Friday, November 14, 2008

Bring Back Kids Stuff

I can't believe I am making this plea, but Sirius XM listen up: Your new "Kids Place Live" station, well, let's just put this mildly, it completely SUCKS. I am so disappointed by it. I want my Kids Stuff back. E doesn't need or want a dj making idle chit chat just play music. She asked me, "Momma, why is that guy talking. Where's my songs?" Oh honey, how I wish I knew.

As for the chipmunk Dirk, it's pretty clear to me why Alvin, Simon and Theodore dumped him. So why should he be forced feed to us? Kenny -- I want to hurl darts at my eyes rather than listen to you.

Now, you have lots of channels, so MAYBE you overlooked the fact that you kept the Disney Station. Since you did that, explain to me why Kids Place Live seems just one minor stair step away from the Disney Station? Give me Elmo but leave Troy and Gabriella on Disney. I am no prude, but ESPN Jock Jams with "get your booty on the dance floor" just doesn't seem appropriate for my two-year-old. Please don't get me started on losing Big Kids Stuff. I fear I may never hear "Rainbow Connection" on Sirius again, and trust me the world needs that ray of sunshine. Have you seen the Dow lately?

I will admit, I have heard of few songs I like that Kids Stuff never played -- something by Bill Jonas maybe about naming that cat. Otherwise I have been completely unimpressed and I wait patiently hoping to hear a glimpse of what made Kids Stuff on Sirius so great.

In some ways, i need to say thank you to Sirius XM as you gave me new ideas for E's Christmas list because we'll need CDs rather than our satellite radio when it's her turn to pick the music. Thanks for nothing Sirius XM.

In case you didn't know, the merger between Sirius and XM was completed this week with Sirius XM Radio unveiling their new station lineup on Wednesday. Honestly, I had no concerns about the merger because we, well I, only listened primarily to two Sirius channels: Coffee House and Kids Stuff. Thankfully, Coffee House was unaffected by the merger, but Kids Stuff was completely dismantled, and our household is not happy, particularly E.

Let me say, I would prefer not to listen to the kid's stations, but E gets her turn just like mom and dad. I will readily admit I more than tolerated the station though. There actually were some songs I enjoyed bopping my head to like Goldfish by Laurie Berkner, Pop Fly by Justin Roberts, and My Hair Had a Party Last Night and Eighteen Wheels, both by Trout Fishing in America. Of course, a few I hope are retired to the Sirius vault and never heard from again.

I do promise to give this new Kids Place Live a chance, but my patience is running thin. Please Sirius tweak this station. Target a younger demographic than you are attracting with the Disney station, and then maybe I'll stick around.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I created an online petition in order for our collective dissatisfaction to be heard! Please sign my petition. I plan to pass it along to the station managers with whom I have already been in contact.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/kidsstuff

Anonymous said...

I totally agree, how devestating for our family (kids ages 8, 5 and 2) to be completely uprooted from our kids stuff routine. The songs were great, completely appropriate for all ages and enjoyed by all my kids.

I called sirius on Thursday and they said feedback would be conidered in their channel line-up. I encourage all subscribers to keep on them, Kids Place Live is not even close to Kids Stuff and we want our songs back!

Anonymous said...

I thought I was alone with my disappointment at the loss of Kids Stuff. But after spending the morning reading various message boards with threads devoted to this topic, I've realized that this channel was even popular that I could have imagined.

I've signed the petition and made a call to Sirius. Will it make a difference? Who knows. But until then, the family singalongs in the car are not the same.

Tom

Anonymous said...

I agree! My kid was in the car crying today. That Dirk is a jerk. BRING BACK KID's STUFF!!!

Anonymous said...

There are rumblings and rumors that Kids Stuff will be returning in January 2009. Let's hope so.

Anonymous said...

Call Sirius with your specific and politely stated concerns:

888-635-5142

email:

Music_Prog@sirius-radio.com

Other emails:

jcoleman@siriusradio.com - Jeremy Coleman, Entertainment

Also:

mkarmazin@siriusradio.com - CEO

jmeyer@siriusradio.com - James E Meyer, President, Operations and Sales

sgreenstein@siriusradio.com - Scott Greenstein, President, Entertainment and Sports

Shelly Jones said...

Here's a copy of the email I sent to all the addresses listed. Feel free to copy it & send it yourself! Let's get Kids Stuff back on the air!

Dear Sirius:

We are VERY dissatisfied with the changes at Sirius 116, formerly Kids
Stuff, now Kids Place Live.

Examples of inappropriate/disengaging content for my 4 year old & 2
year old sons:

*Jokes about "killing" and "homicidal" wasps
*Angry sounding rock songs about "I don't wanna go to school" during
the morning commute
*Extended stories read aloud. My 4 year old was bored by it & said
"Mom, I don't want to hear this lady talk! I want Kids Stuff!")
*One of the extended audio stories today, about a young freed slave
girl, had content in which the girl goes to visit a medicine woman who
removes her head, puts it on a table, and keeps talking to the little
girl. Tell me this won't give a 4 year old nightmares!
*tween music--the Jonas Brothers & Naked Brothers & Cheetah Girls
already have a radio home on Radio Disney.

I could go on, but what we miss is the wonderful, upbeat eclectic &
quality mix of children's programming (LOTS of Dan Zanes, Laurie
Berkner, Imagination Movers, Barenaked Ladies, Brady Rhymer, Trout
Fishing in America, classic songs from Mary Poppins, the occasional
Dora or Diego song, Muppet songs, They Might Be Giants, Schoolhouse
Rock and I could go on and on...) Kids Stuff had programming that my
children & my husband & I ALL LOVED. Sure there might be the
occasional stinker, but with Kids Place Live the stinkers far outweigh
the gems. We try to channel surf until something decent comes on, but
usually wind up listening to a CD or watching a DVD when we're out and
about in the car. One kids station can not please the entire
demographic you're trying to please--so keep Kids Place Live for older
children & tweens, (since I'm sure the loyal Kids Place XM parents
would be just as upset to lose their station), but PLEASE BRING BACK
KIDS STUFF the way we knew it and loved it. We'll give you until the
end of January, otherwise I'll be dropping my subscription.

Anonymous said...

My 5-year-old misses Kids Stuff a lot. At least we have Christmas Music for now. You all should check out this site: http://www.siriuslyscrewed.com/

While they are not addressing the Kids Stuff specifically, the site does appear to represent a rapidly-growing grass roots effort to force S-XM's hand!

Anonymous said...

Wrote to Sirius/XM this morning after finding your site:

I am writing to add my voice to the many who are lamenting the loss of Kids Stuff and the perceived demographic shift of your lone younger-kids station toward the tween market. My older son (7) has really felt the loss and is trying to get through all the age-inappropriate programming (Jonas Bros, Naked Bros Band, Hannah Montana, etc—essentially Disney Radio programming) in the hopes of hearing at least one song he used to. The provision of DJs and the chipmunk have completely turned off the most important customer in this equation: Me—the one who decides whether or not we re-up this subscription or if we go back to my iPod with a preferred selection of music. I gave up commercial radio years ago FOR A REASON, and excessive prattling of DJs was one of those reasons. We feel Kids Place Live has more or less ignored the needs of the young and innocent in favor of aggressive, emotionally charged tween pop. I realise my kids will one day have to get through adolescence, but Kids Stuff was a pleasurable buffer from all that, reflecting music for a simpler age. Please bring it back on another channel.