Sirius Satellite Video Will Offer Live TV

NEW YORK — Sirius Satellite Radio's upcoming car satellite video service is expected to offer the same programming that is broadcast on certain children's cable stations and at the same time, Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin told analysts at the recent Morgan Stanley Global Automotive Conference here.

Karmazin said, “We want the consumer to have some live TV channels in the back seat. Your kid is watching Disney or Nickelodeon [in the home] and you go into the car and pick it up, right in the car.”

When asked to confirm that Sirius is partnering with Disney or Nickelodeon, Sirius consumer electronics division senior VP Bob Law said, “We are talking to people like that.”

Law said of the Sirius video programming, “It's definitely going to be some live relevant broadcasting. It's not going to be something that could be duplicated by a DVD.”

Law said Sirius will likely unveil satellite video at International CES in January and launch the service shortly thereafter.

Separately, Sirius announced that Kia Motors America will offer Sirius exclusively as factory-standard equipment in all of its vehicles from the 2009 model year through 2014, beginning in 2008. This follows Sirius' recent announcement that Volkswagen and Audi will offer Sirius exclusively starting in 2007.

For its part, XM Satellite Radio announced that Lexus will offer XM as standard, factory-installed equipment on the 2007 LS 460 L and the new luxury hybrid sedan, the 2008 LS 600h L. Both will also offer XM's NavTraffic real-time traffic service.