I just wanted to comment on this merger It is gonna happen just a matter of time The FCC is being stubborn about stern if you want more info. about the merger and the EL CARTA programming go to siriusmerger.com Honestly who cares about monopoloy the companies have the same owner so we might as well make money to.
If it takes a merger of the only two satellite radio companies to make them profitable, let’s do it. I can’t live without satellite radio.
PLEASE, PLEASE tell me I never have to listen to FM radio again.
This whole waiting game by the FTC FCC smells of CLEAR CHANNEL wanting both companies to die. It would be one less thing in their way to making the public listen to their music and news only on “Public Radio”. Then the only other choice people would have would be to listen their overpriced “HD” garbage.
It’s time for a class action lawsuit against the government for negligent, incompetent, and irresponsible behavior costing millions and millions of sat radio subscribers a higher pre-merger monthly subscription fee. Kick the darn NAB out of your offices and get this done! Their staunch interference in this approval proves the competition with them!
While Sirius and XM both have channels that appeal to me, I hope not!
When satellite radio first came out I made the mistake of trying Sirius. Reception was dismal. It cut out while driving on open freeways with no overhead obstructions and a clear view of the sky in all directions. Several friends had the same problem with Sirius at work, at home and in their vehicles with various styles of units. Reception was as intermittent as a distant AM station at night! I changed to XM and have had no problems. I love my XM and fear what service would be like here in Southern California if our programming came over the inadequate Sirius satellite system. It certainly can’t deliver for us.
I don’t understand what is taking so long. Giant oil companies merge within weeks, Rupert Murdoch can buy anything he wants without a problem. The two things that oil and media have in common is the all mighty dollar. We live in a society where less than one percent of the population rules the country and the power of the dollar speaks louder than the voice of the people. It’s a sad state of affairs that politician after politician have their strings pulled by the highest bidder and are nothing more than puppets of corporate America. Why else would this be taking so long? Do they fear that the two satellite radio companies will take over the world? Monopoly? What monopoly? If you dont want to pay for satellite radio then dont, its that simple. Oil is a monopoly because everyone needs it, there is no way around it. Politicians should have to go on the TV show “The Moment of Truth” and answer one simple question. “Has a campaign contribution ever swayed your decision making at anytime in your career?” What do you think the answer would be? In regards to the XM – Sirius deal the answer would be a definite “Yes”. Enough already, pass the merger so the corruption of American officials stops becoming more obvious.
Absolutely, the merger should be passed. It’s funny how quick foreign oil companies merge in the United States, but when it comes to satellite radio, “the situation is very complicated.” What BS….
Get it done, already! I don’t have any choice but Comcast for cable TV (Direct TV is satellite). How is this any different?
Over a YEAR – Lets quit this open-wound from bleeding and bringing both of them to a fatal death… I love my SIRIUS – Let the damn merger go through.
This Old Ga. Dawg
Yes,
I belive that they should have approved the merger 8 months ago. It will save peope money if they want to subscribe to both services. There is already enough competion for Sirius/XM. This is a no Brainer, but it seems the FCC does not use theres.
No brainer!! Approve this ASAP! The DOJ is costing me money. Why? I could have been paying less post merger. But here I am still paying $12.95 per month. DOJ is costing me money dragging there feet….
What problem are we trying to fix? How about me paying a monthly fee and me only being able to listen to football but not baseball. If they deny this merger, then they better enforce some kind of fair contract practices so that both companies can provide all sports!
What is wrong with XM and Sirius remaining separate.
What problem are we trying to fix? There needs to be choice. If you live in one of those area where you have one cable company to “choose” from you will know the feeling of facing poor service with no alternatives. The same applies to phone companies that have “franchise” control of an area.
The logic that the public would decide because it is a luxury item is flawed. Most things in life these days are luxuries. I like satellite radio and want the choice to say “your not doing a good job I going to the other one!” And comparing sat radio to FM radio etc. is like comparing a bicycle to a car just because they both have wheels and can be used for transport.
I want the same station when I drive down to see my son in DC or my cousin in baltimore. I want classical or opera or kids stuff for my baby that relaxes her. I want a choice of Opie or NFL or nascar or litefm or country. I want 1 radio choice in my next Honda or Toyota or Benz. I want howard or artie or playboy when I want it.
I don’t want to have to choose between Blu ray or HD dvd, just one. I don’t want to pay exxon mobile one more dollar to give them 10billion and 1 in profits. I don’t want the merger to delay 1 more day and I don’t want the NAB to put XMSIRI out of business like they WANT to.
I am sure you all can agree with me here in my thoughts that we are dealing with the U.S. Govt to make a fast move. Nothing moves fast in the Govt. I have been an employee of this institution for over 18 years. The eratic drivers of the D.C. freeways move faster than the paperwork. Keep your patience. The merger will happen EVENTUALLY!
If our wonderfully efficient government takes this long to make a no-brainer decision due to lobbyists and such, I wonder what it will be like when they take over healthcare??!!
Now there’s a scary thought!!
The Sirius/XM Merger shall be approved. I believe this hold-up is because the witch hunt the FCC has against Howard Stern. What the hell ever happened to our First Amendment right to free speech. The FCC needs to let it happen. It is a win/win for all broadcast formats.
Q: Why would this process take an unprecedented amount of time? A: Our governmental agencies are obviously largely influenced by lobbying dollars. Remember to vote against those who did not stand up and voice their approval of this merger in addition to those who openly opposed the merger.
I bought a GM car equipped with XMSR. That was great because I like FNN and NASCAR.
A year ago XMSR lost the NASCAR contract to SIRI and I am out in the cold unless I buy more equipment and subscribe to both.
XMSR says not to worry, we have a couple of corny NASCAR programs and I have to explain that I really don’t care about hearing drivers act like idiots, I want to hear races.
Hopefully, the merger would ultimately yield shared technology and my XMSR equipped car could once more receive NASCAR races.
2 competitors continuing to pay far too much for program content in order to sell subscriptions is not financially viable and the resulting dynamics almost force a user to pay for both. As it is, I carry a list of stations that carry NASCAR for use when doing cross country trips. You just have to hope that the local stations don’t elect to pre-empt the broadcast with hog prices or something else.
Please get on with the merger and stop the vendor exclusivity which has far more take aways than any perceived technology monoply.
I cannot understand why the DOJ is taking this long to make the approval final. Unless of course there is someone in that Dept on the take from the lobbyist in Washington. Come on you guys do the right thing GO SIRIUS GET SERIOUS
This has to be one of the ugliest mergers I have seen in quite some time. The FCC should get off their butts and make the call one way or the other. Let’s hear what they think and why the delay.
I agree with Cramer. One big reason the deal is taking long is because the terrestrial radio companies probably have some DOJ and FCC members in their back pocket.
Broadcast radio does not spend 10+ million dollars to fight this merger because it DOSE NOT compete with sat radio.
so obvious its retarded
The merger should have been approved at least 6 months ago !. The only reason it has not been approved is because Stern is involved !.
