SiriusXM

SiriusXM CEO Mel Karmazin has reportedly indicated that SiriusXM will launch its own Pandora-style personalized streaming audio service, likely within the coming year, according to RBR. Karmazin spoke at the Citi Entertainment, Media and Telecommunications Conference in San Francisco last week.

Karmazin spoke of adding personalization as part of the Sirius 2.0 features at least as early as November of 2010 (see RAIN coverage here). By summer, CNet reported the personalizable service would be available in some cars by 2013 (more here).

"I can assure you that if our subscribers would like to have personalization we’re going to give it to them," Karmazin told conference attendees, as reported by RBR. "So, you should assume, you know, that the idea of personalization is something that Pandora, Spotify and iHeartRadio and Slacker and all of these companies are doing. There is satellite radio and it will expand and make that personalization available, probably this year. I don’t think it’s a big deal. We’re not going into it as a business. We, again, like our business model. But we’re going into it saying, you know what, if our subscribers like that feature and they want to be able to customize content, we’re going to give them the ability to do that."

Read RBR's coverage here.

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SiriusXM has officially launched its second receiver capable of taking advantage of the satellite radio broadcaster's new 2.0 service.

The Lynx offers a large touch screen display, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, runs on Android and is compatible with docks for cars and home stereos. It costs $250.

Because the device sports Wi-Fi, SiriusXM says it can tune into the company's Internet radio offerings. It can also rewind programming up to 5 hours, display album art, artist biographies and other information. The Lynx can also store up to 200 hours of programming, features "dynamic" presets and a show finder that displays programming for the next 7 days.

That's in addition to the 2.0 features we saw with the SiriusXM Edge (more here), which include the ability to rewind to the beginning of the currently-playing song or program and other DVR-like controls. SiriusXM 2.0 also boasts 20 new channels, including a dozen that make up the new SiriusXM Latino section. 

If the Lynx looks familiar, it's because the device was leaked several times in late 2011. Once by the FCC in October (here) and then again later by Best Buy.

The real promise of the Lynx is the ability to update via Wi-Fi. "Lynx will offer even more options to manage our exclusive and expertly curated content through future software updates," said SiriusXM. That's good news, as there are "additional programming and expanded listener capabilities" coming in the months ahead.

You can find more from SiriusXM's press release here and from Engadget here.

SiriusXM 2.0 was launched in October (RAIN coverage here) with the SiriusXM Edge receiver. In December SiriusXM updated its iPhone and iPad apps with the 2.0 features (coverage here).

Sirius XM is attempting to reduce the fees it pays for the use of copyright sound recordings by forging deals directly with record labels, and thus bypassing the statutory terms and SoundExchange.

(Read more here).

Artist unions and SoundExchange then protested the move in October. They called the effort "blatantly anti-artist." Read more here.

Satellite radio broadcaster Sirius XM will roll-out Pandora-like personalization features in early 2012 as part of their new Android-powered 2.0 service.

The service — what CNet calls Sirius XM’s “answer to Internet radio products” — will also include on-demand functionality, DVR-like controls and more programming. Details about the personalization features have not yet been released.

(Read more here).

SiriusXM has updated its iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad apps with interactive capabilities from the satellite radio broadcaster's recently launched 2.0 service.

The new features include the ability for users to jump back to the beginning of a show or song, even if they started tuning in half-way through. The apps also now enable pausing, fast-forwarding through previously aired programming and rewinding.

SiriusXM's mobile apps stream programming via the Internet, rather than through the company's satellites. "This is a big move, as Internet streaming capabilities are becoming an ever growing segment of the audio entertainment sector," writes SiriusBuzz (here).

SiriusBuzz reports that SiriusXM will update its Android app with these features within the next six months.

SiriusXM unveiled its new 2.0 service, along with a new $140 radio receiver, in October (RAIN coverage here).

Satellite radio broadcast SiriusXM today launches two of its seven holiday radio stations: Holly (featuring contemporary holiday music) and Holiday Traditions.

Other stations launch throughout the holiday season and run until New Year's Day. You can find more information here.