Senator Wants XM-Sirius Deal Blocked

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Senator Byron Dorgan, a high-ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee and Democrat, urged U.S. communications regulators on Friday to block Sirius Satellite Radio's purchase of rival XM Satellite Radio, saying the deal would lead to higher prices to customers. Dorgan wrote to the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission saying the agency should not follow the "illogical" decision of the Justice Department, which last month granted the deal antitrust approval. "This merger is contrary to the public interest. I hope that the FCC will stand up for competition in the public interest and deny this merger," Dorgan, of North Dakota, said in the letter to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin.

Of course, with such a large merger, the prospect of anticompetitive tactics arises. However, Sirius Chief Executive Mel Karmazin has promised that the combined company would let customers buy channels individually as well as let them block adult channels and get a refund for those channels. Sirius has also said all existing XM and Sirius satellite radios will continue to work after the merger.

View: Full Story at Reuters

#1 profets003 on 19 Apr 2008 - 01:04

i guess the NAB found another senator to buy.

#2 betasp on 19 Apr 2008 - 01:06

$1000 dollars says that I will find a donation from Clear Channel in his past or near future.

Nevermind... sucker bet.
http://herndon1.sdrdc.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?23020210622

(2 replies) #3 Scutley on 19 Apr 2008 - 02:16

I really want this merge to happen. I love XM radio and I really want to get the NFL games on my XM Radio. XM has to much for me to give it up.

#3.1 QuarterSwede on 19 Apr 2008 - 17:15

And you're willing to potentially have them jack up the rates for no other reason than because there is no longer any other competition? Bad move, says I.

#3.2 profets003 on 19 Apr 2008 - 17:48

jack up rates? you do realize how much competition there is right? fm radio, hd radio, ipod/mp3 players in the car... if someone wants satellite radio they buy either xm or sirius right now. this is a premium service, not something thats a necessity for everyone to survive. now if a person chooses satellite radio, theyll be able to have access to all content.

(1 reply) #4 YourPCDoctor on 19 Apr 2008 - 14:50

Forwarded to Howard100News. Let's get Steve Lankford to dig up some dirt on this Senator.

#4.1 xinary on 19 Apr 2008 - 16:15

AMEN Brotha! Hope Art is back monday

#5 Shadrack on 19 Apr 2008 - 15:26

The reason why consumers want the merger is because they want the combined content of both providers. Truth be told, this merger is probably going to inflate the price of the service as a whole since there will be no competition for premium radio content.

I would rather premium radio stations were ran more like TV stations where the content providers are separate from the service providers and there were multiple service providers to choose from.

#6 raider1 on 20 Apr 2008 - 16:25

Listen!!! The bottom line is nobody is forcing you to purchase this service and if you do and the merger goes through and they raise prices you can just cancel the service and if they can survive with the customer.

#7 Snickerscat2003 on 22 Apr 2008 - 02:36

If you click here you can see the prices and what you can do this applies to both XM and Sirius Customers and look at it this way people who do have either service will have to buy a new radio if they do want both companies channels but the downside...If you have Sirius and want XM channels you can only get 10 XM Channels out of this pool of channels they offer and vice versa to XM customers if they want Sirius. Now customers who want to stick with there own companies wont see a price change and can keep there radio. And I personally like the $6.99 plan that they may offer as I don't listen to all of my Sirius channels anyways but it looks like I might need to get a new radio. But yet these prices are not definate its a plan for a change. And I dont know how this senator says that the prices are going up...well only if you want the other companies channels and omg if ur willing to pay $2 more per month we need to start saving our pennies!

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