By Brandon Matthews

It appears that Sirius XM Radio (Nasdaq: SIRI) CEO, Mel Karmazin has pulled off another deal of the decade, and it appears that Sirius XM will not be required to execute its shareholder approved reverse split.

Satwaves has learned that the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 29, 2010 has approved a Nasdaq motion to extend compliance periods for listed companies that fall below its minimum bid standard, up to 360 days beyond the initial 180 day notice. The newly adopted regulation now provides a maximum 18 month period for select companies to regain compliance.

On August 17, 2009, The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC  filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 19b-4 thereunder, a proposed rule change to modify the length of  certain compliance periods in Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements and to modify the time available for a company to provide a plan to regain compliance with certain listing requirements. The proposed rule change was published for comment in the Federal Register on September 8, 2009. The Commission received three comment letters on the proposal. On December 28, 2009 the Exchange filed a response to the comment letter.  This order approves the proposed rule change.

The new rules completely overhaul the compliance listing standards and review, giving broad discretion to the Nasdaq in approving a company’s plan to regain compliance. READ THE FULL ARTICLE >>

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By Brandon Matthews

Soon after Howard Stern joined Sirius XM Radio (Nasdaq: SIRI), the mainstream media began to write that Stern had lost his relevance. For the last five years, they have also constantly reminded everyone of the costs associated with Stern’s contract. They have used broad strokes to criticize the $500 million deal, while withholding the fact that the deal includes far more than Stern’s salary alone.

Stern’s lifelong radio partner, Robin Quivers for example, is consistently ignored by the media. The deal made by Stern included the salaries of not only Quivers, but the production costs of the show and “rat pack” personality salaries such as Artie Lange. Stern has handled the responsibility that came with the deal, better than Wall Street executives handle their own businesses. President Obama and Congress could learn a thing or two on fiscal responsibility from the shock jock.

The deal was a good deal for both Sirius and The Stern Show, not just Stern alone. In fact, the Stern deal was probably the best deal that Sirius had made as a stand alone company, with subscriber revenues far exceeding the cost of the contract. Sirius and the NFL for example also had a $500 million deal, which brings in far less than Stern in revenue. READ THE FULL ARTICLE >>

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Ford Motor Company to Offer Nationwide Introductory Trial of SIRIUS XM Radio on Certified Pre-owned Ford and Lincoln Mercury Vehicles

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By Brandon Matthews

Expectations were high in January for a rebound in auto sales, and in most cases individual manufacturers exceeded their previous year’s sales numbers. The sales stoppage at Toyota (NYSE:TM) resulted in substantial year over year declines for the popular import. The numbers seem to indicate that Toyota’s woes had a negative impact on other Japanese automakers as well. As a result, the January numbers are disappointing to those anticipating a quick recovery in the OEM market.

From a Sirius XM Radio (Nasdaq: SIRI) perspective, the results are mixed. The Japanese brands have the lowest Satellite Radio penetration rates among automakers. Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia boast the highest penetration rates; each with 100% penetration in the United States. Ford (NYSE: F), GM, Mecerdes (NYSE:DAI), Chrysler (OTC:FIATY) and BMW (BIT:BMW) average approximately 70%. With the exception of only Chrysler, these manufacturers all posted strong January 2010 sales numbers that exceeded those of 2009.

Despite the most important partners posting the best results, SAAR (Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate) estimates were scaled back on the overall numbers. Sirius XM has provided guidance based on a SAAR rate of 11 million units. January sales data resulted in estimates of approximately 11.5 million. Most of the analysts which follow Sirius XM have increased their own projections based on a projected recovery in the automotive space, yet most have projected SAAR rates at or above 12 million units. READ THE FULL ARTICLE >>

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By Brandon Matthews

The rumors from Orbitcast are true. Last night Sirius XM Radio (Nasdaq: SIRI) unveiled its new BlackBerry page on its website. Apparently, there are multiple BlackBerry (Nasdaq: RIMM) apps available, specifically designed for various models. Listed models include the BlackBerry Curve 8500, Curve 8900, Bold 9000, Bold 9700, Storm, Storm 2 9500 and the Tour.

The full Internet lineup seems to be available, with the notable exception of Howard Stern once again. Sirius XM’s webpage boasts 120 channels of commercial free music across every genre, complimented by news, talk, comedy, entertainment and sports. Opie and Anthony as well as Oprah and Martha Stewart are available, as is Sirius XM’s popular Doctor Radio channel.

The app is free and Sirius XM is giving away free 7 day trial subscriptions for those who want to test drive the news, sports, talk, entertainment and comedy lineups, not to mention the commercial free music channels.

The BlackBerry app launch compliments Sirius XM’s Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPhone and iPod Touch app which skyrocketed to the top of iTunes in popularity, in the days following its release. READ THE FULL ARTICLE >>

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