[Swprograms] PRI Gone from Sirius

[John Figliozzi <jfiglio1@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

According to an e-mail message from Sirius called "Behind the Mic",  
PRI has been dropped from the Sirius line-up.  No explanation  
whatsoever given.  It should be mentioned here that Sirius now  
apparently outright lies to its customers.  Here's a June 24 e-mail I  
received from Sirius Customer Care stating unequivocally that PRI was  
not going to be dropped.

> Dear John,
>
> Thank you for contacting SIRIUS regarding Talk // Channel 136 and News
> // Channel 141.  We understand you are wondering about the name  
> change,
> and if we are getting ready to take it off the air.  We are happy to
> help you.
>
> We have not been informed of the reason behind the name change of  
> those
> channels.  Don't you worry, John, we have no intention of removing  
> those
> channels from our programming line up.  We apologize if this has  
> caused
> you any frustration.
>
> We are committed to providing you with the best in customer care.  If
> you have any more questions, please feel free to contact SIRIUS  
> Customer
> Care.  For your convenience, we are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a
> week at:
>
> 1-888-539-SIRIUS (7474)
>
> As well as by email at:
>
> www.sirius.com/customercare
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Debra G
> SIRIUS Customer Care

So much for that.  Evidently Debra G. was not clued in by Sirius  
management which gives her the protection of plausible deniability, I  
suppose.  Perhaps "Customer Care" should change its name to "Customer  
Manipulation".  Previously, it had promised over the period of a year  
that "The Globe", a world music channel, was going to be introduced  
"shortly".  It never happened and no explanation was ever provided.   
When a Sirius press relations representative, Rebecca Schnall, was  
contacted for explanation, she not only declined the opportunity to  
do so but directed this reporter in future to contact customer care  
only--which could not provide an explanation because they were not  
supplied one by management.

Why press relations will not explain its programming decisions to a  
reporter is a mystery to me.  What escapes me further is how a  
service that charges its customers monthly for service does not feel  
it owes them even a cursory explanation for the decisions it makes-- 
apparently in a vacuum.  I've been a subscriber since almost the  
beginning of the service and have never once been polled about my  
preferences.

BBC Mundo has also been dropped in favor of the lesser regarded CNN  
in Spanish.  Eight other services have been added including a second  
all Catholic network (!?) and several channels that had been  
available only in Canada.  The Metropolitan Opera channel replaces  
Classical Voices.

If you detect a certain frustration in the tone of this message, you  
are most perceptive.

John Figliozzi
Monitoring Times magazine


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