Getting Sirius About Hurricane Gustav

I admit it. I am obsessed with Hurricane Gustav. I clearly remember the destruction and the loss of life of a few years ago. The destruction was not just physical. Families were torn apart, uprooted and many were further victimized following the largest natural disaster in U.S. history. No matter what you may feel about an individual's choice to live there, children who had no choice died.

Saturday, Sirius XM (SIRI) issued a press release that they had activated the emergency channels on both Sirius 184 and XM 247. I thought an act of this magnitude was important enough to warrant an immediate posting of the company’s press release, as the potential to perhaps not only help save lives but to ease the burden of those being evacuated existed.

As I jumped into my car Sunday night to head out to the store, I decided to tune my own receiver to Sirius 184 to see exactly how satellite radio might benefit people, including myself and my family, in the event of an emergency.

I expected to hear some generic news regarding the hurricane; its intensity, its path, etc. What I found was much, much more. Being broadcast are actual shelter locations such as schools by names and addresses, as well as telephone numbers for those in need of evacuation assistance and local curfew information.  Tips for not only riding out the storm but checklists of items to pack were also offered. Airport information was made available for Louisiana and Alabama as well. This information was given out for several states in the affected area, in a clear and precise manner.

Of course detailed weather information is being given along with broadcasts from government officials, including interstate contraflow information by highway number. I know they have local radio stations there, yet the potential exists that those radio stations may be unable to broadcast very soon or that the evacuees will be out of range to pick up their signals.

I also heard a Sirius commercial. It seems that any and all radios have been activated, and Sirius is reaching out to those people to subscribe. I know that no channels work including channel 184 if the subscription has not been activated. The commercial tells me that Sirius XM has done the right thing by activating this channel on all radios, subscribed or not.

I imagined myself and my family being stuck in 14 hours of traffic as we fled for our lives and immediately realized the benefit that satellite radio provides in these situations. Chances are I would have checked up on the current situation when the family took a break at a rest stop, and we would have listened to the commercial free music or comedy channels, just to keep upbeat. I’ve yet to see an iPod do any of this.

Position: Long SIRI

Comments

[ARI D K:]

This was an excellent act for Sirius XM to cover the hurricane and to give people all the info they need in times like this. Many of us old and young remember the beep tone signal of the national emergency broadcast system played on radio stations here and there.

Satellite radio proved once more the significance to demonstrate its importance to be able to reach people from coast to coast.

Besides being the BEST RADIO ON RADIO it will become the BEST National Information source of US.

2008 Sep 01 06:47 AM

[oceanspat:]

I have sent an email and attached all the information from Sirius website to all my friends and coworkers that live in the Gulf states about this service from SiriusXM,,,,

2008 Sep 01 08:03 AM

[relmor:]

Good humanitarian act, but we all know it was pure marketing. Its a good business move to reach out to all potential customers to show them the value of satellite over crap radio. And it is crap, I cant stand listening to normal radio. How are they still in business?

2008 Sep 01 11:41 AM

[Brandon M:]

Oceanspat..

There is actually a link on the Sirius Website to do just that with just a click...click "tell a friend"

www.sirius.com/siriusw...

2008 Sep 01 12:43 PM

[Mr. Stupid:]

ok, yeah sure but will it bring in more SUBs, probably not. Most of the people in Big Easy can't even afford steak burgers on Labor Day.

2008 Sep 01 03:28 PM

[SIRI, go up!:]

I bet it will fall tomorrow!

2008 Sep 01 07:34 PM

[Tavares:]

SIRIUS is got me more worried that my position in DNDN. Hopefully they both pan out and I will be sitting pretty.

2008 Sep 02 10:48 AM

[Rev Marshall:]

I read everything there is about SXR and Never take a moment out to respond. I have been a faithful subscriber AND stock owner for many years. When times were hard I sold sirius and made a profit. When times got a little better and of course, the stock was ALOT cheaper I bought some. I now have my portfolio set to buy 100 share per week. Might not be alot but its whats in my investing budget. I think that what Sirius Xm did was a honorable thing.

If They keep doing things that the general public CAN benefit from they will surely grow in numbers AND $$. Besides I like Mel and think that thus far he has done a great job!


My opinions...
Rev. Marshall

2008 Sep 02 11:43 AM

[cos10000:]

All radio stations do this. Sirius simply channels third party information - it is the core of its business model. No news here. Just because it can convey information simply means it's playing the game. It doesn't mean it's winning.

2008 Sep 02 12:15 PM

[cos1000:]

The above poster is not me. I have already complained to Seeking Alpha about this nonsense. Anyways heres some real news on the conference call that will come in the form of a presentation:

Karmazin to Present at the 2008 Merrill Lynch Media Fall Preview Conference
NEW YORK, Sept 02, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- SIRIUS
XM Radio (Nasdaq: SIRI) today announced that Mel Karmazin, its Chief Executive
Officer, is expected to present at the 2008 Merrill Lynch Media Fall Preview
Conference in Marina del Rey, CA on Tuesday, September 9, 2008 at approximately
8:00 am PT.

2008 Sep 02 06:55 PM

[killerkaul:]

cos10000................. duchebag.........everyone knows you are a wannabe imposter................. you are not, I repeat, not......... THE honorable cos1000. Killer.

2008 Sep 02 10:43 PM

[lawman310:]

What has Cramer got against Sirius XM. The merger has finally happened and it seems that he is determined to drive the share price down.

2008 Sep 03 02:30 AM

[cos1000:]

Well folks mystery solved. Just "click" on cos10000's name and you will find that he is "The Vicar of Value" who change his pseudonym but his posts on Seeking Alpha follow his new name.

2008 Sep 03 08:28 AM