STOP the XM-Sirius Merger NOW!

[Triana]

In a stunning decision, the Department of Justice has approved a merger between XM Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio -- the only two companies operating in the satellite radio market.

Fortunately, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) still has to approve this merger before it can happen. We can't let them follow the senseless path towards media concentration being paved by the Department of Justice.

If a merger of the only two companies in a market doesn't create an absence of competition, what possibly could? That's the question we must make the FCC face before this dangerous merger goes through.

Click here to sign our "Stop the XM-Sirius Merger" petition to the FCC:
http://www.commoncause.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=3975151

Letting this blatant creation of a satellite media monopoly go through could speed up the already out-of-control pace of media mergers in America. The FCC surely understands what's at risk.

]b]When they gave satellite licenses to XM and Sirius, it was on the specific condition that the two companies would not merge. All we're asking the FCC to do is stick with the standard they themselves set.

But, giant media companies know that approval of this merger will clear the way for their own competition-killing plans. So, they will be putting enormous pressure on the FCC to let this merger go through.

Common Cause is determined to counter that with a massive public outcry. Please speak up now.

Click here to sign our "Stop the XM-Sirius Merger" petition to the FCC:
http://www.commoncause.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=3975151

This is a huge test for those of us opposed to the media concentration craze that is shrinking the range and diversity of voices in America's media landscape. Big Media is going to pull out all the stops, but we can't let them win.

Please act as quickly as possible.

Sincerely,

Jon Bartholomew,
Media & Democracy Campaign Coordinator, Common Cause

[Double T]

1. Done.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

2. If they don't merge, one or both goes bankrupt

So then there's one anyway.

Trust me, no one is willing to spend the money to launch another satellite radio company. These two are showing why.

[Zywiec]

3. Please. This will create an absence of competition?

Most people have many choices of what to listen to in their car: Regular radio, satellite radio, CDs, MP3 players, etc. How is saving the satellite radio industry from complete collapse going to harm anyone?

Satellite radio is not a utility that anyone even needs.

[WilliamPitt]

4. O&A will keep the thing afloat singlehandedly.

So.

[Zywiec]

7. Maybe on the XM side, but Howard keeps Sirius kicking! n/t

[Ordr]

19. Ramooooooooooooooooooooone!! Bring me a pair of floaties!

:)
(I <3 O&A)

[WilliamPitt]

20. Baby Bird.

'Nuff said.

:)

[Ordr]

21. Pat Duffy FTW.

[WilliamPitt]

23. Tammy Faye.

KILL IT! KILL IT!

I shit on myself when I first heard that.

DID YOU DRINK FROM THE WRONG GRAIL?

:)

[Ordr]

24. LOL

"Hand me those xylophone sticks!"

[texasleo]

27. zero point zero

[alarimer]

30. And the FCC hasn't cared about lack of competition when it comes to media consolidation.

Doesn't Clear Channel own a lot of radio stations as it? Here most of the radio station are Clear Channel. The rest are owned by other media conglomerates.

[alarimer]

31. Dupe

double post.

[itsrobert]

5. NO! Looking forward to be able to hear all my teams on one radio

Reds, Lakers, Raiders, Trojans, etc.

[Triana]

6. what an 'interesting' set of priorities you have there (n/t)

[INDIA]

9. I'm an XM customer. It sucks having the NFL and Howard on Sirius.

I love the merger. And yeah, that IS my priority. I'd rather hear more stations than less. Duh.

[texasleo]

28. The only decent programming on xm is MLB

[INDIA]

36. Right, and I'm from Pittsburgh. The Pirates (and baseball in general) are dead to me.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

40. I'm a Pirates fan too

I'll be able to torture myself 162 times a year now.

[INDIA]

42. Hey, a lot of cities would KILL to have the Steelers and Penguins.

And PNC park is still awesome, regardless of the minor league team playing there.

It's definitely a good time to be a 'burgh sports fan!

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

10. Really?

For the current consumers of satellite radio, this is what many of us have wanted all along. Isn't it our interests that count the most, being we are the ones who paid our money to hear it? It's a niche piece of entertainment for hardcore audiophiles such as myself, and we've wanted to get the most out of it for the several years we've had it. The new pricing and channel plans we've been told about by both companies give us far more options than we've had before.

Do you have either Sirius or XM?

[alarimer]

29. Do you have a link to the plans?

I have Sirius and I sincerely hope they are not planning on getting rid of any of my favorite channels. I have heard XM some and not was not impressed with the music selection. Of course they have a better left talk channel than Sirius does.

