Some Reggae Fans Upset With SiriusXM For Ditching ‘The Joint’ Channel In Favour Of Bob Marley Radio
The recent announcement by SiriusXM of the launch of an exclusive, year-round channel dedicated to the legacy of the Jamaican music Bob Marley, has not gone down well with some of the audio entertainment company’s Reggae-loving subscribers.
Among the complaints were that SiriusXM had jettisoned The Joint, one of their channels which was dedicated to featuring Reggae music from across the world, in favour of the late singer and his clan, which they thought was disrespectful to other Reggae artistes.
Sirius XM, which describes itself as the leading audio entertainment company in the US and the premier programmer and platform for subscription- and digital advertising-supported audio products, launched the channel, dubbed Bob Marley’s Tuff Gong Radio on December 3.
Hosted on SirusXM Channel 19, Bob Marley’s Tuff Gong Radio features Marley’s entire music catalogue, inluding live and recorded, and also includes exclusive and rare recordings, many of which having never been heard publicly.
According to SirusXM, the channel, which is curated by the Marley family, includes a wide range of Caribbean music from its “inception to present day and also highlights the branches of his still-growing musical legacy”, including The Wailers, I-Threes, the Tuff Gong International record label which Marley founded in the 1970s, and his children and grandchildren.
The new channel, SirusXM said in an earlier press release, will present specialty programmes and ‘takeovers’ led by Bob’s daughter Cedella, who will host her own monthly radio series dubbed Nice Time.
While SiriusXM’s announcement was met with a plethora of congratulatory messages from followers on its Facebook page, it was a far cry over on Instagram, where subscribers took to their page to register their displeasure.
“We all love Bob Marley and Family DEARLY – But how disrespectful was it to cancel a channel that represented ALL (or a wide array) of reggae’s important music and artists?!” themofuller said.
“Is the Bob Marley Family now the only reggae legacy SiriusXM recognizes? Why not keep both stations? Why couldn’t we have both? I am HIGHLY disappointed. I’ve had SiriusXM for about 12 years now and sadly, I just might cancel my subscription,” he added.
Another subscriber, jgcguy2018 demanded an explanation for SiriusXM’s actions.
“I like Bob Marley, but why the changes? Placing this new channel in Elvis spot, and remove The Joint permanent to streaming! You need to tell your customers in advance on any changes,” he stated.
Other subscribers complained that whilst they had maximum respect for Marley, listening to only his music all night and day would be absolutely boring.
“Nobody’s trying to listen to Bob Marley 24/7 smfh… bring back #42!” tashmania254 said, while b.townsend_coastal_landscapes wrote: “Love Bob and family! But come-on, what about all the other reggae from around the world. Guess I’ll cancel like the other customers.”
“Why would you guys get rid of The Joint though? And without even a notice to listeners! The only reason I have Siriusxm is because of The Joint. Bob Marley is great an all, but no one who actually knows and loves reggae music wants to listen to him all the time and that’s all that’s really being played! It’s boring!!! Why couldn’t you keep both?! I’m so annoyed!!! I really have no reason to keep paying for this service – sucks,” blackroses_818 said.
Other fans declared outright that they were finished with SiriusXM as they could no longer hear The Joint whilst travelling in their vehicles.
“Definitely canceling my subscription! Bring back The Joint to a channel that we can get in the car! Cancel and go to Spotify,” reggaepattie said, while its_adunmore declared: “I am considering canceling my subscription due to the removal of channel 42! I want to hear it in my car.”
Marley’s channel also originates shows from Tuff Gong Studios in Jamaica such as Jam-In, a monthly live music session featuring Jamaica’s hottest sound systems and selectors. Jam-In had its December edition headlined by Stone Love and was hosted by comedians Ity and Fancy Cat.
Along with its subsidiary, Pandora, SiriusXM is the largest ad-supported audio entertainment streaming service in the United States. Combined, SiriusXM and Pandora reach more than 100 million people each month with their audio products.
According to SiriusXM its advertisement-free, curated music channels represent many decades and genres, ranging from rock, to pop, country, hip hop, classical, Latin, electronic dance, jazz and heavy metal, as well as programming which includes news from respected national outlets, in-depth talk, comedy and entertainment.
In addition, SiriusXM comes installed in new vehicles from every major automaker in the US, and is available in nearly half of the pre-owned vehicles for sale in that country.
Subscribers are also able to stream SiriusXM content on the SiriusXM app and at home on various connected devices.
The SiriusXM app provides multiple additional streaming-only features including personalized stations more than 100 Xtra Music channels, and more than 10,000 hours of on demand content.