This is absolutely ridiculous that this deal is taking this long…
There is still plenty of competition in the market. Terrestrial radio is still of good quality and (ahem..) FREE!
Plus, with the two companies combined, they would be offering a la carte programming, so even if the price is higher (will probably be lower depending on the amount of stations you want), you’re actually gaining in quality. GREAT FOR THE CONSUMER!!!!!
How can they let Exxon Mobil merge and not SIRI and XM merge??Exxon Mobil is much more monopolistic than satellite radio!!LET IT HAPPEN!!!
Sirius and XM should be allowed to merge NOW NOW NOW!!
The DOJ is holding things up because they want to see legislation passed that will allow the FCC to censor satellite radio (specifically Howard Stern) in the same way it censors TV.
It has nothing to do with monopoly or the market. The majority in Congress is in the pocket of old media (the competitors that don’t exist) and they are trying to stop this deal or stall it long enough that it falls apart. Did you know the Senate wrote their rules to allow staffers and family to trade on inside information? So buy when your Senator’s wife starts buying SIRI.
Believing that satellite competes with AM/FM amd MP3 players is consistent with the view that cars compete with airplanes and boats in the transportation industry. If there’s not enough demand for two satellite companies, at least divest half of the capacity for some future use that will be more in demand. Vote NO.
The length of time that our government is taking to make this decision is a crime. Free enterprise, with little government interference, is what makes our country productive. Approve the merger now and let’s get on with
business.
I really don’t care if they both go belly up. Subscription services are a drain on our wealth as a nation. I have never subscribed to any radio or tv service, and I never intend to. My HD radio provides me with more choice of content than I know what to do with, as does my broadcast HDTV. The US already spends more on marketing than the total GNP of the 50 poorest nations, I think that that should be enough of a drain on our economy. We shouldn’t have to bleed any more than that.
Yes, let them merge. this has gone on long enough. It is a good deal for both the consumer and the stockholders. Without the merger it is likely that neither will survive. With ala carte pricing I may even become a customer
What’s worse,a merger now or one company going out of business later with the survivor having no agreement to control pricing etc..?
Well I am a sirius subscriber and I onlu listen to a handfull of the stations they offer. Allowing me to pick what I want and forget the rest of them would save me money. XM has a few good stations as well so with the 2 together, its a win-win for me. I do way too much traveling to mess around with traditional radio.
John MacMillan, Pompano Beach, Florida could be right you know.
Term’s up soon, so no strings anymore, 2007 figures come out Feb. 26, XM’s the weaker of the two, so a new bid could be in the works — or let XM struggle and starve.
Interesting scenario; first I’ve seen mentioned sofar.
I think its irrelevant. Satellite radio has never become a widespread mainstream cash cow, hence the merger is to prevent the death of satellite radio altogether. Eventually, though, it will go the way of the 8 track tape.
listen up people. this is a PAY service. if you don’t like it, don’t subscribe. the only ones blocking this is clear channel and they’re such whores it’s ridiculous. i WILL NEVER listen to regular radio again because of the commercials and cookie cutter dj’s. long live satellite radio.
The tired old story “let the consumer decide….better than having the government do it” is wearing thin. Get a new erspective! Like ….take a good look at the wisdom of letting the consumers decide in the subprime housing loan mess. The market forces are shaped by competition…..not by monopolies formed to cover up bad management.
This merger should go through. Give me a break they compete against the ipod and reg radio. This isn’t rocket science but coruption at it’s best. If oil companies can combine why not radio.It’s a total joke!!!!
ATT And SBC were allowed to merger years after the companies were separated for Anti trust reason. Why did the FTC and FCC allow Att and SBC to become One again. How about AOL-Time Warner?
I’m surprised there is no uproar about one person owning so many media outlets, ie The Wall Street Journal, Barrons, NY Post, Fox News and Fox Five. Yet the FCC is worried about XM and Sirius merging. I guess Rupert has an in with the FCC or he’s paying them off. If Sirius and XM aren’t allowed to merge it will prove that regulators don’t have the consumer’s best interest at heart because the combined XM sirius would cut prices and provide competition for terrestrial radio. The only reason politicians like local radio, who have the real monopoly is because local radio provides them with free PR.
Of course the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) aren’t going to happy with Sirius and XM merger. The combined Sirius and XM would pose a great threat to National Association of Broadcasters’ monopoly of the radio. And the National Association of Broadcasters are pushing politicians who they give free airtime on their local radio stations to fight the merger which would lower the price that both XM and Sirius currently charge.
Separately, on another subject, The Sirius XM price cuts show that the merger will benefit consumers. Therefore, if the merger is stopped it will show that regulators don’t have consumer’s best interests in mind. Also aren’t these the same regulators that approved the ATT-SBC merger after the companies were split up years ago for having a monopoly and the AOL Time Warner Merger? Let’s not forget that we buy oil and diamonds from the biggest monopolies in the world: OPEC and DeBeers.
Sirius is pulling a fast one. And the FCC is wise to them. There are two sets of frequencies set aside for Satellite radio. Sirius has one and XM has the other. The original FCC rules required that the two winning bidders develop a radio capable of receiving both systems. That never happened. Now they want to merge and keep both sets of frequencies. What they are really after is the sports broadcasting monopoly. Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey, Nascar etc. aren’t attractive as podcasts. If they were really so bad off, they would offer a transition plan to free up one of the frequencies and save the cost of supporting both systems. If this merger is allowed, they will have a monopoly on sports broadcasting. The price they pay for the rights will go down and the price you pay will go up. Also, watch how fast the two-system receiver hits the market. Everyone will get some of the channels, but only a new receiver will get all of the channels. Competition between the two is better for all. They should be made to produce the Sirius XM radio that they agreed to develop and offer “a la carte” packages to everyone. We went through this with VHS – Betamax and HD DVD – Blu Ray. We didn’t need the government to create a monopoly then. We don’t need this monopoly now.
yes, the merger should be approved. The last comment about the merger creating a monopoly has been proved erroneous by the many comments already posted, ie, Exxon-Mobil, and the fact that one satellite station would still have to compete with Ipods,, the internet, etc. Glad to see the stalling tactic is being exposed and protested.
Unfortunately most people live in the big cities, where they have lots of options. except for one local FM, all I can get is mexican radios or satellite. A merger will definetly cut options, increase costs and probably broadcast more ads via satellite. Just like the cingular/att merger created a monopoly in this area, this one would create one too. Please don’t approve another monopoly! Please remember us living where nobody else wants to live! Let us have options and an open market!
i have been with sirius for 4+ years.
don’t care about howard stern or opie and andy or sports. i like the commercial free
music and comedy….prices go up i’m gone…go back to cd’s and hd radio
This isn’t milk or sugar, it’s a luxury item and only one of MANY ways of delivering music and other content into one’s ears. Life will go on (HD Radio, Ipods, CD’s, Slacker, etc. etc.) with or without XM / SIRI. It is NOT a monopoly in any sense of the word. If the merger is not permitted, one or both of the companies may fail, leaving either the same result as a merger (one company) or worse, thousands of unemployed as both companies go under.
