UPDATE: Sirius/ XM Merger? APPROVED!!!

[silver bullet on my line]

UPDATE: THE MERGER HAS BEEN APPROVED!!!



So...after many months of waiting to be approved by the FCC... the merger between Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio is about to be approved. (At least we think). This will create a monopoly of the satellite radio providers.

Here's my questions:

Are you a subscriber to satellite radio either Sirius or XM? If so, are you happy with the product you receive? If not, why not?

Do you agree with this decision, letting the two companies merge, creating a monopoly, and forcing customers to buy a new receiver if they want both signals?

Do you think satellite radio will survive?

[devonian]

I have Sirius and love it. If I have to buy a new receiver to listen to both, I will.

I go crazy when I have to listen to normal radio now.

[newbeebob]

Originally Posted by devonian

I have Sirius and love it. If I have to buy a new receiver to listen to both, I will.

I go crazy when I have to listen to normal radio now.

Ditto. Have had serious for 3 years. My truck is in the body shop right now, and it is driving me nuts not having it. I don't think you will have to buy a new receiver, I think they are going to cross broadcast allot of the more popular chanells. All I have to say is it is about time.

[Fish Killer]

I love sirius, I listen 8 hours a day while sitting at my desk. I hope they merge because my car is set-up for XM, which I don't listen too. However, I thought the merger was dead. Where did you read otherwise?

[larryb]

i have xm in my rig and like it but sirius has some things i would like to have.

[CW59]

I have it and think it is a great thing (Siruis). Not to sure about the monopoly thing (of course this is biases) but on Sirius the other day they were saying local radio does not have to pay for the songs they play everytime. an on Sirius everytime a song plays they have to pay for it....
Who knows, but I wish I had the money to put Sirius in all my cars, I guess I have to settle for just listing at work.

CW

[Cutting Point]

I have a question about this FCC thing. Does this only have to do with the merger and air waves? I remember listening to Stern when he was on KUFO. Stern and the FCC had this on going fued about family decancy and fines.
Does this FCC situation only have to do with the merger and broadcast signals or is it in combination of the FCC being involved with the content involving all shows from sirius and xm?
I caught the tail end of the news story last night and left me with questions because I thought FCC could not regulate sat. radio.

[Two Fister]

Originally Posted by Cutting Point

I have a question about this FCC thing. Does this only have to do with the merger and air waves? I remember listening to Stern when he was on KUFO. Stern and the FCC had this on going fued about family decancy and fines.
Does this FCC situation only have to do with the merger and broadcast signals or is it in combination of the FCC being involved with the content involving all shows from sirius and xm?
I caught the tail end of the news story last night and left me with questions because I thought FCC could not regulate sat. radio.

They can't control the content, but they can get in the way of a merger.

I hope they get it done soon! I love my Sirius radio, but I would love to be able to get baseball and the Pac 10 that XM currently has. At hunting camp I'm able to get the NFL games and my friend gets the baseball playoffs so it works out pretty nicely, but getting both on one radio would be the best.

It may be a monopoly on sat radio, but people always have the option to cancel their subscription and listen to terrestrial radio....assuming they can find something worth listening to.
TF

[Flatfish]

I don't see it as a monopoly. It's competition for the old fashioned radio. They didn't invent a new market, just how it's paid for.

[loper]

Originally Posted by Two Fister

I love my Sirius radio, but I would love to be able to get baseball and the Pac 10 that XM currently has.

[Steelie28]

I've been waiting for the merger for a while. The Tahoe is set up for XM, but I've been holding out on getting it going until they merge. Looking forward to Howard again. Hopefully it won't take long.

[Slobes]

I thought the hold up was the SEC for anti-trust(monopoly) issues.

I have XM, my old man has Sirius, and both are outstanding. I have to make longish hauls to get from my internship to OR and I'd go crazy w/o satellite radio

[Joe C]

don't have either, but i've listened to stern everyday since he got to sirius and the show has gotten better and better without the FCC constraints.

definitely not a monopoly. Plenty of competition between terrestrial radio, IPODs etc.

My wife's car has an XM setup, I may just start paying once the merger is finalized.

this whole process has been disgusting. You really see how politicians are bought and paid for by lobbyists. Then the FCC wants all this nonsense like giving 20% of the channels to minorities free of charge. It's pure insanity. In a tough business climate like today, it'd be nice if the powers that be tried to help struggling companies rather than obstruct them.

[cooky]

NFL, NBA, MLB, college Ball all on one receiver... SWEET

[Smoked Salmon]

I remember when they first appeared, they both said that they would never merge, and that was what allowed the FCC to permit them.

I heartily disapprove of the FCC allowing them to rescind on that agreement. Without certainty, it is hard to do business.

[Flatfish]

FWIW,

while the FCC does not fine them for cursing anymorem they are still rather constrained in their content.

