XM Radio Canada
Encyclopedia
XM Radio Canada was the operating name of Canadian Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. (or "CSR"), a Canadian
communications and media company, which was incorporated in 2002 to broadcast satellite radio
in Canada. Following the merger of Sirius XM Radio in the United States, XM Canada and its competitor Sirius Canada
reached a deal in late 2010 to merge into Sirius XM Canada
, which was approved by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission on April 11, 2011 and completed on June 21, 2011.
's channels were eliminated from XM Radio Canada on April 17, 2006. On April 1, 2007, XM Radio Canada began simulcasting the U.S. service
, with the exception of Clear Channel
's channels. On November 30, 2007, XM Radio Canada announced that they have over 350,000 subscribers. The Best Of Sirius
package (NFL, NASCAR
, Howard 100, Howard 101) was not included on XM Radio Canada's offerings in September 2008
, even though the Sirius
channels were poured to XM Radio Canada during the merger of XM and Sirius channels on November 12, 2008.
On November 24, 2010, CSR announced that it has proposed an all-stock merger with its competitor, Sirius Canada
, subject to approval by shareholders and the CRTC. The CRTC approved the merger on April 11, 2011. Canadian Satellite Radio, the current licensee of XM, will hold 30 per cent of the merged company, while Slaight Communications and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
, the current owners of Sirius Canada, will each hold 20 per cent and the American Sirius XM Radio will hold 25 per cent.
, a Canadian businessman, who owns 58% of CSR Holdings, while the American
company Sirius XM owns 23% of CSR Holdings. The remaining 19% forms the publicly traded float on the TSX stock exchange. XMSR granted an exclusive 15 year licence (including a 5 year renewal) to XM Radio Canada to broadcast and distribute its content and to use its XM brand name.
XM Radio Canada has strategic alliances with Corus Entertainment
, Telesat Canada
, General Motors, Honda
, Toyota, Nissan, Telus
, Rogers Communications
and Air Canada
.
and five in French
) with formats such as music, sports, comedy, and news, in addition to the existing XM service. XM Radio Canada uses the existing 2 XM satellites: Rhythm and Blues, as well as a system of ground repeaters across Canada to broadcast a subscription radio service to Canadians. For a complete list of channels, please visit List of XM Satellite Radio channels.
XM Radio Canada currently programs the following on-air channels for XM Satellite Radio.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
communications and media company, which was incorporated in 2002 to broadcast satellite radio
Satellite radio
Satellite radio is an analogue or digital radio signal that is relayed through one or more satellites and thus can be received in a much wider geographical area than terrestrial FM radio stations...
in Canada. Following the merger of Sirius XM Radio in the United States, XM Canada and its competitor Sirius Canada
Sirius Canada
Sirius Canada is a Canadian company, a partnership between Slaight Communications, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Sirius Satellite Radio, which was one of three services licensed by the CRTC on June 16, 2005 to introduce satellite radio service to Canada.On November 24, 2010, following...
reached a deal in late 2010 to merge into Sirius XM Canada
Sirius XM Canada
Sirius XM Canada is a Canadian radio broadcasting company, which operates as a Canadian affiliate of Sirius XM Radio. The company received approval from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission on April 11, 2011 to merge the formerly distinct XM Radio Canada and Sirius Canada...
, which was approved by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission on April 11, 2011 and completed on June 21, 2011.
History
On August 19, 2003, Canadian Satellite Radio Holdings Inc., the parent company of CSR, filed its initial application to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) for a broadcast licence to provide subscription based digital radio service in Canada. In June 2005, the CRTC awarded the company a six year licence to commence broadcasting in Canada. XM Radio Canada started transmissions across Canada on November 22, 2005, and launched officially on December 1, 2005. Clear ChannelClear channel
A clear-channel station is an AM band Radio station in North America that has the highest protection from interference from other stations, particularly concerning night-time skywave propagation. Usually known as class A stations since 1982, they are occasionally still referred to by their former...
's channels were eliminated from XM Radio Canada on April 17, 2006. On April 1, 2007, XM Radio Canada began simulcasting the U.S. service
XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio is one of two satellite radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Radio. It provides pay-for-service radio, analogous to cable television. Its service includes 73 different music channels, 39 news, sports, talk and entertainment channels, 21 regional...
