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XM Satellite Radio Backlash

Posted by kdawson on from the making-unhappy-customers dept.

mrchubbs writes "Sponsors and subscribers to XM Radio are protesting the decision by XM management to suspend the Opie and Anthony show for comments made on an uncensored channel. Subscribers are canceling subscriptions — some estimate that between 20,000 and 40,000 have cancelled. Some are even smashing their radios in protest. Sponsors are pulling ads. Also, there is some evidence of XM not honoring cancellation requests, forcing multiple calls to finally get accounts canceled." Of course this dispute isn't a free-speech issue. "Free speech" refers to a prohibition on censorship by the government; XM is free to do as it wishes with the content it broadcasts, within the law.

11 of 594 comments (clear)

  1. I knew something was wrong with XM... by bigtallmofo · · Score: 4, Funny

    That's why I performed the ultimate protest and never signed up with them in the first place.

    I'm glad this situation validates my accidental act of protest.

    --
    I'm a big tall mofo.
    1. Re:I knew something was wrong with XM... by heinousjay · · Score: 3, Funny

      Apparently the broken condom babies have modpoints today.

      --
      Slashdot - where whining about luck is the new way to make the world you want.
  2. Must Be A Joke by WrongSizeGlass · · Score: 4, Funny

    Problems with XM? Surely you can't be Sirius. ;-)

    1. Re:Must Be A Joke by chrono13 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Siriusly, my name is not Surely!

      --
      You have been eaten by a Hurd of GNU.
  3. Re:Speech, Schmeech... It's a Business by WrongSizeGlass · · Score: 5, Funny

    You know, for a generation raised on digital music, you sure all get caught in the same groove, sounding like broken records, a lot. Please refrain from analog analogies. Surely you meant to say something along the lines of "You know, for a generation raised on digital music, you sure all report the same sector as bad, a lot" or maybe even "share the same invalid address space, a lot".
  4. Re:Not free speech, free enterprise! by Fear+the+Clam · · Score: 5, Funny

    Cable TV was supposed to deliver the kind of raw material that the public craves.

    It's got electrolytes.

  5. Smashing radios? by rat_love_cat · · Score: 3, Funny

    Smashing radios as a protest? Isn't that like slashing the seats at a drive-in movie?

  6. Right about what? by daveschroeder · · Score: 2, Funny

    That it's embarrassing to be from Texas?

  7. "uncensored" -=subscription=- radio! by Scrameustache · · Score: 5, Funny

    So, is making jokes about rape on national radio "right"? Ohhh, some people don't like you to talk like that. Ohh, some people like to shut you up for saying those things. You know that. Lots of people. Lots of groups in this country want to tell you how to talk. Tell you what you can't talk about. Well, sometimes they'll say, well you can talk about something but you can't joke about it. Say you can't joke about something because it's not funny. Comedians run into that shit all the time. Like rape. They'll say, "you can't joke about rape. Rape's not funny." I say, "fuck you, I think it's hilarious. How do you like that?" I can prove to you that rape is funny. Picture Porky Pig raping Elmer Fudd. See, hey why do you think they call him "Porky," eh?

    -George Carlin
    --

    You can't take the sky from me...

  8. Re:Response by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    If I had mod points, you'd get one. This is an important distinction which is often missed.

    He wouldn't get it, the post would. This is an important distinction which is often missed.

  9. Re:Response by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Boy, someone sure is cranky today.