Less than a week after rival XM lowered its year-end subscription forecast from 8.2 to 7.7 million at its second-quarter earnings conference, Sirius Satellite raised its year-end forecast from 6.2 to
6.3 million, throwing the two companies' performance into vivid contrast. In the second quarter, Sirius added about 600,000 new subscribers, bumping it up to 4.6 million total. Both Sirius and XM
continue to confront financial obstacles, including a high cost-per-acquisition for new subscribers and considerable "churn" in their paying audience base. Both companies are also involved in
regulatory disputes with the FCC over transmission standards for new radio sets.
