valley_stream
10-19-2004, 06:27 PM
XM: Broadcast Blocking Options Already In Place
XM spokesman Chance Patterson tells R&R that his company doesn't expect to see any changes in the regulatory environment despite the efforts of Mt. Wilson FM Broadcasters owner Saul Levine, who is planning to petition the FCC to regulate indecent content on satellite radio in much the same way the commission regulates AM and FM stations. "The FCC's feedback over the years has been consistent, and we make it easy for parents to block channels," Patterson says. "There are functions on the radio to block channels, or you can call us and we will block the channels for free. The bottom line is that this is another effort by local radio executives to avoid the real issue. Local radio has too many commercials and they play the same songs over and over again. Until they fix that, consumers will look at other ways to get the music and talk programming they want. The FCC has had an extensive history of allowing a paid service to offer broader content." Sirius spokesman Ron Rodrigues says his company offers the same channel-blocking policy. When asked for comment about Levine's contention that satellite radio operators are not fully subscription-based, Rodrigues told R&R, "We are a subscription service and we want to be a subscription service and only a subscription service."
XM spokesman Chance Patterson tells R&R that his company doesn't expect to see any changes in the regulatory environment despite the efforts of Mt. Wilson FM Broadcasters owner Saul Levine, who is planning to petition the FCC to regulate indecent content on satellite radio in much the same way the commission regulates AM and FM stations. "The FCC's feedback over the years has been consistent, and we make it easy for parents to block channels," Patterson says. "There are functions on the radio to block channels, or you can call us and we will block the channels for free. The bottom line is that this is another effort by local radio executives to avoid the real issue. Local radio has too many commercials and they play the same songs over and over again. Until they fix that, consumers will look at other ways to get the music and talk programming they want. The FCC has had an extensive history of allowing a paid service to offer broader content." Sirius spokesman Ron Rodrigues says his company offers the same channel-blocking policy. When asked for comment about Levine's contention that satellite radio operators are not fully subscription-based, Rodrigues told R&R, "We are a subscription service and we want to be a subscription service and only a subscription service."