XM Radio Canada
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Satellite radio |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Founder | John Bitove |
| Defunct | 2011 |
| Fate | Merged with Sirius Canada to form SiriusXM Canada |
| Successor | SiriusXM Canada |
| Headquarters | Toronto , Canada |
Area served | Canada |
Key people | John Bitove (Executive chairman and founder) |
| Products | Satellite radio services, approximately 130 channels including music, news, talk shows, sports, children's programming |
| Owner | Canadian Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. (CSR Holdings) |
| Parent | Canadian Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. |
| Website | www |
XM Radio Canada operated as the trade name for Canadian Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. (CSR), a Canadian communications firm established in 2002 with the purpose of delivering satellite radio services. After the merger of U.S.-based Sirius and XM Radio, XM Canada and its rival Sirius Canada reached an agreement in late 2010 to combine operations under SiriusXM Canada. This merger received approval from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission on April 11, 2011, and was finalized on June 21, 2011.
History
CSR submitted its initial request to the CRTC for a subscription digital radio license on August 19, 2003. The company was granted a six-year operational licence in June 2005. XM Radio Canada commenced nationwide transmissions on November 22, 2005, with an official launch date of December 1, 2005. On April 17, 2006, Clear Channel programming was withdrawn from XM Radio Canada's lineup. Beginning April 1, 2007, XM Canada broadcasted a simulcast of the U.S. XM service excluding Clear Channel content. By November 30, 2007, subscriber numbers had surpassed 350,000. It is important to note that as of September 2008, the Sirius-exclusive "Best Of Sirius" package was not available through XM Canada.
On November 24, 2010, CSR announced a proposed all-stock merger with Sirius Canada, subject to shareholder and regulatory approval; this merger received the CRTC's consent on April 11, 2011.
Corporate Structure
XM Radio Canada functions as a fully owned subsidiary of Canadian Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. (CSR Holdings), which is publicly listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). Executive chairman and founder John Bitove holds a controlling interest of 58% in CSR Holdings, while the U.S.-based Sirius XM owns 23%. The remaining 19% represents publicly traded shares. XMSR granted XM Radio Canada an exclusive broadcasting license valid for fifteen years with an option for a five-year extension to distribute content and use the XM brand within Canada.
The company has formed strategic partnerships with prominent organizations such as Corus Entertainment, Telesat Canada, General Motors, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Telus, Rogers Communications, and Air Canada.
XM Radio Canada Content
Offering a lineup of approximately 130 channels nationwide, XM Radio Canada delivers commercial-free music along with news, talk shows, sports coverage, and children's programming via satellite transmission. Since the 2007-2008 NHL season, it has held exclusive Canadian broadcast rights for all NHL games. Additionally, starting September 2007, it began airing every Major League Baseball game as well as coverage of the IRL, select collegiate sports events, and the PGA Tour Network. The company produces thirteen original Canadian channels—eight English-language and five French-language—spanning genres such as music, sports analysis, comedy, and news alongside existing XM offerings. Programming is transmitted through two dedicated XM satellites (Rhythm and Blues) supported by terrestrial repeaters distributed across Canada.
Noteworthy Canadian-produced channels include:
- The Verge (XM87) – Focuses on emerging Canadian rock artists; English.
- Air Musique (XM88) – Features new music selections; French.
- Sur La Route (XM89) – Showcases popular hits; French.
- XM Scoreboard (XM95) – Provides sports news and scores in concise ten-minute cycles; English.
- Canada 360 (XM96) – Delivers news and business information; English.
- Calendrier Sportif (XM97) – Sports-related updates; French.
- Quoi de Neuf (XM125) – Covers arts, entertainment, news, and business topics; French.
- Laugh Attack (XM153) – Presents uncensored Canadian stand-up comedy; English.
- ATN-Asian Radio (XM159) – South Asian content produced by Asian Television Network; primarily English.
- Radio Parallèle (XM172) – Features talk and entertainment programming hosted by Jeff Fillion; French.
- MLB Home Plate Info (XM179) – Offers Major League Baseball news and special programming; English.
- NHL Home Ice (XM204) – Provides NHL talk shows and live play-by-play broadcasts; exclusive NHL game broadcaster; English.
- NHL Play-by-Play (XM205-209) – Covers live NHL game broadcasts programmed by XM Radio Canada with supplementary sports updates; English.
On July 30, 2007, XM Radio revealed that XM NavTraffic service was extended to cover Montreal and Toronto, bringing the total number of markets served to 79. Nevertheless, by September 29, 2007, users in these locations reported that the data service was not yet operational. Subscribers were encouraged to submit their contact details to XM Radio to receive notifications regarding the commencement of service.
External links
- Articles with short description
- XM Satellite Radio
- Canadian companies established in 2002
- Canadian companies disestablished in 2011
- Companies based in Toronto
- Defunct radio broadcasting companies of Canada
- Defunct Canadian radio networks
- Defunct companies of Ontario
- Telecommunications companies established in 2002
- Telecommunications companies disestablished in 2011