Friday, October 3, 2008
Posted at Google Finance
FUNGUS 53 off the air
From:
bpi...@gmail.com - view profile
Date:
Mon, Sep 15 2008 5:51 pm
Today FUNGUS 53 (the only un-censored punk/alternative station on XM radio was officially taken off the air.) It has been replaced with a AC/DC only channel.
As a long time listener and subscriber to XM radio I have noticed increasing changes in the quality of music being played. FUNGUS 53 was the best station on XM radio and I will be canceling my subscription at the end of this month.
To potential investors or current stock holders.. It is clear that the new management is only concerned with making a quick buck at the expense of its fan base.. I used to be a xm fan.. I am canceling my subscription and buying an IPOD to get commercial free original content... I paid for original commercial free content.. I am now only getting commercialized music with the intent of selling products.. i.e. They are only hyping AC/DC as they have a new album and want to cash in..
This is a very sad day for music fans.. I think it’s also show that competition is dead in this market.
You will see a growing backlash of customers who are now turning off there radios and going elsewhere for content..
I think this company is done for.. and they deserve to be for selling out to crappy big names, howard stern, opera, ac/dc, metillica.. Instead of stick up for the fans that want original content. If I wanted to hear the centrist overplayed crap I would turn on my FM receiver.
BRING BACK FUNGUS YOU STUPID CORPORATE ASSES OR FEEL THE WRAITH OF YOUR LISTNERS. I HOPE YOUR STOCK GOES TO CRAP FOR THE CRUMMY DECISIONS YOU MAKE. YOU DESERVE TO LOSE FOR NOT LISTENING TO YOUR FANS. WE ARE THE SUBSCRIBERS WHO PAY YOU SALARY!!
From:
soundjudgm...@gmail.com - view profile
Date:
Mon, Sep 15 2008 6:41 pm
""Today FUNGUS 53 (the only un-censored punk/alternative station on XM radio was officially taken off the air.) It has been replaced with a AC/DC only channel.""
Which is only temporary for contract/promotional purposes. The *bad* news is that this is also the start of the expected XM Radio 'Bandwidth' shake-up most of us knew was coming for some time and started over the Summer, What that means to the listeners is that certain channels (such as UPOP29 and FUNGUS53... etc,) are considered the Low-weights in XM's own marketing survey and listener numbers. Think of is as an electronic Arbitron of sorts. And there is a GOOD chance that FUNGUS53 is now part of that 'delisting' on their programming lineup, especially if they were taken off the Internet feed as well. In the interim, they use that Bandwidth for other venues and in preparation to switch it over for the new 'Added Channels' to the Sirius programming that will be cross-posted (Howard Stern and others).
In all likelihood you are correct: FUNGUS53 will not be returning to that new lineup and is being de-listed as was UPOP and WORLDZONE and a couple of others..
From:
Audiostar - view profile
Date:
Mon, Sep 15 2008 6:44 pm
I think its kind of sad you take a good station with a strong following and replace it with something else.
But thinking about it and knowing something about how the music industry works, my guess is that Atlantic Records, WEA, is paying big bucks for that AC/DC promotion station, do you really think that these specialty stations are done for free... My guess is it's costing the label millions of dollars and thats being paid to SiriusXM. Thats extra revenue for SiriusXM.
With that said, In my opinion, I would set aside a number of stations in the high numbers, to do this with myself... Say the sports stations that have no programing on them right this min (Hockey)... not a popular station with a following. But overall, that station might not have been doing as well as we think...
By the way, the new AC/DC album kicks ass, best I have heard in a while, but I am an old AC/DC fan... http://www.acdc.com/
From:
bpi...@gmail.com - view profile
Date:
Tues, Sep 16 2008 1:54 am
I agree Ipods are imperfect and really dig my sat radio. I am an sat supporter and want the best..
Imagine the screams in horror and pain when people cranked up the ONLY punk rock station only to hear.. "NON-STOP AC/DC"..
Sat radio brings ORIGINAL content beamed from the sky.. An amazing thing.. That's why I'm vocal and want the best..
