head that made this bad choice ? Some body abusing drugs ?

  17. L loved oldies 6 on 6. I already miss flash. listened to 7 on 7 once in a while and ocasional 80 o 8. I guess it is time to get out the CD’s. Lucky we both have players in our cars.

    • What has not been announced is the change at Studio 54. Now it is all ABBA of all bands while still displaying the 54 logo. We want the disco back. As far as ABBA’s music goes, let’s face it, most of it sounds the same and in a month or so nobody except Agnetha, Anni-Frid, Bjorn and Benny will be tuning-in. PLEASE, BRING BACK STUDIO 54 DISCO!

  18. We literally just discovered that The Joint is now App-exclusive and not on the main car-accessible dial anymore. I guess reggae tunes aren’t as popular as hearing Herman’s Hermits and the top songs of 1962 front and center on channel 6, even though it is still accessible on a SXM in-dash tuner.

  19. I absolutely hate what the did with the Blend. It used to play some older music and newer music. Not any more. All it plays now is older easy listening music. I am 76 years old and really enjoyed the way it used to be. I would be current with music offerings of today and my grand children loved that we could talk about current music. I have a 76 year old body, but a 19 year old brain and heart. I hope they go back to what the Blend used to play.

  20. What happened to The Blend???
    Only playing 70’s!!
    It was basically the only station I listened to!!! Will be canceling!!

  21. I do not like the change in “The Blend”! That was my main, go to station and they ruined it by removing the spice of recent music they would ‘blend’ with the older stuff. And what the do play now is all mellow, easy listening stuff. They need to go back to the old format or rename this channel “The Bland”! And they need to do it before my subscription comes up for renewal!

  22. I was shocked when I turned on the Blend on my car radio and couldn’t fine the music that I liked. I don’t enjoy oldies all the time. Some of the newer songs were quite enjoyable. I can’t find a station that I like now. I live out in the boonies and drive a distance to work so I listen to the radio morning and afternoon. Please return the previous Blend to the radio selections.

  23. I’m a millennial and I *love* 60s music. I couldn’t believe it got sent away. I thought it was completely gone, so grateful I can still find it but…not happy. And the Joint was great too. 60s music and reggae is some of the best out there.

  24. Very shocked when I got in my car & my stations were not there. I pay for the !music I’ve had & now can’t find it. Will probably cancel.

  25. Miss the Blend- didn’t realize it was changing until I asked Alexa to play it and thought I had the wrong channel.

  26. I ABSOLUTELY HATE THIS CHANGE OF LOCATION FOR THE 50 & 60!!! If nothing else it does create a driving hazard. Instead of being able to shuffle channels from my steering wheel, I now have to take my eyes of the road to punch in the preset channels. Please change it back or I will not renew. Spotify and Pandora here I come.

  27. Thank God they changed the Blend!!!!! At work on Tuesday they play the Blend. I always hate Tuesdays because the music we have to listen to. But today I was thinking they are actually playing descent stuff. Thank you!!!

  28. What happened to The blend?? I miss songs from Train, Andy Grammar, Pink, Adele, Laura Draigle, Elton John, Phil Collins,etc… it was a perfect “blend” of the newer pop and some of the famous older songs. I have tried listening to Channel 15, but it is wild pop.

  29. Agree station change is pointless. Ohhh hey LL cool j if you see this can you tell your hosts especially SHANTE to shut up and play music.its ridiculous we don’t pay to hear people talk.its out of control, bring back the music.long live f.M if it doesn’t change cause it’s free.

  30. Does not make sense at all. 50’s on 5, 60’s on 6, 70’s on7. What is the thought process here? Bad move!

  31. I’ve been a subscriber since 2002. I guess it’s time to leave this crap to the young uns. No 50s on 5 just pisses me off. First they screw with the Elvis channel. Now this crap.

  32. Have you heard the old saying, If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. Well with this new lineup you really broke it. I’m a baby boomer and love the 60’s and the love channel. Even though you still have the 60’s it’s in the wrong place and my wife and I loved the love channel while we were traveling. You had all those extra channels but you had to start Christmas music until January. I’ve been a XM customer since it’s inception. The contract runs out in May. Best of luck to find another customer that was devoted to music as we are. I still have my iPod to hook up to the radio.

  33. I love the updated “The Blend”! We are forced to listen to it at work. At least now, I don’t hear the same 20 new songs over and over. Bring back more of the 60s-70s-80s songs, when music used to be worth listening to!

  34. I now hate The Blend. Songs are way too old for me. I am 70 but liked the blend of newer, modern soft rock with some slightly older soft rock. The change is horrible. I used to toggle between 15 The Pulse for new rock and 16 The Blend for the mix of slightly older with newer rock. If I wanted 70’s and 80’s I would have listened to the stations dedicated to those eras. Now by Googling SiriusXM changes I know The Pulse is on channel 5, but the Blend has been ruined for me.

  35. I’m of Generation X, and so is my husband. We may not have been born in the 50’s or 60’s, however, we enjoyed listening to the 50’s and 60’s music that used to be on Sirius, and we are very disgusted with the change that Sirius made by taking away the “oldies” music. We also think this sleazy move, by Sirius, removing the oldies, is VERY DISRESPECTFUL to the older generation who grew up listening to that music. It is also borderline Discrimination to the older people.

    From two Generation X’ers, we apologize to you older folks for how y’all are being treated now days.
    My husband and I are glad we are middle age now, and NOT of the generation that many of these DISRESPECTFUL youth are now days, because it’s embarrassing and shameful how older people in these times are being treated these days. Shaking our head is all we can say!
    They can take it away, but they can’t erase history of the many wonderful song artist that made very classic music.

    The music of today will NEVER hold a candle to or match up to the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and even 80’s music. The 90’s were okay, but that’s in our opinion when music started tanking and going downhill for the worst. I should say in the early 2000 decade, there were some good artist and songs, but also in our opinion, when rap really took over, it ruined music that was decent and clean!!

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