The Beat (Sirius)
 | |
| Broadcast area | Off-Air |
|---|---|
| Frequency |
SIRIUS 36 DISH Network 6036 |
| First air date | February 14, 2002 |
| Format | Rhythmic Top 40 / Dance music |
| Owner | Sirius XM Radio (Through SIRIUS Satellite Radio) |
| Website | www.sirius.com/thebeat |
The Beat was a Dance Music radio station, one of ten Dance/Electronic music satellite channels operated by Sirius XM Radio, which in turn operates as part of SIRIUS Satellite Radio's five Dance formatted offerings, broadcasting on channel 36 and DISH Network channel 6036.
The Beat offered a hybrid of current-based and mostly remixes of Rhythmic Top 40 and Dance music product, as well as Club classics from the 1990s and early 2000s. All of which is presented in a Top 40-like direction. Like XM Satellite Radio's BPM, this channel also featured guest and house DJs. Also, like XM, the content was delivered commercial-free.
The Beat signed on the same day as Sirius Satellite Radio in 2002. In the fall of 2005, after eliminating several channels to incorporate new ones such as the Howard Stern and Martha Stewart channels, the Beat moved from Channel 66 to Channel 36, along with the other dance-oriented channels (with the exception of Remix, which was eliminated).
There was speculation that with the merger of XM and Sirius now being official, The Beat and BPM could merge into one channel due to both channels airing the same format. On November 12, 2008, it was confirmed that Sirius XM would merge The Beat and BPM. The move was in part due to Sirius XM's decision to make cutbacks in the number of music channels with the same format on both Sirius and XM channels.
The Beat Morning Show with Geronimo premiered on January 15, 2009, on BPM. It featured the music The Beat once played. It aired Monday through Friday from 7am to 1pm ET and on The BEAT weekends from 10am to 3pm ET. As of June 13, 2009, The BEAT Morning Show name and listings on the website are no longer being used.
On January 1, 2014, SiriusXM introduced a new channel called Utopia, which is designed to be the alternative to The Beat. It emphasizes the 1990s and 2000s dance music. The channel was only available through their online listening service or the online app. On July 17, 2014, the channel was added to the satellite service, channel 55 and was added to Dish Network on August 20, 2015 to channel 6055.