Public interest aside, it’s not a monopoly any more than “Blue Ray” is a monopoly. SatRad is a FORM of technology to deliver music/content, one among many. Duh.
Best guess is yes for approval, the government has taken their time to decide over a high tech and complicated matter of not just corporate monopoly issues but air rights. In that same time span, the global business of satellite radio landscape as changed dramatically into a competitive and volatile market. Synergies, sales volume, innovative marketing of programs and pricing will drive XM and SIRI to new levels of customer delight and stakeholder value. Better for us, good for the Board.
Great article and I agree that the merger would merely help them compete with the many other media platforms emerging with cell phones/ media device. FM/AM/ Satellite and Wi/Fi are a nice set to compete by.
My two new cars are forcing me to pay both companies now. Let them merge and I’m way ahead with one company.
To me as a subscriber of XM, a merged entity would be a monopoly. The article wrongly says people have a “choice”. Yes those who have not bought the equipment have a “choice”. One who is using the service will be at the mercy of the monopoly, just as cable TV is doing because they alone provide internet as well. And the have a huge penalth to prevent people using satellite tv by providing a “discount” to any internet subscriber who also uses TV service.
Let them merge! Enough is Enough! Time Warner Cable puts 200 channels on my TV, I watch maybe 20. I can’t wait to listen to NFL, NASCAR, MLB, PGA, NHL and Howard Stern all on one service!! I also can’t wait to not be forced to have Martha, Oprah, and Air America on my radio!! Let them merge!!!
Ok, first off you’re an idiot. They don’t state they’re 100% commercial free. All of their music channels ARE, talk radio channels AREN’T. Same thing with Sirius. Secondly, if they do raise their rates, are they going to MAKE you stay a subscriber? Or will you have the right to say F you and cancel your subscription? If you said cancel your subscription YOU’VE WON A BRAND NEW BRAIN! It’s not a monopoly and everyone knows it. Call John Conyers’ office and blame him for taking lobbyist money to kill the deal.
I was a long time XM listener. I spend a lot of time in the car and the only time I listened to local radio was during bad weather. When my subscription ran out I did not renew cause I wanted to see how this whole thing pans out. I liked what Mel promised as far as lower prices and an a la carte menu. But I have been lied to before and I suspect that despite assurances from Sirius that the regulators don’t trust them either.
As a shareholder, the deal would likely benefit me in the long run but as a customer, no way. Mergers are meant to benefit shareholders by both reducing costs and improving pricing. No public company would pursue a merger if it can’t acheive both of these objectives. Having only one satellite provider with no competitor would pretty much ensure my pricing will go up and my choices will go down and as a shareholder, I would expect them to do this.
A “monopoly” is Microsoft, we all need to use Windows and there is no competition. XM & Sirius is a luxury, we don’t need it, it’s not a “monopoly”. They are competing with Free Radio. It’s similiar to Cable TV, a luxury with no cable competition in our neighborhoods.
18-Feb-2008
I personally would love to see the merger go through with fling colors.. I own a portable “plug & play” devise and look forward to having extra channels that one or the other don’t carry. Another !! Is that – If there is not a true and clear reason as to “Why” this merger is not allowed. I would love to see the CEO of Sirius carry this all the way to the next level by suing the DOJ and or the FCC or others to whom set on there “THUMBS WHILE INSERTED IN THERE ?????…” And not showing any other reason accept for there interest in supporting terrestrial radio.. Which should not have been allowed … Since there are no know reason for them to be concerned – since both XM & Sirius has to compete with local radio frequencies to tune into – for if the real truth was known – Most land radio station are probably operating over there alloted range allowed by the FCC.
To end : This Old Ga. Dawg loves his SIRIUS – And look forward to the eminent approval of XM/Sirius…
As it stands right now, satellite radio is pretty lame. Both XM and Sirius have mediocre channel selections. I’m not renewing my Sirius account until this goes through. I want the a la carte package. Get it done already!
Wrong to the poster below me from Bronx, NY. It has already been stated that prices for BOTH COMBINED would be LESS than having both individually right now. There will also be al-la-cart programming, where you pick which channels you want, and build your own package. This is VERY good for the consumer. Like myself, I have Sirius for Howard Stern, and a few of the comedy channels. Why pay 12.95, when I could just pay like 5$/month for those in my own, personalized package?
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has spent big money to stop the merger. Ironically it is because of increased competition (between satellite and terrestrial) that the FCC is taking so long. The FCC is more interested in keeping big money donors happy than in fostering competition between satelite and terrestrial radio.
It’s simply a matter of lobbiests for commercial radio stations have congress in their pockets… Exxon and Mobil merger was approved in less than half the time.
I’ve been waiting 8 months to buy a Lexus with built in Sirius. Hope the merge happens soon. I also am waiting for Home new home updated receiver so I can designed complete home theatre and audio system to include ipod design.
I have XM and like it. But the day they merge, I’ll end my subscription because I won’t allow one penny of my hard earned money to go to Howard Stern (Sirius). Just one man’s preference.
More than music is disseminated by satellite radio so the anti-trust concerns go much further than the many uninformed posters have said.
Both XM and Sirius deliver safety critical aviation weather information to aircraft in flight. This service is vital to the safety and security of the aviation industry, and the merger of these two firms would eliminate the only competition for aviation weather service delivery.
I do not support the merger due to anti-trust concerns regarding the satellite delivery of non-music services. Aviation weather is the most important, but these broadcast companies also serve a variety of other markets with unique services. A merger of the two firms would destroy competition in these markets.
I think in order for satellite radio to survive a merger will be GREAT for both of them, in 1995 when satellite radio started, internet access wasn’t so big yet, there were no ipods and mp3’s.
I think if they merge and provide via satellite and internet, it will provide a wide variety of music, talk, sports and news.
Free TV = Poor quality, limited channels
Paid TV = Better selection, high quality.
Free Internet (Juno etc) = Popups, banners, slow, 2nd class customer experince.
Paid Internet = Faster, better support, fewer ads
Free Radio = more commericals, limited listening area, many stations under same parent company (clear channel etc)
Paid Radio = (HD / Sat) Better reception over wider areas, user select content, still have access to full free radio spectrum, some limitation of commericals.
My point? You “pay up” for quality and selection, which is why just like cable and satelite TV and high speed internet service, people will pay up for the improved selection, content and quality of Sat radio and it will prove to be a sucessful model.
Furthermore the remaining company after the merger would likely be an attractive takeover target or bussiness partner by a handset maker to create an “all in one” handset (Phone, MP3, Sat Rad receiver)
Why does the merger get approved? Subscribers to a sat raido company don’t lose access to their free ground based broadcasters, the two control less than 5% of the radio market and this is the last chance Justice and and FCC will have to regulate a single provider as one of the companies (I think XM) goes out of bussiness if the merger is rejected.
