Costs for adding subscribers dropped from $229 a year ago to $149, and for the year it ought to be $145, even as Sirius chief financial officer David Frear warned that the company planned to "increase substantially" its marketing costs this quarter. Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin told analysts on a conference call that in light of the planned marketing blitz focused on Stern, he anticipates a "blowout" fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank analyst Jim Dix wrote in a research note Tuesday that "this subscriber target should be achieved."

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