Reader Chris Ulian, after reading an article we posted about the return of BBC Radio 1 to Sirius XM, sent us a press release issued earlier this week about BBC Radio 1 on Sirius XM. It looks like BBC1 is back at least somewhat due to some angry SiriusXM subscribers. Ulian is the owner of the Facebook page “Get BBC Radio 1 Back on Sirius XM,” which issued the statement:
“Earlier this afternoon the North American satellite radio company Sirius XM issued a press release announcing the addition of the world-renowned BBC Radio 1 to its lineup of online listening options. This move was made as a direct attempt to appease the thousands of loyal BBC Radio 1 listeners that had expressed their disgust and disappointment with Sirius XM in the days after Sirius XM allowed their licensing contract with BBC Radio to drop, therefore unexpectedly leaving the thousands of North American BBC Radio 1 listeners without their favorite radio station. Many of these dissatisfied customers flocked to the “Get BBC Radio 1 Back on Sirius XM” Facebook page to make their displeasure known. After being bombarded with phone calls, emails, and Facebook posts and Tweets, Sirius XM made a step in the right direction by making BBC Radio 1 available online.
However, Sirius XM failed to note that BBC Radio 1 is already available for free online (without the $2.99 surcharge Sirius XM requires to gain access to their online programming) in North America via the BBC iPlayer and podcasts, as well as smartphone apps such as TuneIn Radio. Therefore, we, the members of Facebook page “Get BBC Radio 1 Back on Sirius XM,” will not be renewing our canceled subscriptions to listen to BBC Radio 1 online. We will continue to pressure Sirius XM to bring back BBC Radio 1 on their radio network, in the hope that they will return to their previous ways of being a bastion of creative, unique radio on North America. This sentiment is perhaps put best by one Facebook supporter: “Radio is dying in America right now, and Sirius was once the savior of anything unique and special. Now it’s marching right along in step and alienating more and more audiences as they go along. Appalling.”
“Get BBC Radio 1 Back on Sirius XM” was formed 8/9 to give North American supporters of BBC Radio 1 a venue to express their displeasure with Sirius XM for removing BBC Radio 1 without warning.
RBR-TVBR observation: The power of Facebook and social media is pretty obvious here. What’s also obvious is how much the Internet and online radio apps are poised to erode listening on paid satellite radio.