Full Disclosure: Sirius Subscriber, XM User, Long of SIRI calls.
in responce to the person under me who said that xm is not commercial free, that is correct. xm and sirius dont claim to be commercial free, they claim to have many commercial free channels. if you listen closely when they say commercial free they say that they have “x” amount of commercial free stations. it is not a monopoly!
ok maybe it is a monopoly but it is beneficial for both the consumer and producer, not only the producer.
Who cares?! I had XM for a year and dropped it. My wife had XM for a few months in her new Honda and let it lapse. I had Sirius in my BMW and let it lapse. The problem? The low bit rates sound terrible. XM and Sirius about quantity but the sound quality is worse than an over compressed MP3. No thanks.
The prices will most likely go down as Sirius & XM have laid out over & over again. They will not definetly go up as previously stated in the previous post. Just let them merge, this isn’t about energy, water or world peace, it’s a type of radio for goodness sake.
Sure, let’em merge. Then all of the XM subscribers can help us pay for making Howard Stern wealthy with that insane figure Sirius pays him.
Im guessing that most of the individuals here have no formal business education and do not manage their own money. First, there is no monopoly here. If there were, then the same would be said of your local cable company. The fact is, you have a free alternative. Second, just because both companies face negative returns does not mean a combined business would experience the same losses. Finally, comparing this merger to major league baseball is absurd, but again, no one is twisting your arm to buy a baseball ticket either. You can listen to your local game for free, or all of them on satellite. The ignorance of the individuals in this country never ceases to amaze me.
Could someone tell me how the shareholders of both co. will get screwed. I know we will I just don’t know how.
With the merger of XM and Sirius I will subscribe to the XM/Sirius service because a reasonably priced subscription is promised. The “ala carte” pricing program makes the difference for me. Without more reasonable pricing I will not subscribe.
Oh my God. The world is coming to an END. We now have a monopoly. No more Toshiba HD-DVD players. ONLY SONY Blue Ray.
I need to call the FCC, DOJ, FBI, CIA, NSC, UN, and the police. We need our government’s HELP Big time.
Yes they must be allowed to merge. If the IDIOTS(FFF and DOJ) allowed the merger of a newspaper and television station in the same market, they must do the same. The lack of consistency within the Excecutive branch goes to show that if they are paid enough, they will approve it faster with little review. One group of people with the money trying to block the deal is the”NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of BROADCASTERS.” Another group is trying to blackmail and steal the allocated frequency spectrum for their own use is the “GEORGETOWN GROUP.”
I see someone said the price will go up. If it is raised, then drop the service. You are not required to buy that service.
I have been a stockholder of Sirius sinse it)s beginning. All I have done is lose money. The merger should help. At this point,I would be happy to get my investment back.
if the two companies were to merge, the prices will definately go up, due to lack of competition. i am surprise the government will allow the merger to happen, wouldn’t it be considered a monopoly?
as far as XM, being commercial free, that is untrue. there are channels that run commercials. such as, 24 and 25
—Responce:
No competition??? If anyone thinks prices are to high they can move to terestrial radio which in case you have not heard is free!!!
As far as commercials the music stations are commercial free on sirius and on the talk stations yes they have commercials, but usually once an hour instead of every 10 minutes like on regular radio.
I see no reason to allow the merger. I agree that there is other competition, but these two companies keep growing market share. If they are failing, it is not due to lack of demand (& I don’t buy into “we cannot survive apart”). Each company has its own merits. XM has superior equipment and higher fidelity, Sirius has better tie-ins. I’ve used both services and have picked one (Sirius, for the NFL & NASCAR). DOJ & FCC need waist no more time on this, deny & dispose of this matter (is not their job to protect the whiny management).
I hate the idea of a merger. It will stifle competition. It is ridiculous to argue they compete with every source of sound under the Sun. There is only one source of pay radio, and its satellite, and it will give you less and charge you more if the only two players are allowed to merge. By the satellite companies argument the telephone companies aren’t monopolies because they actually compete with the post office and email. Nonsense….
Additionally, what will Sirius do about the people that have $500 paid in advance lifetime subscriptions? We will get screwed twice.
Yes.
While pondering which car to buy I cannot “choose” between XM and Sirius. Unless someone actually thinks I decided to buy a BMW becasue they offer Sirius.
After I purchased my BMW, I had a XM portable device installed so I can add the sports’ features of XM.
How is this good for me – the consumer? Where are my choices? They were made for me and at the highest possible price.
if the two companies were to merge, the prices will definately go up, due to lack of competition. i am surprise the government will allow the merger to happen, wouldn’t it be considered a monopoly?
as far as XM, being commercial free, that is untrue. there are channels that run commercials. such as, 24 and 25
YES!!!!
Please announce they approval NOW!!
If they don’t merge XM will go out of business anyway and we will still have just one sat company!
Let them merge NOW!!
PLEASE!!!
WHATS WRONG WITH PAYING FOR PREMIUM RADIO ? YEARS AGO IF SOMEONE TOLD YOU THAT YOU WOULD BE PAYING FOR TV & WATER THEY WOULD BE PUT IN A NUT HOUSE.
I couldn’t care less. The entire idea of paying for radio (I know, comercial free, but big whoop,) is rediculous. They’ll both be gone in another year anyway!
I agree with all of the comments: however, none of you have come forth and said weather or not you are investors. For example for every 1000
shares that I own I will recieve 217
shares of XM. All the money is being
allocated to the well being of the CFO
and the rest of the inside company traders. As usual we the stock holders get screwwed.
They should make a decession either way. I favor yes! It tool less time for Exxon to take over Mobile
I live out in the boonies where quality radio programming simply does not exist. Having a XMSR would be great, and while it is not a necessity, it is far from being a “luxury” item for my wife and myself who don’t care for endless county music and a total lack of excellent talk radio. USGov, GET OFF your duffs and approve this merger!!
Why should the government bail out either XM or Sirius by letting them merge? I have been an XM subscriber since 2004 and I believe they should live by the deal they agreed to when they created both companies. How can this deal be successful since both companies have a return on equity of -18% and a return on assets of -7.6%(SIRI) and -8.5%(XMSR). Let them live or die by there own business model.
I no longer care.I just cancelled XM radio over a dispute of a $3.12 overcharge on my bill that “customer service” wouldn’t settle with me.
They’re talking about BILLIONS but XM won’t talk to me about a lousy $3.12!I’ll get along just fine without either one of them or both!
Yes,I find it odd that our government will approve mergers that never have the best interest of the taxpayers, such as Exxon Mobil, and news groups owning all the news we see and hear, but something like this takes over a year. It is obvious that the groups that own the “free” radio are in the pockets of the legislators who will approve or deny this. I have an I pod, I can listen to that at the gym or beach. I have a car radio that allows me to listen to every local “free” radio channel, and I have both Sirius and XM in my cars. I will decide who is best for me, not the government. Approve the deal and get on to something that really matters, like the price of gas from the company(s) you allowed to merge and rip us off at the pump.
