Since XM first emerged in September, 2001, I have tried to be supportive. I was an investor at one point, I purchased expensive equipment, and I’ve been a subscriber for five years.
Put a Fork in Me, I'm Done
I canceled my primary subscription Sunday morning – in itself, not an easy task. I was hung up or disconnected once before getting through to a “cancellation expert” who then grilled me about my decision. Sticking a fork in my left eye would have been more pleasant.
I would have canceled at their website but I couldn’t find a way. If you type in “cancel” or “cancellation” at the xmradio.com website, the best search result you'll get is an "XM + NAPSTER" information page which might be misleading for a standard subscriber. But, if you scroll down you'll find the number to cancel your "XM + Napster" membership which is the same for a regular subscription. For the record the Cancellation Department (or whatever it’s called) is 1-800-967-2346.
Disrespected
That’s how I feel. I just reached the point where my monthly payment seemed like a waste. I only listened to a few channels to begin with and when SIRIUS and XM merged, they kind of screwed up my favorite channel. Just observing this catastrophe play out over the past year sucked all the empathy I may have had for Satellite Radio. I just don’t care anymore.
A Lost Opportunity
The first and most egregious disrespect for me occurred early on when both XM and SIRIUS blew the opportunity they had to really make Satellite Radio different from commercial AM and FM. Granted, some of the programming was excellent. But, why did so many channels wind up sounding like they were being programmed by the same old radio people and their tired ideas from commercial AM and FM?
With no advertisers to appease and only subscribers to please, why didn’t these guys take the high road and deliver truly alternative programming without all the crutches AM and FM have? I was paying for it now – not some car dealer or burger joint – and they disrespected me.