, with the exception of Clear Channel
Clear channel
A clear-channel station is an AM band Radio station in North America that has the highest protection from interference from other stations, particularly concerning night-time skywave propagation. Usually known as class A stations since 1982, they are occasionally still referred to by their former...
's channels. On November 30, 2007, XM Radio Canada announced that they have over 350,000 subscribers. The Best Of Sirius
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
package (NFL, NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
, Howard 100, Howard 101) was not included on XM Radio Canada's offerings in September 2008
2008 in radio
Several events occurred in radio in 2008.- Events :* January 2: WWFT finished Christmas music stunting, rolling out the red carpet for Adult contemporary music branded as "Warm."...
, even though the Sirius
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
channels were poured to XM Radio Canada during the merger of XM and Sirius channels on November 12, 2008.
On November 24, 2010, CSR announced that it has proposed an all-stock merger with its competitor, Sirius Canada
Sirius Canada
Sirius Canada is a Canadian company, a partnership between Slaight Communications, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Sirius Satellite Radio, which was one of three services licensed by the CRTC on June 16, 2005 to introduce satellite radio service to Canada.On November 24, 2010, following...
, subject to approval by shareholders and the CRTC. The CRTC approved the merger on April 11, 2011. Canadian Satellite Radio, the current licensee of XM, will hold 30 per cent of the merged company, while Slaight Communications and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
, the current owners of Sirius Canada, will each hold 20 per cent and the American Sirius XM Radio will hold 25 per cent.
Corporate Structure
XM Radio Canada is a wholly owned subsidiary of Canadian Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. (CSR Holdings). CSR Holdings is a publicly traded company on the TSX Exchange. The executive chairman and founder is John BitoveJohn Bitove
John I. Bitove, is a Canadian-Macedonian businessman and sportsman. He is the major shareholder and chairman of Scott's Real Estate Investment Trust and Sirius XM Canada. While controlling several public and private businesses, he has recently expanded into telecommunications with a company he...
, a Canadian businessman, who owns 58% of CSR Holdings, while the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
company Sirius XM owns 23% of CSR Holdings. The remaining 19% forms the publicly traded float on the TSX stock exchange. XMSR granted an exclusive 15 year licence (including a 5 year renewal) to XM Radio Canada to broadcast and distribute its content and to use its XM brand name.
XM Radio Canada has strategic alliances with Corus Entertainment
Corus Entertainment
Corus Entertainment Inc. is a publicly traded Canadian media and entertainment conglomerate.Corus is a leading Canadian specialty television and radio producer, with additional assets in pay television, advertising services, television broadcasting, children's book publishing and children's...
, Telesat Canada
Telesat Canada
Telesat Canada is a Canadian satellite communications company founded on May 2, 1969. The company is headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario as well as having offices in the United States and Brazil.On October 5, 2007 Loral Space & Communications Inc...
, General Motors, Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
, Toyota, Nissan, Telus
TELUS
Telus is a national telecommunications company in Canada that provides a wide range of telecommunications products and services including internet access, voice, entertainment, video, and satellite television. The company is based in Burnaby, British Columbia, part of Greater Vancouver...
, Rogers Communications
Rogers Communications
Rogers Communications Inc. is one of Canada's largest communications companies, particularly in the field of wireless communications, cable television, home phone and internet with additional telecommunications and mass media assets...
and Air Canada
Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
.
XM Radio Canada Content
XM Radio Canada offers listeners 130 channels, including 100% commercial-free music as well as news, talk, sports and children's programming across Canada via satellite. XM Radio Canada also offers every NHL hockey game, as it is the exclusive broadcaster of the NHL games starting in the 2007-2008 season. As of September 2007, XM Radio Canada now offers every Major League Baseball game, the IRL, select college sports, and the PGA Tour Network along with the NHL. The company programs, produces, and distributes thirteen new Canadian channels (eight in EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and five in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
) with formats such as music, sports, comedy, and news, in addition to the existing XM service. XM Radio Canada uses the existing 2 XM satellites: Rhythm and Blues, as well as a system of ground repeaters across Canada to broadcast a subscription radio service to Canadians. For a complete list of channels, please visit List of XM Satellite Radio channels.