I can’t imagine, why this merger has taken so long. Am I wrong in remembering, that the Exxon/Mobil merger took just a few months?? Where is the hold-up? I think, that (free) radio is trying to do everything possible to delay their imminent death.
I am a subscriber to both services and it would benefit me greatly if they merged. As they will probably offer a “family plan” or something simiar to what they offer now. Plus I would be able to get the Sirius channels I enjoy in my car in my office that I can not currently get because of reception issues. If they raise the price higher than what I pay now. I will close my account and go just to my Ipod for music and AM for my talk. The government should use their time and our money for more important issues. You know like parading steriod users around and asking them questions we know they are going to lie about.
I like to believe that government officials have enough integrity to not be swayed by the NAB’s rants or kickbacks. There is NO reason why this merger should not go thru…its not a monopoly(ipod, CD, regular radio)and it will benefit the consumer(ala carte pricing)-…If this is not approved than I would say the whole merger approval process needs to be investigated by a unbiased party. After all…who exactly is the government “protecting” by not approving it ? Certainly not the consumer. And isnt that the whole idea to begin with ?
What a crock. The Federal Government should not even be involved. The market place will decide if a merger of the two will thrive or not. There is no need to “protect” the consumer. From what?
I am not privy to the facts marshalled on the two sides of the argument, so I could easily be swayed in the other direction if the data or analysis points that way.
I do find most of the arguments for approval wanting, so I would be surprised and very interested in reading what DOJ says about its decision if it lets the deal through.
its kinda a part of their ignorance to announce this merger and yet they came up with ala mode pricing months ago. as a customer im not very happy about them draggging their feet. must be a stock invester issue.. it usually is. am strongly considering dropping them xm/sirius. tell your investers that cause im sure others feel that way also
The relevant standard for determining whether other products are in an antitrust market are whether consumers WOULD switch to other products in the event of a price increase not whether they “can” or “could”.
Consumers could use a bicycle or public transportation instead of a car, but that does not put them in the same antitrust market as a car.
The antitrust laws were enacted to protect consumer from anticompetitive mergers because it was believed that in such circumstances the market could not by itself prevent the accumulation of market power through mergers. When he states that the market should be allowed to determine whether the XM/Siruis merger harms consumers, Mr. La Monica seems to want to denign merger review policy and Section 7 of Clayton act altogether. How will the market determine whether the merger harms consumers? The only way would be to let the merger go through and breakup the company after the fact if any price increase or quality decrease occurs. Such an approach is usually rejected due to the cost and difficulty of unravelling a merger after it has been closed.
Everyone keeps throwing the monopoly word around…let’s compare this merger to some other deals in the past.
1984–AT&T divestiture: a true monopoly. Phone service is what every person needed (and still does) and it was controlled by ONE company. It was broken up into several “regional bell operating companies” or RBOCS. You would think that this would be so fresh in the minds of our career politicians that they would fight to keep that from happening again, right? Wrong. Look at the recent telecom mergers: SBC, Pac/Nevada Bell, Ameritech, SNET, Bell South, AT&T are now known as one huge company–AT&T. Same for Bell Atlantic and others which now comprise Verizon. Those passed through the merger process in record time compared to Sirius/XM.
Mid-Late 90’s–Big Oil gets bigger: I don’t even think I need to go into too much detail with this other than to say…Exxon, Mobile, Standard, Texaco, BP, etc. etc. etc. Thanks to our government’s lack of action, oil is something we All need…yet these mergers went through Congress faster than an oil-soaked bird through the wash. Now we have record gas/oil prices to go along with Big Oil’s record profits. Perfect.
Back to this merger…let’s look at the real reasons this merger is stalled.
1.) The terrestrial radio markets right now are on their death beds. Ad revenues are drying up and people are flocking to better programming in satellite radio. The NAB knows this and wants to stop the bleeding.
2.) iPods and other personal music players are all over the place and the NAB won’t admit that old fashioned radio isn’t what people want anymore.
3.) Howard Stern. Let’s be honest here. Mr. Stern perhaps might not be the “King of All Media” as he likes to joke, but you have to admit that he’s at the very least the “King of All Radio”. The man is one of the primary reasons for the decline in ad revenues and ratings when he left for Sirius. While not all of his listeners have followed him there (yet) the ones that stayed got bored with his replacements and left those stations in droves. Add to that the fact that he was a thorn in the side of the FCC for decades and this would be the perfect way to stick it back to him by sitting on this merger long enough for both companies to give in to bankruptcy.
4.) The NAB and our government. Plain and simple. The main reason why our government fails us in times like this is because too much money is being thrown to Congress by special interests–in this case the NAB and those negatively impacted by this merger.
The Sirius/XM merger is NOT a monopoly as satellite radio is NOT a necessity and is a market in which others can compete. Let this merger happen and let the government get back to what it should be doing–ending the wars in Iraq and Afganistan.
Can you spell “Exxon-Mobil”??? They just posted the largest annual profit in U.S. corporate history. How has that merger helped the consumer?
I’m a listener, not a stock investor. I will guarantee that what is good for the investors is not good for the users. The price WILL go up and their willingness to compete on any meaningful level (price, service, niceness on the phone) will be reduced. I am very happy with my product as it stands today.
What part of the original agreement with the FCC wherein both of these companies understood that one of the conditions of the FCC license was that they would NEVER be granted the right to merge is not understood?
The same people who are available on Sirius-XM can be found on both free and pay radio. Not to mention internet streams. The content is available via so many avenues there is no way Sirius-XM could ever be considered a monopoly. We have the choice of providers. This merger provides those of us who prefer to pay the option to access the content we prefer.
The whole subject of a monopoly is such a joke. This is a paid service and you don’t have to use the service to listen to the radio. The DOJ and FCC are clearly being influenced by the lobbyists for the NAB and everyone knows it. This is the problem with our government, they think the general public are stupid and don’t understand what is going on.
To the statement that the merger will cause an increase in prices, I can guarantee you that if the merger doesn’t go through, both companies will have to raise their prices just to stay in business.
This delay is an embarrassment to thinking people…of course it should be done… both companies are 2.5 BILLION id debt and still losing 750 million per year.
IF the DOJ/FCC does nothing (it’s time to get off the dime boys) possibly there will be NO satrad and I for one, love it.
I’ve been a Sirius subscriber since Jan 9, 2006. I recently bought an Acura which came with XM. I let the XM 3 month trial run out. It would be great to be able to get both on my factory unit. There is no reason not to let the merger happen.
Please let them merger already, I want “a la carte” programming, I want more choices of stations on my satellite provider and I want this company to survive/prosper.
I really do not respect the misleading advertising that the NAB members are pushing, ads sponsored by “your local radio station”… which of course is owned by a HUGE conglomerate… saying that satellite radio is lacking… it is a wonderful choice and it is time that local radio (which is chock full of commercials because of a lack of local competition) had some competition.
