Sirius Canada
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Satellite radio |
| Founded | June 16, 2005 |
| Founder | Slaight Communications, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Sirius Satellite Radio |
| Headquarters | Canada |
Key people | Mark Redmond (President and CEO) |
| Products | Satellite radio services |
Sirius Canada was established as a Canadian enterprise through a collaboration involving Slaight Communications, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and Sirius Satellite Radio. On June 16, 2005, it received authorization from the CRTC to deliver satellite radio services within Canada.
After the 2010 consolidation of Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio in the United States, Sirius Canada and XM Radio Canada announced plans to merge, subject to approval from shareholders and the CRTC. This approval was granted in April 2011, allowing both companies to operate collectively under the name SiriusXM Canada. The merger was finalized on June 21, 2011.
Within the combined organization, Canadian Satellite Radio (the former XM license holder) owned 30%, while Slaight Communications and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation each controlled 20%, and American Sirius XM Radio held a 25% stake. Mark Redmond, who served as president and CEO of Sirius Canada, maintained a leadership position post-merger. Unlike XM Radio Canada, Sirius Canada remained privately held and was not obligated to release quarterly financial statements.
Subscription package
At its launch on November 2, 2005, the channel lineup included 100 channels, featuring 10 Canadian-originated services. By 2006, an additional ten channels were introduced—nine from the United States and one Canadian.
The licence conditions required at least eight channels produced in Canada and restricted American channels to a maximum ratio of nine per Canadian channel. Although Astral Media developed two French-language music stations for Sirius Canada, Slaight Communications’ interest in Sirius Canada was not part of Astral’s 2007 acquisition of Slaight’s terrestrial radio properties.
CBC programming
- CBC Radio One, news and information (Channel 159)
- CBC Radio 3, independent music (Channel 152)
- Première Plus, French-language news and information (Channel 160)
- Bande à part, French-language independent music (Channel 161)
- Sports extra, French-language sports news and information (Channel 156)
- Espace Musique, French-language music radio (Channel 153)
Slaight Communications programming
- Iceberg Radio, adult album alternative music (Channel 85)
- L'Oasis Francophone (previously Rock Velours), French-language adult contemporary pop (Channel 88)
- Latitude Franco (formerly Énergie2), French-language pop/rock (Channel 89)
Third party programming
- The Score Satellite Radio, sports talk radio (Channel 98)
In June 2006, an audio simulcast of The Weather Network was added on Channel 138.
Initially, only five Canadian channels were accessible on the US Sirius network; however, by late 2006 all Canadian channels became available across the US, though not universally supported on all receivers.
CBC Radio 2 and Espace musique were omitted because CRTC rules demand that Canadian satellite channels maintain at least 85% Canadian content, a criterion these stations could not fulfill due to their allowance for foreign "special interest" music.
Sirius Canada's licence restricts airing localized material such as local news, weather updates, or traffic reports. Consequently, local programming slots on Radio One are replaced with repeated CBC content rather than region-specific broadcasts.
The Canadian subscription package includes the aforementioned eleven Canadian channels along with most US offerings. The List of Sirius Satellite Radio stations provides details on channel availability within Canada.
On April 24, 2006, Sirius secured exclusive satellite radio broadcasting rights for Canadian Football League games starting with the season commencing June 16 of that year.
Additional distinctions
Apart from differences in programming, Sirius Canada exhibits several minor variations compared to its US counterpart. Initially, new subscribers in Canada had to activate their service via telephone, though internet activation was introduced later at a reduced cost. Since October 2006, Canadian subscribers have also had access to internet streaming.
The range of Sirius-compatible radios available through Canadian retailers is relatively narrow, featuring models such as the Sirius One, the Starmate series, XACT XTR3CK, Stiletto, and Sportster Replay. Nevertheless, devices purchased in the United States can be activated on the Canadian network, and some Canadian receivers may function on the US system despite firmware differences that influence channel accessibility.
More recently, the Stiletto 100 SL100 model was made available to Canadian subscribers.
Howard Stern
The Howard Stern Show began airing on September 2, 1997, on Canadian stations Q107 (Toronto) and CHOM (Montreal). Due to controversial remarks generating thousands of complaints, Q107 implemented an eight-minute tape delay with editing capabilities; CHOM discontinued broadcasting Stern in August 1998. Q107 followed suit in November 2001 as it transitioned back to a classic rock music-only format. Meanwhile, Stern’s unedited program was accessible on Buffalo’s WBUF starting in early 2001.
In January 2006, Stern transitioned to Sirius satellite radio in the US, taking advantage of the FCC’s lack of oversight over subscription-based content. However, in Canada, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) retains regulatory authority over satellite radio content.
Sirius Canada’s licensing obligations required compliance with standards set by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, including adherence to the Sex-role Portrayal Code, even for adult-oriented programming packages. Unlike US offerings, Canadian pay-per-view adult content is also subject to pre-broadcast approval.
As a result, Sirius Canada initially did not carry Stern’s Howard 100 and Howard 101 channels, which led to dissatisfaction among Canadian fans and reports of some acquiring US receivers through unofficial channels. Gary Slaight, CEO of Standard Broadcasting, indicated that CRTC regulations would ultimately necessitate removing Stern content due to licensing requirements.
Despite public petitions and fan pressure, Sirius Canada opted not to risk regulatory issues. Some commentators speculated that concerns over syndication fees or potential public relations complications influenced this decision.
On February 1, 2006, Sirius Canada announced that Howard 100 would be added for subscribers starting February 6 without significant controversy. In May 2006, Howard 101 was incorporated as part of a ten-channel expansion effective June 19.
Sirius Canada and Apple
On November 17, 2009, Sirius Canada introduced the first official satellite radio application for iPhone and iPod touch users in Canada. This complimentary app available through Apple’s App Store allows subscribers to stream Sirius Canada’s programming alongside commercial-free music channels.