I got satellite radio because radio SUCKS. Too many are owned by Clear-Channel (talk about monopolies!) and the music selection just plain sucks anyway. Whatever passes for Top 40 these days is horrible. And we all know how horrible mainstream country is. I do not have an issue with paying for satellite radio. It is well worth it, just to avoid the swill on regular radio (and the commercials- another blessing of sat. radio- at least for the music channels). Right now I pay $13 a month for 150 or so channels, most of which I never listen to. But paying the same amount for an a-la-carte 50 channels (a number of seen tossed out from time to time- no idea if that is the plan) would in effect be a fee increase and would not make me happy at all.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

38. Here's the link

http://www.xmmerger.com/

[alarimer]

44. Thanks. n/t

[endarkenment]

8. There is no monopoly here. They are content providers, two of many.

The people pushing this are the kleptocratic broadcast conglomerates who view pay-for-quality realtime content providers as unwanted competition to their here-to-for locked in free-for-crap realtime content consumers in their cars driving to work.

In addition to satellite, there are a variety of mp3 non-realtime content providers also competing for the auto based consumer market. In the future wi-fi based realtime content is also a possibility.

Common Cause is wrong on this issue.

[Indenturedebtor]

12. I agree

I don't think that this is a monopoly, largely because of the arguments put forward here. When there is wifi in cars, satellite radio is done. Won't be around for more than 5 years or so in any case.

[itsrobert]

13. Exactly, plenty alternatives to Satellite Radio

I think Common Cause is working for the traditional AM/FM broadcasters if I didn't know better. Those are the ones trying to keep the monopoly on the airwaves.

[Midlodemocrat]

11. Nope. Looking forward to having more channels to listen to.

[PVnRT]

14. Wait - why would the DOJ approve it?

I thought that was the FTC or the SEC that did that.

[A HERETIC I AM]

16. I would think the DOJ looked at it from an Antitrust perspective

[walnutpie]

15. Not a chance

As a Sirius customer, I have been waiting for years for them to merge. Helloooooo O&A!

[Thepricebreaker]

17. Dude are you kidding? The new prices are CHEAP. $6.99

[high density]

22. Yeah I really like the a la carte idea

Though we will need to buy a new receiver to take advantage of it. I could easily choose 50 channels for $6.99.

[Thepricebreaker]

26. yea .25 cents per channel after the 1st 50 is great.. I only listen to like 10 channels.

[Ordr]

18. What a crock of shit.

[Contradistinction]

25. Stop it?

I wish they would hurry the process up. I can't wait for the merger. I think those that are worried about prices are just being paranoid.

[musette_sf]

32. i usually agree with your posts

but on this one we will have to diverge. i currently subscribe to both XM and Sirius, because of content gaps from each side, and i look forward to the merger. assume that at the merger, each company's equipment will work for the combined satellite channel.

i think XM and Sirius kind of shot themselves in the foot from the start, because they each had proprietary equipment. it's possible that if a common hardware platform could have been established in the beginning, there might actually be many MORE satellite radio options out there now, instead of this merger.

[Cleita]

33. Gawd, these corporateers are just like the Borg from the Star Trek series.

"Resistance is futile! You will be assimilated!"

[DangerDave921]

34. Puh-lease

Don't be blinded by the usual party-line hatred of monopolies. With XM and Sirius, there is no monopoly. A radio listener has dozens of choices to listen to at any point during the day. If he/she doesn't like satellite radio, just click on AM or FM. Or listen to your ipod, or a CD, or a tape.

A monopoly implies control over an industry. XM and Sirius does not in any way control radio, even with a merger. In fact, neither company is very successful because not many people like paying to hear radio.

This is really a stupid cause to get behind. I say let the merger go through and try to make a success out of satellite radio. If it is successful, others will enter the fray.

[MrSlayer]

35. No, the merger is good.

There should be a protest against clear channel and their ilk.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

39. Clear Channel is one of the big opponents of this

That should tell you all you need to know.

[CRF450]

37. NOO!! Let them merge!

Besides, I like more variety in what I listen to.

[Edgewater_Joe]

41. Do You Know Who The NAB Are?

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) are the group of Clear Channel/Viacom/Salem/radio industry punks who have ruined terrestrial radio. They went balls-out to stop the Sirius-XM merger.

Simply put, The NAB > Merged Sirius-XM, and I'm on the merger side.

[michreject]

43. I want the merger

I want NFL network and I have XM.