“And it’s not just in the Marine environment, Rural areas and in many Mountain regions, satellite is the ONLY choice. You can’t get Up to date news or weather off an IPOD.”
True but the can get news and weather from there phones which is probably more pertinent to there area then the national news and weather XM/Sirius provide.
Are argument is so flawed I just don’t even know were to start. If you don’t want XM/Sirius then load up an mp3 player with music and get a phone. Sure seems like an alternative to me.
Does anyone notice that no other merger would take this long? What does congress have invested with Terrestrial radio? The war in Iraq got approved faster than this. The government lets Exxon -Mobil merge, as well as whirlpool-Maytag without any trouble at all. And Monopoly? Give me a break, Sirius/XM services are not even close to an necessity, they are a luxury. Secondly, satellite radio competes with many other services such as HD Radio, Internet Radio, iPOD, and most importantly Terrestrial Radio! This whole deal is absolutely ridiculous. This merger would benefit all parties, increasing share price, doubling the listeners, and more importantly saving the consumers, by lowering the monthly subscription cost. The adversity this deal has faced since the beginning from Terrestrial, in and of itself proves that there is indeed competition .
The answer to Hurley in Fl. posted 12:26 asking how this is different from Dish/Direct TV merger that was blocked is simple. In the case of the satellite TV companies they are the only choice for many rural Americans to recieve cable TV networks. A Merger of those two companies would create a real monopoly with real pricing power in many areas of the country because of a lack of any other choice (cable does not run to every home in the U.S.). In the case of SIRI and XMSR there is no area of the country that one can’t listen to an I-pod, radio does not require a cable to your car so if there is a station broadcasting (which there are many both in rural or urban areas) you can listen, and internet devices are now adding to the choices. Therefore a merger of these two companies really doesn’t create a monopoly as consumers will have other choices, thus limiting any pricing power the merger might have otherwise created. It should also be noted that Dish and Direct are both profitable entities as stand alone businesses which can hardly be said for SIRI and XMSR. XMSR is financially questionable as a stand alone company and SIRI is only in marginally better shape. Only anti-any-business type thinkers and those with tainted money in their pockets look at this merger and see a problem. If Whirlpool and Maytag could get together last year certainly we can let this merger be completed.
Most likely one way or another your going to end up with one satellite company anyway. XM probably goes bankrupt in 3 to 5 as many of the automakers have contemplated going with one satellite company to reduce supplier costs.
Second their going to lower the price. Who doesn’t want that? It’s a no brainier to me. I know the likes of Clear Channel and CBS hate this idea since they are getting closer and closer to owning the radio waves but too bad.
This merger will only do good for the radio industry.
I listen to Siruis when I’m at home.
I listen to my MP3 player on my commute. I also have several AM/FM radio’s lying around. I listen to CD’s too…there is plenty of media to go around. There doesn’t seem to be a good reason for the merger to be denied.
LaFong, thanks for your comment. But as a matter of fact, my opinion is unbiased. I do not own any shares of Sirius or XM. The only stock I own is that of my parent company, Time Warner. And that’s through my 401(k) plan. The stocks are not big holdings in any of the mutual funds I own in my 401(k) plan. What’s more, I am not a subscriber to either service. So I am just calling it as I see it. Feel free to disagree with me if you like. Healthy debate is welcome. However, I can assure you that there is no hidden agenda here.
PRL
So, this would create a monopoly because there would be only one satellite radio station. And there’s no where else to find anything to listen to except satellite radio.
That’s like saying Burger King has a monopoly because no one else sells the Whopper… you can still get a substitute greasy burger somewhere else, even if it may be cooked differently, branded differently, or made with slightly different ingredients. Imagine this: you could even choose to eat at finer restaurants, or, heaven forbid, cook for yourself.
I don’t care what the means of delivery is, it’s the content that matters (and that the audio quality is acceptable). Bring on the merger to allow for broader programming and a stronger competitor against ClearChannel’s near-monopoly stranglehold on today’s listeners.
What is the bottom line?
I currently pay about $13 dollars a month for XM radio and get all the channels.
How do i know that they won’t raise the price or offer less programing for what I am payng now>
Why don’t you come out up front and state that your opinion on this mefger is not unbiased, (you own how many shares of each one?)and stop talking about what’s good for the consumer?
Definitely make the merger happen. Both companies have agreed to make the necessary steps to make this happen. It is a paid service and unlike FREE radio, it is a subscription based service.
In no way shape or form is this merger a monopoly. Folks who don’t pay for a subscription are voicing opinions where they don’t have all the facts or know what is involved.
Cramer summed it up very well a few weeks ago – Maytag/Whirlpool – the DOJ didn’t even flinch. Sirius and XM are such small players compared to terrestrial radio yet the NAB sure is yelling loudly. I wonder why?
http://www.orbitcast.com/archives/jim-cramer-talks-merger-criticizes-feds.html
I’m a subscriber to both will be thrilled when this gets approved.
Id like to be given the opportunity to listen to the NFL and baseball without having to subscribe to 2 services, pay full for both and also have to hook up 2 sat receivers–Not only would i save money with the 2 services combined, it would make it easier because only one receiver would have to go into my car
Absolutely this merger should be allowed. It is hard to imagine how consumers could be hurt by this, especially with the concessions being offered by the merging entities.
Right now, I cannot get the programming that both companies offer without buy two full subcriptions to both companies. I want to listen to ACC basketball and NASCAR. The only way I can do that is to buy two different devices and get two full programming subscriptions. How in the world is that good for me as a consumer. Please give me the opportunity to buy one device, and choose those two programming options from an a la carte menue, allowing me to get exactly what I want from two providers for less than it would cost me from just one right now.
This is insane to think this deal is anti-competitive. If it were anti-competitive, then why would terrestrial radio spend what it has spent trying to block it. Obviously they know that XM and Sirius compete with regular radio and not just each other… otherwise, they wouldn’t be putting up such a fight.
If the price gets too high for anyone, they just don’t get satellite radio… and they still have a plethora of other choices. Even in rural areas there are tons of other choices.
This is a no-brainer, and the DOJ is showing me it’s a no-brainer, too, but delayig this so long, and driving these two companies into the ground during the wait.
One last point, if this merger is blocked, so we don’t end up with one entity in the Satillite Radio industry, what do you think is going to happen? I’ll tell you, one (or possibly both) of these companies will go bankrupt and close up shop. They can’t make money right now, and without the synergies from the merger, they won’t both make money at any point in the future. So what will happen in, one will go out of business, and guess what… we only have one entity in the Satellite Radio industry, exactly what we were trying to avoid to begin with. But guess what else, if we end up with only one because the other went out of business, DOJ and FCC will not get any of the concessions that XM & Sirius are offering right now. So instead of one well regulated entity guaranteeing a la carte pricing and that it won’t raise prices and that it will play nice with the government, we end up with one entity without any checks at all.
It makes no sense that this one is even a close call. Let it through and let us consumers start benefitting now.
