Sirius XM will expand its audio content with new channels, especially more Spanish-language channels, with the introduction of its new “2.0” radios due out later this year.
Sirius XM President/CEO Mel Karmazin offered that news during a conference call with analysts Tuesday as the satcaster released Q1 results.
The company introduced the concept to its car partners at CES. Karmazin said they’re excited about improved functionality. Automakers and especially Hispanic dealerships have pushed it to add more Hispanic channels, he said. As he’s said in the past, 2.0 effectively will give Sirius XM 25% more bandwidth, but Karmazin said the company has not publicly discussed the technology behind the change.
Sirius XM will offer an Electronic Program Guide as part of the new radios, which as we’ve reported will also include pause, rewind and replay, as well as record and playback capabilities.
Jim Meyer, president of operations and sales, said Sirius XM 2.0 will arrive in aftermarket receivers first, because “we’re not constrained by the automakers’ times to market, and we can get that product out there faster and learn from it.”
— Leslie Stimson
Related:
“Sirius XM Floats ‘2.0’ Service” (Nov. 2010)
