If you like XM Satellite Radio's music channels but also need your Howard Stern (on Sirius), a new plan that will soon give Sirius and XM subscribers access to channels on the other network could be the answer.
The plan, included in their joint reply to the FCC as part of their proposed merger, puts forth two new "a la carte" pricing options, one of which includes channels from both XM and Sirius:
Option 1: $7/month for 50 channels from XM or Sirius, with additional channels available for $0.25 apiece (higher for premium channels) and a maximum charge of $12.95/month.
Option 2: $15/month for 100 channels from either network. However, you'd only be able to choose from "the best of" channels from the other network. I'm trying to find out whether this plan would allow XM subscribers to access Howard Stern, and whether accessing both networks would require new hardware.
__--
__
Update (____6:20pm est): I just spoke with XM spokesperson Chance Patterson. Should the merger be approved, current XM and Sirius subscribers would be able to access subsets of the other network's content, called Sirius Select and XM Select, using their current equipment. However, use of channel-by-channel "a la carte" plans would require new radios that would show up later.
Then, of course, there's the big Howard Stern question (as in "Will I be able to listen to Howard from an XM radio?"). That answer is a tentative yes. Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin used Howard Stern as an example of the sort of package that would be available to XM subscribers, although the Sirius Select lineup has yet to be announced, as negotiations continue with content partners.
--
Here's the full proposed channel line-up for each networks without the XM Select or Sirius Select channels listed (from the music fan's perspective, it's worth noting that each Option 1 network will offer a selection of 65 "mostly music" channels without the addition of a Select package):