- bring back Fungus and the all of the other removed content - be commerical free ( unlike am/fm ) - add more content from every type of music - a single price purchase for unlimited access - charge less and retain more customers (along with the referals.)
Just in case you did not believe me how upset the fan base is.. View this yahoo answers site.
What happened to Fungus 53 on XM radio? http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080915140401AAqUrdY
From:
bpi...@gmail.com - view profile
Date:
Tues, Sep 16 2008 2:27 pm
Can someone please find Jon Zellner and make him pay..
Thank you for writing in about the demise of Fungus 53.
I’ve copied the letter regarding the elimination of the punk format from our SVP of Music Programming Jon Zellner below.
Hope this answers your question about the cancellation. If you have any other questions please feel free to write back.
Thanks so much for taking the time to write with your comments on XM 53 Fungus.
We recognize and appreciate the fact that Fungus and punk, ska and hardcore has loyal fans like you, but because we have limited space on our platform for music channels, we’re often faced with having to make difficult decisions when it comes to what’s available on our channel line-up. Fungus was one of the channels that had a very loyal but also a very limited audience.
Some of the music heard on Fungus can be heard on other XM channels including Fred (XM 44) and Ethel (XM 47).
Again, we appreciate you being a fan of Fungus and hope you listened to enough other XM channels to stick around as a subscriber.
Thanks again for writing and for being part of the XM Nation.
Best regards,
Jon
Jon Zellner
SVP Music Programming
Sirius XM Radio
If you have any other questions please feel free to write back.
Thanks,
LOU BRUTUS
Senior Program Director Active Rock Cluster
Mandatory Metallica Fungus 53 The Boneyard Liquid Metal XM Led
1500 Eckington Place
Washington DC 20002-2194
loubrutus.com myspace.com/loubrutus myspace.com/fungus53
FUNGUS 53 off the air
From:
bpi...@gmail.com - view profile
Date:
Mon, Sep 15 2008 5:51 pm
Today FUNGUS 53 (the only un-censored punk/alternative station on XM radio was officially taken off the air.) It has been replaced with a AC/DC only channel.
As a long time listener and subscriber to XM radio I have noticed increasing changes in the quality of music being played. FUNGUS 53 was the best station on XM radio and I will be canceling my subscription at the end of this month.
To potential investors or current stock holders.. It is clear that the new management is only concerned with making a quick buck at the expense of its fan base.. I used to be a xm fan.. I am canceling my subscription and buying an IPOD to get commercial free original content... I paid for original commercial free content.. I am now only getting commercialized music with the intent of selling products.. i.e. They are only hyping AC/DC as they have a new album and want to cash in..
This is a very sad day for music fans.. I think it’s also show that competition is dead in this market.
You will see a growing backlash of customers who are now turning off there radios and going elsewhere for content..
I think this company is done for.. and they deserve to be for selling out to crappy big names, howard stern, opera, ac/dc, metillica.. Instead of stick up for the fans that want original content. If I wanted to hear the centrist overplayed crap I would turn on my FM receiver.
BRING BACK FUNGUS YOU STUPID CORPORATE ASSES OR FEEL THE WRAITH OF YOUR LISTNERS. I HOPE YOUR STOCK GOES TO CRAP FOR THE CRUMMY DECISIONS YOU MAKE. YOU DESERVE TO LOSE FOR NOT LISTENING TO YOUR FANS. WE ARE THE SUBSCRIBERS WHO PAY YOU SALARY!!
From:
soundjudgm...@gmail.com - view profile
Date:
Mon, Sep 15 2008 6:41 pm
""Today FUNGUS 53 (the only un-censored punk/alternative station on XM radio was officially taken off the air.) It has been replaced with a AC/DC only channel.""
Which is only temporary for contract/promotional purposes. The *bad* news is that this is also the start of the expected XM Radio 'Bandwidth' shake-up most of us knew was coming for some time and started over the Summer, What that means to the listeners is that certain channels (such as UPOP29 and FUNGUS53... etc,) are considered the Low-weights in XM's own marketing survey and listener numbers. Think of is as an electronic Arbitron of sorts. And there is a GOOD chance that FUNGUS53 is now part of that 'delisting' on their programming lineup, especially if they were taken off the Internet feed as well. In the interim, they use that Bandwidth for other venues and in preparation to switch it over for the new 'Added Channels' to the Sirius programming that will be cross-posted (Howard Stern and others).