If these two raise prices as a merged entity I simply will cancel my subscription, bottom line, they can’t afford to do that. It’s not like this is my heating company. Also, I listen to about 4 channels – I want this a la carte menu pricing!
Yes, as a subscriber of both Sirius and XM I would welcome the merger and the various ala carte offerings. Also I know when I’m driving me car down the road I can choose between SATRAD, terrestrial radio, playing my CD player, listening to music on my iPod, etc. All together it’s a highly competitive market.
Great Deal! I would like to see a merger of the 2 companies for the consumer to have the ability to pick an and choose which stations they want. If I were to get sat. radio I would like the option to listen to the MLB and NFL on my radio, currently you do not. I believe that there are better radio alternatives out there other than sat. radio but this would help bring them back into competition. If the merger does not go through I believe both XM will be out of buisness in 5 years and Siruis will have a hard time hanging in as well.
YES! Both companies should have been the green light long ago. I like their new monthly pricing plans. Currently, I only listen to four channels (13, 75, 77 and 134), and would not have to pay for all of them.
Thank goodness the DOJ and the FCC don’t run our country.
Dear:Posted By Anonymous : February 18, 2008 11:47 am
You clearly a rich idiot. “I have a boat” is your arguement?? Artie Lange would say, “Whaaaa”. AM and FM radio come through on a boat along with the internet. You can get all the information you want. If you have a boat, then you can afford a price increase, so please go back to your mansion and cry to your super model wife who has a drinking and pill popping problem.
As a Sirrus subscriber who listens to only 5 stations on a regular basis the “alacarte” programming would benifit me greatly. The merger would save this consumer money!
How is this deal different than the DirecTV/Dish Network Merger which was killed as a “monopoly”? It isn’t, but the politicians are, so they will split hairs and find a way to approve it or disapprove it depending on their own interests. Rather than allow this deal, they need to undo all the terrestrial mergers. That is the REAL monopoly, and the reason these 2 companies need to merge to compete.
THIS is a NO brainer. The audio entertainment market is broad and in many instances (iPod) very deep. Sirius/XM satellite is and will be a puddle only one inch deep, until consumer demand says otherwise! APPROVE!
Merge already! They are competing with regular old fashioned radio, ipod’s, cd’s, hd radio, internet radio already!
ummmm This is America right?? You/we should have the right to do whatever we want with OUR companies. It is not like a merger of these companies will send us back to the days of employees working for pennies a day and consumers standing in line and overpaying for goods.
Monopoly my rear end, this is 2 unprofitable companies trying to become ONE, that will maybe actually make some money. Someone else can always start their own new sattalite radio company.
The DOJ and FCC are a disgrace. Both have the hands of the NAB and radio lobbyists in their back pockets. Cramer will start identifing those who are holding up the merger on his Mad Money show tomorrow. I am looking forward to him exposing the government scum.
Let me understand this, two satellite companies sign a contract, when they were created, with the government not to merge, but then they decide to merge because their options have gone underwater, so they go to the government and say, please, let us have a monopoly like major league baseball. Yeah, subscription rates won’t rise? Just like baseball tickets to a major league game haven’t risen much!
To the person who said, this is like DTV and Dish. Back when they attempted to merge, Internet TV wasn’t feasible, There was no Youtube, iTunes just became a Music store, U-Verse wasn’t even a after thought
Sirus and XM to me is like the typewriter to the computer. How many people do you know still use a type writer?? Let move on with tech and let the big boys fight it out in court. I love my sirus and I dont care what the lobbiest do. Sirus is here to stay.
Gentlemen please, this is ONE full year later and we’re still arguing the merits of this merger between XM and Sirius?? No wonder it’s taking this long, I thought the entire goverment including the DOJ were the most incompetent bunch of idiots but now I see there’s quite a few idiots out there who believe this merger actually presents a monopoly issue. I’ve been wrong to think the goverment’s entirely to blame for their incompetence but now I see they’re just reflecting the ignorance or some people who elected them and continue to support them. God help us!
If the merger is approved then this will put millions of dollars back into the economy every year through alacarte programming.
also billions with merger approval for shareholders,Are government is so boughten by these other companies and lobbyist it is sick.approving the merger makes good stimulus for the economy, call your senator or congress rep and tell them to approve this merger and why.
Dan in Ft. Myers….
“but it KILLS the rights of talent or rights-holders”
If you’ve been reading about this at ALL then you would know that isn’t the issue preventing this merger from happening. It’s about whether or not the new Sirius would have a monopoly. If you don’t like it so much then just don’t get it. GO complain about how you only have 1 gas or electric company to choose from instead.
If this merger is allowed then Clear Channel and the other radio owners should be allowed to have more stations in any one market. That would also help media consumers by lowering the cost. This would allow radio stations to run fewer commercials to stay on the air providing FREE entertainment and news to the public.
this merger should not be allowed, all these people who say ipods and regular radio compete are smoking something. i own a boat, THE ONLY RADIO I CAN GET OFFSHORE is Sirius or XM. If this goes thru the price will go up and I will be forced to pay. And it’s not just in the Marine environment, Rural areas and in many Mountain regions, satellite is the ONLY choice. You can’t get Up to date news or weather off an IPOD.
If there is any doubt then it should not be allowed
Sky Tripp,
You are the most inarticulate, poor-spelling nitwit I’ve ever come across. Merger is beneficial for Sirius subscribers AND shareholders. You listen to all 130 channels? A la carte is what cable subscribers have been dreaming about and Sirius may actually deliver it. And finally, why would they choose to merge with an entity such as CBS, which would open the door for regulation again? Truly dazzling your intellect is…..
If they merge, it will be a harmless monopoly. If the merger is not approved, THEN there will be a harmful monopoly within 5 years because one of them will go bankrupt. The remaining company will take in all sports and popular programming, and it won’t have to follow any pricing rules that they are offering now as a condition of a merger and there won’t be as many channel options as there would be with the merger. Consumers who refuse to go back to commercial radio will suffer higher prices. The DOJ and FCC would look terrible if they block the merger then this happens. So it’s up to them – harmless monopoly or putting one company out of business and thereby creating a potentially harmful monopoly.
I certenly hope that the merger is approved. I am a huge sports fan and If I was to choose between Xm and sirius I would have to choose ethier baseball or football and If the merge then I would be happy
I find it hard to believe the focus of your story was on the ‘monopoly” debate. It is obvious to a person w/ half a brain since the beginning of this merger plan , this “monopoly” issue is a red herring. It’s an absolute travesty of justice that the gov’t has dragged this out for a year. Big corporations such as CBS & Clearchannel know that subscription satellite radio is a superior product that people actually are willing to pay for. They know that once customers try it they rarely go back to “free radio” w/ it’s 20 mins of commercials per hr, censored talk, static, and limited formats.
I agree 100% w/ Jim Cramer: This merger has had more oversight than the Iraq war, that the members of Congress are in the hip pockets of terrestrial radio, that the DOJ has rubber stamped merger after merger, and that the fact that this merger has taken so long is a travesty and an injustice.
