Radio Ink - Radio's Premier Management & Marketing Magazine

November 16, 2009: Speaking Monday to Neil Cavuto on Fox Business Network, Sirius XM CEO Mel Karmazin said he's got no intention of leaving the satellite radio company. When Cavuto noted that Karmazin's name is being mentioned as one of the executives who could run a merged Comcast-NBC, if that much-talked-about deal comes together, Karmazin said, "There would be no question that I would be perfect to run it. There is no chance that I will ever take another job outside of Sirius XM. I just renewed my contract. It's exactly what I want."

Cavuto asked Karmazin if that's because he doesn't want to be "number two" to Comcast CEO Brian Roberts, and Karmazin said being a second-in-command "would absolutely not be possible," according to a transcript provided by FBN. And that's true not just in Roberts' case, but with any exec: "I wouldn't be a number two to Warren Buffett," Karmazin said. "I mean, I'm just not good at it."

Cavuto brought up the competitive environment for Sirius XM, specifically mentioning HD Radio, to which Karmazin responded that doesn't see any money in HD, and that his company has a big advantage in its content. He said, "Here's only one other company that's close to us in revenue -- and they're slightly ahead of us -- and that's Clear Channel. None of these other companies -- there's no radio company, there's no revenues in HD Radio. You know, you've got all of these music services that have revenues of under $100 million a year."

Karmazin continued, "We have this extraordinary content. We have 135 channels in every single market in the United States, from Sirius and from XM. And our content is what separates us."

Karmazin said the 17 months Sirius and XM spent waiting for their merger to be approved were a "huge disadvantage," but now that is behind the company, "I think today, you'll start to see quarter after quarter of growth. You'll see us making free cash flow. You'll see us with ... over $2.5 billion of revenue. We'll start to make money, and we'll start to keep investing in content. And I think our future will be great."

Asked about how he handles with the big-name talent Sirius XM is known for, Karmazin said, "By paying them a lot of money." He continued, "All the rest doesn't matter."