In all likelihood you are correct: FUNGUS53 will not be returning to that new lineup and is being de-listed as was UPOP and WORLDZONE and a couple of others..
From:
Audiostar - view profile
Date:
Mon, Sep 15 2008 6:44 pm
I think its kind of sad you take a good station with a strong following and replace it with something else.
But thinking about it and knowing something about how the music industry works, my guess is that Atlantic Records, WEA, is paying big bucks for that AC/DC promotion station, do you really think that these specialty stations are done for free... My guess is it's costing the label millions of dollars and thats being paid to SiriusXM. Thats extra revenue for SiriusXM.
With that said, In my opinion, I would set aside a number of stations in the high numbers, to do this with myself... Say the sports stations that have no programing on them right this min (Hockey)... not a popular station with a following. But overall, that station might not have been doing as well as we think...
By the way, the new AC/DC album kicks ass, best I have heard in a while, but I am an old AC/DC fan... http://www.acdc.com/
From:
bpi...@gmail.com - view profile
Date:
Tues, Sep 16 2008 1:54 am
I agree Ipods are imperfect and really dig my sat radio. I am an sat supporter and want the best..
Imagine the screams in horror and pain when people cranked up the ONLY punk rock station only to hear.. "NON-STOP AC/DC"..
Sat radio brings ORIGINAL content beamed from the sky.. An amazing thing.. That's why I'm vocal and want the best..
- bring back Fungus and the all of the other removed content - be commerical free ( unlike am/fm ) - add more content from every type of music - a single price purchase for unlimited access - charge less and retain more customers (along with the referals.)
Just in case you did not believe me how upset the fan base is.. View this yahoo answers site.
What happened to Fungus 53 on XM radio? http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080915140401AAqUrdY
From:
bpi...@gmail.com - view profile
Date:
Tues, Sep 16 2008 2:27 pm
Can someone please find Jon Zellner and make him pay..
Thank you for writing in about the demise of Fungus 53.
I’ve copied the letter regarding the elimination of the punk format from our SVP of Music Programming Jon Zellner below.
Hope this answers your question about the cancellation. If you have any other questions please feel free to write back.
Thanks so much for taking the time to write with your comments on XM 53 Fungus.
We recognize and appreciate the fact that Fungus and punk, ska and hardcore has loyal fans like you, but because we have limited space on our platform for music channels, we’re often faced with having to make difficult decisions when it comes to what’s available on our channel line-up. Fungus was one of the channels that had a very loyal but also a very limited audience.
Some of the music heard on Fungus can be heard on other XM channels including Fred (XM 44) and Ethel (XM 47).
Again, we appreciate you being a fan of Fungus and hope you listened to enough other XM channels to stick around as a subscriber.
Thanks again for writing and for being part of the XM Nation.
Best regards,
Jon
Jon Zellner
SVP Music Programming
Sirius XM Radio
If you have any other questions please feel free to write back.
Thanks,
LOU BRUTUS
Senior Program Director Active Rock Cluster
Mandatory Metallica Fungus 53 The Boneyard Liquid Metal XM Led
1500 Eckington Place
Washington DC 20002-2194
loubrutus.com myspace.com/loubrutus myspace.com/fungus53
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Posted at Yahoo! Answers
charlie_...
What happened to Fungus 53 on XM radio?
They replaced the only punk/hardcore/ska station they have with 24 hrs of AC/DC? Are they nuts? They have about 20 country music stations. Punk fans should email them and tell them that they suck.
Scott,I got that same lame asssed email as I'm sure that everyone else who complained did.What's really amusing about it is the line about a very limited audience. I'm sure the 1940's music station has millions of listeners.How do they track listeners anyway? I like the metal station 42 but sometimes I can't take the screaming songs.53 was definately a better station. I won't be renewing.
