Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo Joins SIRIUS XM Radio

Tuesday, August 19, 2008 6:01 AM

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Russo to headline 'Mad Dog Radio,' new sports talk channel on SIRIUS and XM

NEW YORK, Aug. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SIRIUS XM Radio (Nasdaq: SIRI) announced today that it has signed renowned sports talk personality Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo, the former star of the Mike and the Mad Dog show, to a five-year contract to headline a new sports talk channel exclusively available on SIRIUS and XM.

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Mad Dog's recent departure from the market-leading Mike and the Mad Dog has been national news in recent days -- a dramatic reflection of his loyal fan base, huge popularity and strong name recognition. Mad Dog is known for having helped popularize the sports talk radio format across the country and speculation on his next step has been high.

'Mad Dog's fans are passionate about their sports and passionate about where they get their sports news and commentary from -- these are the listeners that any audio entertainment company would want,' said Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer, SIRIUS XM Radio. 'Having Mad Dog on SIRIUS and XM will fuel subscriber growth and create new and exciting opportunities for advertisers. Choose whatever sports analogy you want -- this is a big win.'

SIRIUS channel 123 and XM channel 144 will relaunch as Mad Dog Radio, a reformatted channel that will cover the spectrum of sports with engaging talk, high profile interviews, up-to-the-moment news and live remote broadcasts from the biggest sporting events.

'No other sports talk radio comes close to what I will be able to do with SIRIUS XM Radio. I get to create a whole channel of my kind of sports talk and am very excited to join SIRIUS XM which has the largest collection of sports properties in the history of radio, consisting of virtually every major sport including, MLB, NFL, NASCAR and the NHL,' said Russo. 'With football season about to kick off and all the pennant races heating up, I can't wait to get on the air and talk to the 18.5 million SIRIUS XM Radio subscribers around the country.'

Russo will host the channel's anchor program, 'The Mad Dog Sports Show,' live from SIRIUS' New York studios every weekday afternoon from 2:00 to 7:00pm ET. The exclusive show will begin airing daily on SIRIUS channel 123 and XM channel 144 on Monday, September 15. It will feature Russo's take on the biggest sports stories from around the country, plus listener calls and hard-hitting interviews with some of the most intriguing people in sports.

'Mad Dog is a national personality and now he has a radio audience that spans the country. Already a regular on national television, including The Late Show with David Letterman, Mad Dog will now be heard every day by listeners across the nation. He is now unleashed and the result will be a compelling and informative channel with totally unique access and attitude. We are thrilled he has chosen to join us as we deliver fans the very best in sports talk radio,' said Greenstein.

Broadcasting simultaneously on SIRIUS channel 123 and XM channel 144, 'The Mad Dog Sports Show' will be the first original show available both on SIRIUS and XM.

'With the huge sports audiences SIRIUS and XM have, it is fitting that our first major talent announcement following the merger would be Mad Dog,' said Greenstein. 'Subscribers get the programming they love today and new options in the future. Our stockholders benefit from the subscriber growth and increased advertising revenues that Mad Dog will certainly bring.'

Preceding his official debut, Russo will host special preview shows over the next month with fans from three of the fall season's biggest sporting events. The show will debut in its regular daily timeslot on Monday, September 15.

Known to sports fans everywhere for his feisty, unflinchingly candid approach to talking sports and unrestrained, rapid-fire delivery that earned him the nickname 'Mad Dog,' Russo comes to the company after nearly 20 years on New York radio where he represented one half of the hugely popular Mike and the Mad Dog radio show.

He is the author of two books: The Mad Dog 100: The Greatest Sports Arguments Of All Time and, most recently, The Mad Dog Hall of Fame: The Ultimate Top-Ten Rankings of The Best In Sports.

About SIRIUS XM Radio

SIRIUS XM Radio is America's satellite radio company delivering the 'The Best Radio on Radio' to more than 18 million subscribers, including 100% commercial free music, and premier sports, news, talk, entertainment, traffic and weather.

SIRIUS XM Radio has exclusive content relationships with an array of personalities and artists, including Howard Stern, Oprah, Martha Stewart, Jimmy Buffett, Elvis, Jamie Foxx, Barbara Walters, Frank Sinatra, Opie & Anthony, The Grateful Dead, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tom Petty, and Bob Edwards. SIRIUS XM Radio is the leader in sports programming as the Official Satellite Radio Partner of the NFL, Major League Baseball, NASCAR, NHL, and PGA Tour, and broadcasts major college sports.

SIRIUS XM Radio has exclusive arrangements with every major automaker. SIRIUS XM Radio products are available at shop.sirius.com and shop.xmradio.com, and at retail locations nationwide, including Best Buy, Circuit City, RadioShack, Target, Sam's Club, and Wal-Mart.

SIRIUS XM Radio also offers SIRIUS Backseat TV, the first ever live in-vehicle rear seat entertainment featuring Nickelodeon, Disney Channel and Cartoon Network; XM NavTraffic service for GPS navigation systems delivers real-time traffic information, including accidents and road construction, for more than 80 North American markets.

This communication contains 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the benefits of the business combination transaction involving Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc., including potential synergies and cost savings and the timing thereof, future financial and operating results, the combined company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions with respect to future operations, products and services; and other statements identified by words such as 'anticipate,' 'believe,' 'plan,' 'estimate,' 'expect,' 'intend,' 'will,' 'should,' 'may,' or words of similar meaning. Such forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of SIRIUS' and XM's management and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of SIRIUS and XM. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements.

The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the forward-looking statement: general business and economic conditions; the performance of financial markets and interest rates; the ability to obtain governmental approvals of the transaction on a timely basis; the failure to realize synergies and cost-savings from the transaction or delay in realization thereof; the businesses of SIRIUS and XM may not be combined successfully, or such combination may take longer, be more difficult, time-consuming or costly to accomplish than expected; and operating costs and business disruption following the merger, including adverse effects on employee retention and on our business relationships with third parties, including manufacturers of radios, retailers, automakers and programming providers. Additional factors that could cause SIRIUS' and XM's results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in SIRIUS' and XM's Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007, which are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the 'SEC') and available at the SEC's Internet site (http://www.sec.gov). The information set forth herein speaks only as of the date hereof, and SIRIUS and XM disclaim any intention or obligation to update any forward looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this communication.