XM-SIRIUS - Will The Merger Ever Happen? | Senserely Yours,

XM-SIRIUS - Will The Merger Ever Happen?

This HAS to be the longest merger in history, thanks to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)! Shareholders are going crazy! Waiting and waiting…Always the same news about the merger expected to be approved soon…month after month…It’s just nuts!

It seems to me that the fine folks at the FCC are doing all they can do to set XM-SIRIUS up for failure. They sure didn’t hem and haw so long when they passed the 1996 Telecommunications Act which eliminated the cap on radio ownership thus paving the way for the media juggernaut Clear Channel Communications. So, why so much deliberation and why so many stipulations and concessions for satellite radio? Maybe it’s pressure from special interest groups and polititians in the Clear Channel camp. (I guess Sirius blew their wad on Howard Stern and forgot to line some lawmakers’ pockets.)

Following the precedent set by satellite television, XM-SIRIUS offered up their willingness to offer a la carte programming, but the FCC (and terrestrial radio) apparently want a lot more. Afraid of losing any of their power to dictate what “the masses” listen to, terrestrial radio is out for blood wants to sap as mch power as they can from the merger of these two satellite radio companies and will push for all they can get the FCC to do to weaken sat radio. I just hope the FCC doesn’t give in to the pressure and gives satellite radio a chance to succeed.

Maybe they could offer some free programming like Sirius Public Radio or a few channels that offer music and/or news, but with commercials like terrestrial radio. That way, even if someone has a Sirius-XM radio, it can still have limited use without a subscription.

I’m sure the outcome will be approval for the merger, but I hope the conditions are such that it allows for the company to succeed and continue to provide quality content and even more, improved services.