This just in,sort of explains everything and disputes their lame excuse..from wikipediaIn RealityXM Radio's stock is in the garbage at $0.80 a share, and they are grabbing at any straws they can reach to try and show a profit. Trying to impress shareholders with quick profits, they are now selling entire channels to record labels to promote bands non-stop and force-feed the populace with what is nothing more than a radio infomercial. XM has now started their 3rd infomercial station, which subscribers are unwittingly paying for.[edit] AC/DC RadioAs a cruel joke between 2008-09-15 and 2009-01-15, the channel features the music of Australian band AC/DC 24/7, temporarily preempting normal programming on the channel.[1] This is first single artist mirco-channel that is preempting channels on both the XM and Sirius platform. Punk on the Sirius platform is being preempted as well.
by Tyson
I am also devastated by this. I was just listening to Fungus last night and this morning it was ACDC when I got in the car to go to work. I also called and spoke to someone in India whom I couldn't understand and tonight I sent them a rude email. Please everybody keep emailing them and cancelling subscriptions. If enough people are pissed maybe they will bring it back!
I received the same "Jon Zellner" form response as posted here. When I did reply with more questions, I never received a response. When I called, I was told that Fungus MIGHT return in mid-January when the AC/DC channel ends. The guy at XM didn't know they were airing AC/DC radio on the Sirius Punk.
by Scott
So here's the e-mail I just got back from Jon Zellner:
Dear Scott,Thanks so much for taking the time to write with your comments on XM 53 Fungus. We recognize and appreciate the fact that Fungus and punk, ska and hardcore has loyal fans like you, but because we have limited space on our platform for music channels, we're often faced with having to make difficult decisions when it comes to what's available on our channel line-up. Fungus was one of the channels that had a very loyal but also a very limited audience.Some of the music heard on Fungus can be heard on other XM channels including Fred (XM 44) and Ethel (XM 47).Again, we appreciate you being a fan of Fungus and hope you listened to enough other XM channels to stick around as a subscriber.Thanks again for writing and for being part of the XM Nation.Best regards,Jon ZellnerSVP Music ProgrammingXM Satellite Radio(202) 380-4040
I also received a form e-mail response from XM about the cancellation of Fungus.My response was simple...1) I intend to cancel (a 3+ year subscription)2) Next time I'm in the DC area, I will poop in their mailbox (the tricky part being to inscribe "To Jon Zellner" onto it)3) Jon's description of Fungus listeners as "loyal, but so few" must be BS as I recall countless occasions of the air-personality declaring the following song by request. 4) True story, I have a friend using Sirius who rather envied that XM has Fungus and rather hoped that Fungus would be made available to him after a merge.I mean, sure, its possible that the only requesters may have been myself and other Fungus air-personalities, but, I'm thinking not.How does one start on online petition?
by Chris W
This was the e-mail i got back from Zellner.
Thanks for the e-mail, Chris. I do appreciate hearing from you and empathasize with your situation. I also recognize the fact that you're passionate about music. I am as well.The fact is that the decision to pre-empt or discontinue a channel is never easy. We struggle with these challenges on a daily basis because of the limited space on the network. If space wasn't an issue, we'd offer hundreds of more channels covering every musical genre imaginable. The challenge with Fungus is that is was consistently one of the lowest performing music channels on the network. That doesn't mean the channel didn't have fans or that it wasn't great (I actually listened to Fungus quite a bit and my son did as well), but as our subscriber base grows to nearly 40 million listeners, channels that reach limited audiences become harder to justify.I hope you take the opportunity to surf through XM's other 170 channels and find something you like. There may be a channel you may have missed in the past.Again, thank you for writing. I'm sorry you're unhappy with the decision and I hope you'll stick around as a subscriber.