If anyone remembers Bubba when they started at Sirius, you know what I mean.

[silver bullet on my line]

The FCC has just given the green light for the merger! The vote came in 3-2. Out of the five FCC members, 3 Republicans voted for the merger and the 2 democrats voted against the merger.

[TheRogue]

Well, at least 2 of them got it right. I would say, generally speaking, monopolies are not a good thing. And sorry, this is a monopoly....having had XM for 3 years now, there is simply no comparison to FM/AM.

Will the same people feel the same way if/when DirectTV and Dish Network merge? And you can bet they will try. I don't even consider that the same, because cable can compete directly with satellite, whereas FM/AM cannot.

TR

[Joe C]

Originally Posted by TheRogue

Well, at least 2 of them got it right. I would say, generally speaking, monopolies are not a good thing. And sorry, this is a monopoly....having had XM for 3 years now, there is simply no comparison to FM/AM.

Will the same people feel the same way if/when DirectTV and Dish Network merge? And you can bet they will try. I don't even consider that the same, because cable can compete directly with satellite, whereas FM/AM cannot.

TR

fm/am can compete. they're free. I don't pay for satellite radio.

i could care less if dish and directv merge too, i don't think that would be a monopoly either, it just a different delivery system of a non-essential item. A better comparison between the merger and television would be network television which is still free over the air, and satellite tv. plenty of people just go over the air, some to save money, and some just on principal. the high def signal is better anyway.

still don't see how it's a monopoly.

in the end it benefits the consumer. XM was going under. lots and lots of people bought cars with xm radios installed, they'd have been screwed.

[wilsonriverfisher]

Wow who really cares about a radio merger? With so much other stuff going on in the world

mike

[Fish Killer]

Originally Posted by wilsonriverfisher

Wow who really cares about a radio merger? With so much other stuff going on in the world

mike

I care, now I can listen to Sirius in my car without having wires run everywhere.

[Joe C]

Originally Posted by wilsonriverfisher

Wow who really cares about a radio merger? With so much other stuff going on in the world

mike

it's actually a pretty amazing story, full of government corruption, lobbyist bribes, FCC overstepping their bounds (yet again.) ridiculous demands for minority handouts from jesse jackson (and later FCC members), stock owners of the two companies being held hostage by the government dragging their feet, etc.

Congress debated this merger longer than multi-billion dollar telephone companies and oil companies merging. (you know things that people actually need, rather than a silly luxury item like a pay radio service).

I think it's one of the more interesting stories of the last couple years coming to a close.

[joemomma]

Maybe this will make sirius stock go up again!

[Joe C]

Originally Posted by joemomma

Maybe this will make sirius stock go up again!

without a doubt.

[fishbenk]

I am going to hold out on satellite radio. In a few years we will be able to just plug in our cell phone into the car and have access to the whole internet and listen to whatever we want and have computer screens in the back so the kids can watch movies and tv right through the internet. Satellite radio will be replaced with satellite internet.

[foxer]

So, are they going to mix the content? Wife wants to get sat radio and her car has a XM capable radio.

[silver bullet on my line]

Originally Posted by joemomma

Maybe this will make sirius stock go up again!

Its been a roller coaster ride..but at least I have been buying it down and down and down!!!

[silver bullet on my line]

Originally Posted by Joe C

it's actually a pretty amazing story, full of government corruption, lobbyist bribes, FCC overstepping their bounds (yet again.) ridiculous demands for minority handouts from jesse jackson (and later FCC members), stock owners of the two companies being held hostage by the government dragging their feet, etc.

Congress debated this merger longer than multi-billion dollar telephone companies and oil companies merging. (you know things that people actually need, rather than a silly luxury item like a pay radio service).

I think it's one of the more interesting stories of the last couple years coming to a close.

Yeah...It only took 493 days!!!!

[Smoked Salmon]

I have a mp3 player which plugs into a radio transmitter in my 1990 Dodge 250. I can listen to anything I want, any time I want, and never pay a cent in radio subscription fees. It still strikes me as funny how many people are scrambling to give their money to companies to deliver a product which used to be free.

[Cat n Tat's Dusky]

Have both Sirius, and XM in the 18 wheeler.

Sirius gives me NFL, and a lot of other music/news stuff I listen to. XM has a few shows I listen to on weekends, plus Red Sox games, and of course Pac-10 football!

I absolutely will not drive the truck without it.

NFL Network was at Patriots training camp on Sunday. Very cool!

[nsyhunter]

XM fan from the begining and could care less about Sirius and Howie. That said the sooner this is done the better. I think it was clear that the only way Sirius was going to survive was to buy the competition. If this does not work I have no doubt another company will start up.
As an outside sales rep I put on 3-5,000 miles a month and would not want to imagine life without satellite radio!

[Gregotis98]

XM 202 Ron & Fez 9am-12

CHA DE BUGRE!!!!!!