XM Radio Canada currently programs the following on-air channels for XM Satellite Radio.
- The VergeThe Verge (XM)The Verge is an XM Radio Canada channel featuring new and emerging rock bands from Canada. The channel is produced in Toronto, Ontario for the entire XM platform. The channel's former names included Unsigned, and Signed, which indicated that the channel played a combination of signed and unsigned...
(XM87) - New and emerging Canadian rock music. This channel sticks to the up and coming talent and does not play the more established Canadian rock artists. Broadcast in . - Air MusiqueAir MusiqueAir Musique is a Sirius XM Canada channel featuring new and emerging French Canadian music, such as punk, hip-hop, electronic and alternative rock music. It was born on 2005-11-17 as part of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission's regulations for Canadian content on the...
(XM88) - New and emerging music. Broadcast in . - Sur La RouteSur La RouteSur La Route is a Sirius XM Canada channel featuring hit music, new and old. It was born in November 2005 as part of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission's regulations for Canadian content on the XM platform, as well as 50% French language content. Due to bandwidth...
(XM89) - Pop hits. Broadcast in . - XM ScoreboardXM ScoreboardXM Scoreboard is a 24-hour sports information radio station, which airs on XM Satellite Radio channel 95. On 2008-11-12, XM Scoreboard was moved from channel 243 to channel 95.- Programming :...
(XM95) - Channel for sports scores of current games, as well as schedules and updates. Broadcast in . - Canada 360Canada 360Canada 360 is a Canadian 24-hour news radio station, which airs on XM Satellite Radio, Channel 155. The channel provides news, traffic, weather, sports and border crossing information, part of which is sourced from Radio Development and also from Canadian Press...
(XM96) - Looping news and information reel that covers news, business, and other forms of information for Canada. Broadcast in . - Calendrier SportifCalendrier SportifCalendrier Sportif is a 24-hour, French-language sports information radio station, which airs on XM Satellite Radio. On November 12, 2008, Calendrier Sportif was moved from channel 246 to channel 97.- Programming :...
(XM97) - Sports information channel. Broadcast in . - Quoi de NeufQuoi de NeufQuoi de Neuf is a Canadian 24-hour news and information radio station, which airs on XM Satellite Radio channel 125. The station is primarily a loop of news programming, much of which was originally sourced from Corus Quebec's terrestrial news stations...
(XM125) - Looping reel that covers art and entertainment news and information as well as news, business, and other forms of information for Canada. Broadcast in . - Laugh AttackLaugh AttackLaugh Attack is an XM Satellite Radio channel featuring uncensored comedy from Canada. It was born in November 2005 as part of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission's regulations for Canadian content on the XM platform....
(XM153) - Canadian stand-up and comedy routines. Like XM's now-defunct XM Comedy and the succeeding Raw Dog Comedy, this channel is completely uncensored. Broadcast in . - ATN-Asian RadioATN-Asian RadioATN-Asian Radio is an XM Satellite Radio channel featuring programming dedicated South Asian community in North America. This channel's content will be produced by Asian Television Network. Content for the channel will include talk and phone-in shows, music and poetry, news and current affairs,...
(XM159) - South Asian Programming produced by ATN. Broadcast majority in . - Radio Parallèle (XM172) - News, talk, information and entertainment channel that features Jeff FillionJeff FillionJean-François Fillion, better known as Jeff Fillion, is a well-known radio host and businessman in Quebec, Canada.- Media - radio career :...
's show. Broadcast in . - MLB Home Plate Info (XM179) - Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
information, scores, updates and short specials are produced for this channel, and loop on the other MLB play-by-play channels occasionally when out of service. Broadcast in . - NHL Home Ice (XM204) - National Hockey LeagueNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
talk and play by play. Features hockey talk and programming in the daytime hours and games in the nighttime hours. XM Radio is the exclusive broadcaster of the NHL. Broadcast in . - NHL Play-by-Play (XM205-209) - National Hockey LeagueNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
play by play. These channels are programmed and scheduled by XM Radio Canada. XM Radio Canada also produces special content for the channels during their downtime, as well as sports updates, known as NHL Home Ice Info. All broadcast in .