by Scottie Darko
My letter to XM:"Fungus is the only reason I subscribed to XM in the first place. I am giving it until October 1st to return (or at least a punk station) or I will cancel my subscription and ask for a full refund, including reimbursement for the hardware I just bought. Although I'm sure you know, you have pissed many people off by doing this unilaterally with no notice. I called customer service and was referred to 2 stations that occasionally have punk. Please tell me your intentions?"Now, don't get me wrong, I love ACDC, but WTF? I concur - why didn't they just use an empty station?I just talked to a buddy of mine with Sirius and he said they bagged the punk station there too.I'm pretty sure this is the wrong group to piss off ;)
by djramone
Here's my email to Mr. Zellner:
Hi,Unfortunately, this decision will result in me cancelling my subscription. This is not just because of one station. This is because SiriusXM has slowly started removing the variety and eccentricity that was the key differentiator between itself and terrrestrial radio. If I want to listen to AC/DC or Metallica I can turn on my free radio and within 30 minutes I can hear one of their songs. I bought satellite radio because I wanted something different. How long until the entire rock neighborhood is made up of single artist classic rock channels to promote a bands latest release? There is no longer any difference other than a lack of commercials, which is time my ipod can easily fill. Enjoy the money that AC/DC's and Metallica's record labels are undoubtedly paying you, because you will no longer have mine.
fucxm
Here is what you need to do, first email xm , next call customer service and cancel script 1-800-967-2346, they will offer 1 radio @ 77$ a year , tell them no thanks, then they counter with 3 months free, take it's free right, next call corporate and complain,202-380-4000, i talked to some dude from i don't know where and he told me that this is just untill the end of september or as late as october 15th, but i also read that it would be back on tuesday
by amarnapr...
I've been a steady Fungus listener for over 3 1/2 years - after hearing it on a friends XM radio in her car I spent about $500 on a new Alpine car stereo with an XM receiver & have spent 90% of my time in the car listening to Fungus (only occasionally going to "Fred" when my room mate gets too "punked out") plus frequently tuned in at home from the web, especially to catch their psychobilly show "Hee Haw Hell" weekdays ay 6 AM as I'm getting ready for work & 6 PM after I'm home.So I was pretty upset when yesterday morning all that I heard was their AC/DC preview - I checked the website & saw that it had been replaced. I don't kno wwhy ACDC couldn't have pre-empted one of the metal stations instead rather than taking over one with a completely different audience.I called XM radio last night to cancel my service, the folks I spoke to told me that the ACDC thing was a limited time promo and that Fungus would be back on Jan 15th so I told them OK, can I put my service on hiatus, I don't want to pay for it while I'm not listening to it? They told me if I did I'd have to pay a $15 set up fee when I reconnected - I said "well that's better than paying for several months I don't use." They tried to sell me a full year for $77 so I'd get 6 months free - I told them I didn't trust them enough that my fav station would be back to pay that much up front. They finally offered to give me 3 months free and not charge me again until January 2009 so I accepted that for now - I figure if Fungus is not back on Jan 15th as promised then I will permanently cancel my service & just go back to CDs or jacking in my iPod.Maybe if more people voted with their feet they'd listen more.
Source(s):
http://www.xmradio.com/onxm/index.xmc
by athenacr...
I am so pissed! I just sent an e-mail through the XM website that I can't believe that they pulled Fungus53 from their lineup!! I hope that this station wasn't some casualty of the merger, because honestly they have tons of pop, rock and even 2 French stations so everyone can find something that they like to listen to and they took away the only punk and ska format station?! Why didn't they just put AC/DC on the one-month rotating format station that they used for Coldplay and Metallica? I am awaiting a response, and will keep you guys posted...everyone needs to call/e-mail and complain so that they know just how many of us who loved the station are out here:)
by M M
I spoke to Lou Brutus today (9/16) and he confirmed that Fungus has been permanently canceled and that there are no discussions regarding bringing it back. He was very bummed and said Lars, Tim, and lots of bands were very upset.So what to do?Like others have suggested, contact the decision makers (not customer service). Someone else mentioned Jon Zellner, Senior VP of Programming and he is a start. His phone number is (202) 380 4040; email jon.zellner@xmradio.com. He actually called me back but I missed his call. I also sent him a written letter to Mr. Jon Zellner,Senior VP of Music ProgrammingXM Radio1500 Eckington Place, NEWashington, DC 20002-2194
Also send letters to:Mr. Scott Greenstein,President of ProgrammingSirius XM Radio1221 Avenue of the Americas36th and 37th FloorsNew York, NY 10020(he is apparently higher in the chain of command than Zellner).