Merge and stop fooling around with what citizens and users want!!
Government takes forever to make a decision- It a ploy to keep people employed in government!!
Of course it would be good. Right now our nations sporting events are divided in half by XM and Sirius. I can turn on terrestrial radio and get the NHL, NBA, NFL, and the MLB. I can’t do that if I own either XM or Sirius. I’d only have a choice of 2 of the 4. Am I supposed purchase both XM and Sirius to get all of the programs I want to listen to. By that measure I’d have to buy two receivers and pay for 2 subscriptions. Hows that for anti consumer. By keeping them apart the only one being hurt IS THE CONSUMER. It’s extremely obvious whose got the deep pockets here(clearchannel and cbs). Thats why this deal isn’t going through. It’s funny how our “regulating” bodies thing the general public is so stupid.
If this is a monopoly, why is the NAB so against this merger and spreading so much money around trying to stop it? They are worried that the COMPETITION will increase from Sirius/XM, that’s why.
Case closed.
It really begs the question: How could it be bad? There’s no possible way that this merger could be construed as a monopoly. With the range of entertainment choices out there, this would be great for the consumer, giving us a more reasonably priced choice. If they offer a la carte pricing, they would be leaps and bounds ahead of the cable industry (which, before sattelite and other choices, could’ve been considered a monopoly). The real problem is that “free FM” isn’t competitive enough, even after the billions of dollars they’ve made over the decades.
These companies that own these radio stations, who MAY or may not give thousands of dollars to the lawmakers who make the decisions about these things need to wake up. They’ve been getting away with sub-par prgramming and entertainment for far too long. And one last thing, how many other suuper-sized mergers went through in record time, when our lawmakers, the people WE put into power, stood to make a truck load of money off of it?
As a long time shareholder, I would rather see XM go bankrupt than for Sirius to merge and take on all of their debt. However, the merger would make sense since they would combine their synergies and together have 15 million subscribers.
NO WAY should this combination be approved! It might make sense for listeners, who DO have a choice of terrestrial radio or IPOD or satellite radio, but it KILLS the rights of talent or rights-holders. Simple thought experiment: would the NFL be able to get as much for their satellite broadcast rights if there was only ONE satellite company rather than two? Would Howard Stern and Oprah and other popular hosts be able to negotiate as good a deal with one company if the other wasn’t around to bid? This is a pretty clear-cut attempt at a monopoly to reduce programming costs. People bitching about the supposedly robust competitive landscape need to consider rights-holders just as much as they consider listeners/consumers.
this merger just does not make any scents why would 2 company’s that have neither ever made a profit merge to be come one super losing company. I am a Sirius subscriber scents 2004. I do not want to have to pay more for ala cart, I am also a Sirius share holder. I voted against the merge. Why not if they need more capital merge with a traditional media outlet such as universal/nbc or cbs corp.
A merger will be a bad deal for consumers. There is no precedent otherwise. If one, or both, can’t survive, let them fail. That’s the system working as it should.
Yes. Satellite radio is clearly a luxury item that thus far, consumers have chosen to purchase. More will or will not purchase the service based upon what is offered to them. If the merger is denied and the service suffers due to dublicative costs, how does the consumer win?
I agree 110 percent….. This merger needs to happen in order to
show cable companies that you can pay only for what you want
to pay…..
The market is still in its infancy. To allow the merger now would be premature. A monopoly at this stage would, in my opinion, stifle current development in this area and even perhaps discourage further competition.
Absolutely. I think it’s a disgrace that our government is taking this kind of time to make a decision on something like this, when multi-billion dollar oil companies are approved in weeks. This is not about anti trust issues. This is about who has the loudest lobbiest with the most money. If the merger was truely going to create a monopoly, then why is the NAB (terrestrial radio) fighting this tooth and nail? It’s not because they are concerned about the American public…it’s because they know the merged companies would pose a stronger threat, which means they are competing with satelite radio, which means it is NOT A MONOPOLY!
Yes, I feel the deal should be approved.It is best for the subscriber, its a shame a goverment agency can be so corrupt!
I am 100% in favor of the merger. This is obviously NOT a monopoly. I have Sirius and if they raise prices I am out period. I have so many other options that it would not bother me. If anything the merger will increase compettion. The DOJ is being influenced by congress NAB etc we need to launch an investigation. They should be ashamed of themselves.
Why is this taking so long?! Lobbyists for terrestrial radio are applying pressure. We are talking about 4% total of the “radio” market. How can that even resemble a monopoly. The platform maybe but thats all. This platform competes with terrestrial radio, iPods, Mp3 players, HD radio, cds, even cassette tapes! Come on guys, approve this merger and lets move forward.
I think a merger would benefit consumers. We would be able to have a single receiver and pick and choose content. Why should I have to have 2 receivers if I want to listen to both baseball (on XM) and pro football (on Sirius)?
Yes, completely allow it. I agree with the fact that they don’t just compete with each other. Even terrestrial radio acknowledged it with the “Free FM” campaign, clearly they see it as their competition and as far as other media goes, such as iPods, it is tough to disagree there too. Let it happen and let other important issues tie up these departments time, not small stuff like this.
paul, this is unbelievable…the government is holding this merger up, because they can’t stand howard stern…stern already won…give it up government…this merger should of been approved months ago!
I don’t see much difference between the proposed merger of XM and Sirius and that of DirecTV and DishNetwork, which wasn’t approved. Satellite TV also competes with over-the air TV, cable, ATT’s U-Verse, Netflix, iTunes, YouTube, etc.
Mr. Lamonica is right. The market place should decide if the Sirius/XM merger is a monopoly.
Anybody who has been in marketing for anytime knows monopolys are found in the market place, not an attorney’s office.
This merger should have been approved long ago.
Should the offer to buy XMSR fail because its has run out of time,
it becomes logical that SIRI would make a new offer on XMSR for
a lot less money. I believe it’s within the realm of possibilities that
SIRI is waiting for this buying opportunity, and why not. Indeed
SIRI could be causing the delay with the DOJ by holding back on
some little requirements in the hope of running out of time, so that
indeed it could rebid at a much lower price. If this is the case then the
DOJ should be able to asses this and in the best interest of the public
make the reasons for the delay public.
But don’t blame SIRI for trying to do best for his stock holders, but
at the moment it looks like SIRI could be using the DOJ to do its
dirty work with the delays. I am going to continue holding SIRI long,
but I would be selling any XM if I had any. SIRI appears to be doing
well even if it does not get its merger. You have to admit it would
be amusing if SIRI is deliberately being picayune and using the
DOJ to do a re-bidding.
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According to Rick Aristotle Munarriz of Motley Fool, Clear Channel is a larger radio broadcaster than XM and Sirius combined, so why isn’t the FCC concerned about Clear Cannel having a monopoly? Recently Clear Channel, wrote the FCC with conditions they wanted for the Sirius XM merger. So here you have a monopoly, Clear Channel, writing the FCC about keeping their monopoly intact.