That's what I get for enjoying the silence.
Two days ago, I wrote about how the Sirius XM Radio (Nasdaq: SIRI) publicity machine seemed to be taking a breather. There hadn't been a press release cranked out in 10 days from the typically gabby satellite radio operator.
I spoke too soon.
Just a few hours later, Sirius XM spit out a press release. Yesterday? Two more.
- Duke hoops coach Mike Krzyzewski would be celebrating his team's NCAA championship during his regular Wednesday night Basketball and Beyond with Coach K show.
- MSNBC -- the cable news channel birthed by Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) and General Electric's (NYSE: GE) majority-owned NBC -- will be broadcast on both Sirius and XM.
- A limited-run station featuring country legend Alan Jackson will air for a week.
The releases -- in of themselves -- aren't particularly newsworthy. A country music fan is unlikely to spring for a satellite receiver just to catch a week of Jackson's music catalog. The Coach K announcement is primarily timely name-dropping, letting everybody know that Sirius XM has celebrity radio hosts. The MSNBC announcement may have longer-lasting appeal to fans of the politically charged channel.
However, in concert, the releases reveal plenty about Sirius XM's strategy in competing against other forms of aural entertainment. Consider the announcements from a competitive perspective:
- Ford (Nasdaq: F) and Buick owners with hard-drive entertainment systems? Your Jackson MP3s can't compete with Jackson's live commentary as he discusses his own tracks and his favorite artists.
- Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPod owners? Your stale podcasts can't hold up against MSNBC's real-time commentary.
- Owners of Sierra Wireless (Nasdaq: SIER) Overdrive mobile hotspots with connectivity to stream online radio, buffered and occasionally ad-supported streams won't find Kryzewski discussing his team's close bout to win it all against Butler this week.
Press releases: They say so little, but reveal so much.
What do you think of Sirius XM's press releases? Share your thoughts in the comments box below.