I suggest/recommend/implore all of you to act professional. I know you are all pissed off punks, and I am too. But it really does no one any good if all we do is call/write with a bunch of F bombs. Tell them why you were an XM subscriber and that without Fungus you will be canceling and so will many of your friends. Ask them to reconsider their decision, etc. Let's try to bring Fungus back.
charlie_...
What happened to Fungus 53 on XM radio?
They replaced the only punk/hardcore/ska station they have with 24 hrs of AC/DC? Are they nuts? They have about 20 country music stations. Punk fans should email them and tell them that they suck.
Scott,I got that same lame asssed email as I'm sure that everyone else who complained did.What's really amusing about it is the line about a very limited audience. I'm sure the 1940's music station has millions of listeners.How do they track listeners anyway? I like the metal station 42 but sometimes I can't take the screaming songs.53 was definately a better station. I won't be renewing.
This just in,sort of explains everything and disputes their lame excuse..from wikipediaIn RealityXM Radio's stock is in the garbage at $0.80 a share, and they are grabbing at any straws they can reach to try and show a profit. Trying to impress shareholders with quick profits, they are now selling entire channels to record labels to promote bands non-stop and force-feed the populace with what is nothing more than a radio infomercial. XM has now started their 3rd infomercial station, which subscribers are unwittingly paying for.[edit] AC/DC RadioAs a cruel joke between 2008-09-15 and 2009-01-15, the channel features the music of Australian band AC/DC 24/7, temporarily preempting normal programming on the channel.[1] This is first single artist mirco-channel that is preempting channels on both the XM and Sirius platform. Punk on the Sirius platform is being preempted as well.
by Tyson
I am also devastated by this. I was just listening to Fungus last night and this morning it was ACDC when I got in the car to go to work. I also called and spoke to someone in India whom I couldn't understand and tonight I sent them a rude email. Please everybody keep emailing them and cancelling subscriptions. If enough people are pissed maybe they will bring it back!
I received the same "Jon Zellner" form response as posted here. When I did reply with more questions, I never received a response. When I called, I was told that Fungus MIGHT return in mid-January when the AC/DC channel ends. The guy at XM didn't know they were airing AC/DC radio on the Sirius Punk.
by Scott
So here's the e-mail I just got back from Jon Zellner:
Dear Scott,Thanks so much for taking the time to write with your comments on XM 53 Fungus. We recognize and appreciate the fact that Fungus and punk, ska and hardcore has loyal fans like you, but because we have limited space on our platform for music channels, we're often faced with having to make difficult decisions when it comes to what's available on our channel line-up. Fungus was one of the channels that had a very loyal but also a very limited audience.Some of the music heard on Fungus can be heard on other XM channels including Fred (XM 44) and Ethel (XM 47).Again, we appreciate you being a fan of Fungus and hope you listened to enough other XM channels to stick around as a subscriber.Thanks again for writing and for being part of the XM Nation.Best regards,Jon ZellnerSVP Music ProgrammingXM Satellite Radio(202) 380-4040
I also received a form e-mail response from XM about the cancellation of Fungus.My response was simple...1) I intend to cancel (a 3+ year subscription)2) Next time I'm in the DC area, I will poop in their mailbox (the tricky part being to inscribe "To Jon Zellner" onto it)3) Jon's description of Fungus listeners as "loyal, but so few" must be BS as I recall countless occasions of the air-personality declaring the following song by request. 4) True story, I have a friend using Sirius who rather envied that XM has Fungus and rather hoped that Fungus would be made available to him after a merge.I mean, sure, its possible that the only requesters may have been myself and other Fungus air-personalities, but, I'm thinking not.How does one start on online petition?
by Chris W
This was the e-mail i got back from Zellner.
Thanks for the e-mail, Chris. I do appreciate hearing from you and empathasize with your situation. I also recognize the fact that you're passionate about music. I am as well.The fact is that the decision to pre-empt or discontinue a channel is never easy. We struggle with these challenges on a daily basis because of the limited space on the network. If space wasn't an issue, we'd offer hundreds of more channels covering every musical genre imaginable. The challenge with Fungus is that is was consistently one of the lowest performing music channels on the network. That doesn't mean the channel didn't have fans or that it wasn't great (I actually listened to Fungus quite a bit and my son did as well), but as our subscriber base grows to nearly 40 million listeners, channels that reach limited audiences become harder to justify.I hope you take the opportunity to surf through XM's other 170 channels and find something you like. There may be a channel you may have missed in the past.Again, thank you for writing. I'm sorry you're unhappy with the decision and I hope you'll stick around as a subscriber.
by Scottie Darko
My letter to XM:"Fungus is the only reason I subscribed to XM in the first place. I am giving it until October 1st to return (or at least a punk station) or I will cancel my subscription and ask for a full refund, including reimbursement for the hardware I just bought. Although I'm sure you know, you have pissed many people off by doing this unilaterally with no notice. I called customer service and was referred to 2 stations that occasionally have punk. Please tell me your intentions?"Now, don't get me wrong, I love ACDC, but WTF? I concur - why didn't they just use an empty station?I just talked to a buddy of mine with Sirius and he said they bagged the punk station there too.I'm pretty sure this is the wrong group to piss off ;)
by djramone
Here's my email to Mr. Zellner:
Hi,Unfortunately, this decision will result in me cancelling my subscription. This is not just because of one station. This is because SiriusXM has slowly started removing the variety and eccentricity that was the key differentiator between itself and terrrestrial radio. If I want to listen to AC/DC or Metallica I can turn on my free radio and within 30 minutes I can hear one of their songs. I bought satellite radio because I wanted something different. How long until the entire rock neighborhood is made up of single artist classic rock channels to promote a bands latest release? There is no longer any difference other than a lack of commercials, which is time my ipod can easily fill. Enjoy the money that AC/DC's and Metallica's record labels are undoubtedly paying you, because you will no longer have mine.
fucxm
Here is what you need to do, first email xm , next call customer service and cancel script 1-800-967-2346, they will offer 1 radio @ 77$ a year , tell them no thanks, then they counter with 3 months free, take it's free right, next call corporate and complain,202-380-4000, i talked to some dude from i don't know where and he told me that this is just untill the end of september or as late as october 15th, but i also read that it would be back on tuesday
by amarnapr...
I've been a steady Fungus listener for over 3 1/2 years - after hearing it on a friends XM radio in her car I spent about $500 on a new Alpine car stereo with an XM receiver & have spent 90% of my time in the car listening to Fungus (only occasionally going to "Fred" when my room mate gets too "punked out") plus frequently tuned in at home from the web, especially to catch their psychobilly show "Hee Haw Hell" weekdays ay 6 AM as I'm getting ready for work & 6 PM after I'm home.So I was pretty upset when yesterday morning all that I heard was their AC/DC preview - I checked the website & saw that it had been replaced. I don't kno wwhy ACDC couldn't have pre-empted one of the metal stations instead rather than taking over one with a completely different audience.I called XM radio last night to cancel my service, the folks I spoke to told me that the ACDC thing was a limited time promo and that Fungus would be back on Jan 15th so I told them OK, can I put my service on hiatus, I don't want to pay for it while I'm not listening to it? They told me if I did I'd have to pay a $15 set up fee when I reconnected - I said "well that's better than paying for several months I don't use." They tried to sell me a full year for $77 so I'd get 6 months free - I told them I didn't trust them enough that my fav station would be back to pay that much up front. They finally offered to give me 3 months free and not charge me again until January 2009 so I accepted that for now - I figure if Fungus is not back on Jan 15th as promised then I will permanently cancel my service & just go back to CDs or jacking in my iPod.Maybe if more people voted with their feet they'd listen more.
Source(s):
http://www.xmradio.com/onxm/index.xmc
by athenacr...
I am so pissed! I just sent an e-mail through the XM website that I can't believe that they pulled Fungus53 from their lineup!! I hope that this station wasn't some casualty of the merger, because honestly they have tons of pop, rock and even 2 French stations so everyone can find something that they like to listen to and they took away the only punk and ska format station?! Why didn't they just put AC/DC on the one-month rotating format station that they used for Coldplay and Metallica? I am awaiting a response, and will keep you guys posted...everyone needs to call/e-mail and complain so that they know just how many of us who loved the station are out here:)
by M M
I spoke to Lou Brutus today (9/16) and he confirmed that Fungus has been permanently canceled and that there are no discussions regarding bringing it back. He was very bummed and said Lars, Tim, and lots of bands were very upset.So what to do?Like others have suggested, contact the decision makers (not customer service). Someone else mentioned Jon Zellner, Senior VP of Programming and he is a start. His phone number is (202) 380 4040; email jon.zellner@xmradio.com. He actually called me back but I missed his call. I also sent him a written letter to Mr. Jon Zellner,Senior VP of Music ProgrammingXM Radio1500 Eckington Place, NEWashington, DC 20002-2194
Also send letters to:Mr. Scott Greenstein,President of ProgrammingSirius XM Radio1221 Avenue of the Americas36th and 37th FloorsNew York, NY 10020(he is apparently higher in the chain of command than Zellner).
I suggest/recommend/implore all of you to act professional. I know you are all pissed off punks, and I am too. But it really does no one any good if all we do is call/write with a bunch of F bombs. Tell them why you were an XM subscriber and that without Fungus you will be canceling and so will many of your friends. Ask them to reconsider their decision, etc. Let's try to bring Fungus back.
Leading the fight to bring back punk rock (Fungus 53) to XM Satellite Radio
Posted at Bring Back Fungus 53! Petition
The petition
TO: XMRadio Staff Gary Parsons, Chairman of the Board
Joe Zarella, Executive Vice President, Business Operations, Listener Care & Information Technology j.zarella@xmradio.com
Dara F. Altman, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer
Steve Cook, Group Vice President and General Manager, Automotive Division
Stell Patsiokas, Corporate Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer
Jon Zellner, The Senior VP of Programming Jon.Zellner@xmradio.com
And to anyone else that may not be on the list that is responsible for any changes made to the XMRadio channel lineup.
We the loyal paying customers of XMRadio services are very angry, angry at the latest decision to cease the broadcasting of Fungus53. Although the quantity of listeners to the punk/ska/hardcore/psychobilly genre may not be as high as most of your other stations, we are a very dedicated group. Many of us subscribe to XMRadio purely for the enjoyment of listening to Fungus53. There is no longer a station to represent our taste in music. In the form letter many of us were issued through email we were pointed towards a few other stations to possibly satisfy our musical tastes. This was purely an insult. Considering the amount we pay monthly/yearly for our service and the amount spent on equipment, Our voices deserve to be heard. Considering you maintain over 170 stations and the now merging with Sirius, there should be enough room for one punk station even if it isn't the top rated station on your lineup. At least give us the freedom to choose, After all isn't that why we choose XMRadio over public radio. We Ask You To Please Reconsider And Bring Back Fungus53
The petition
TO: XMRadio Staff Gary Parsons, Chairman of the Board
Joe Zarella, Executive Vice President, Business Operations, Listener Care & Information Technology j.zarella@xmradio.com
Dara F. Altman, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer
Steve Cook, Group Vice President and General Manager, Automotive Division
Stell Patsiokas, Corporate Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer
Jon Zellner, The Senior VP of Programming Jon.Zellner@xmradio.com
And to anyone else that may not be on the list that is responsible for any changes made to the XMRadio channel lineup.
We the loyal paying customers of XMRadio services are very angry, angry at the latest decision to cease the broadcasting of Fungus53. Although the quantity of listeners to the punk/ska/hardcore/psychobilly genre may not be as high as most of your other stations, we are a very dedicated group. Many of us subscribe to XMRadio purely for the enjoyment of listening to Fungus53. There is no longer a station to represent our taste in music. In the form letter many of us were issued through email we were pointed towards a few other stations to possibly satisfy our musical tastes. This was purely an insult. Considering the amount we pay monthly/yearly for our service and the amount spent on equipment, Our voices deserve to be heard. Considering you maintain over 170 stations and the now merging with Sirius, there should be enough room for one punk station even if it isn't the top rated station on your lineup. At least give us the freedom to choose, After all isn't that why we choose XMRadio over public radio. We Ask You To Please Reconsider And Bring Back Fungus53
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