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XM, Sirius Agree to Merge

Satellite Radio Competition Goes from Slim to None





February 19, 2007

Internet Radio Reaches Deal On Royalties
Sirius XM Near Bankruptcy
Poor Reception for XM-Sirius Shuffle
House Passes New Internet Radio Legislation
No Surprise: FCC Chair Decides to OK Sirius-XM Merger
Consumer Groups Urge FCC to Reject XM-Sirius Merger
States Raise Questions about XM-Sirius Merger
XM-Sirius Merger Gets Antitrust OK
Senate, FCC Chairman Spar Over Media Consolidation
Wisconsin Seeks To Block Satellite Radio Merger
XM/Sirius Merger Gets a BoostWebcasters, Music Industry Reach Accord On Royalties
Karmazin "Clarifies" XM-Sirius Merger Plans
Last Minute Stay Of Execution For Web Radio
Dead Air Ahead: Court Denies Webcasters' Appeal
Notes From The Future Of Radio
Senators Throw Support Behind Internet Radio
Internet Radio Gets a Reprieve
Web Broadcasters Lose Music License Appeal
Feds Agree To Rethink Internet Radio Royalties
Reception Poor at Senate Sirius-XM Hearing
XM-Sirius Merger May Encounter Technical Difficulties
The End Of Internet Radio As We Know It
XM-Sirius Merger Encounters Serious Opposition
XM, Sirius Agree to Merge
Record Companies, Congress Take On Satellite Radio
Satellite Radio Looks Wobbly
---
Consumer Comments
Sirius
XM Radio

Tired of the bare-knuckled competiton between XM and Sirius, the only two satellite radio networks in the U.S.?

Don't worry. It won't last much longer. The companies have announced they've agreed to a "merger of equals," assuming those pesky federal regulators don't object.

Mel Karmazin, currently chief executive of Sirius, would be chief executive of the combined company, and Gary Parsons, currently chairman of XM, would be chairman of the new venture, the companies said. Each company would get an equal share of the new company.

But there's a possibility that even the merger-mad Federal Communications Commission (FCC) may have trouble with this one. FCC chairman Kevin Martin has been lukewarm to the idea and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) may also look askance at it.

The two companies are "natural" monopolies. They occupy all of the bandwidth allocated to satellite-to-ground commercial radio service. Thus, if another company wanted to start a competing service, it would not be able to do so.

But the companies, which have spent hundreds of millions of dollars trying to turn themselves into household names, are likely to argue iPods and other MP3 players, as well as CD and DVD players and even the plain old cell phones provide plenty of competition for consumers' attention.

Although the companies have lately tried to promote in-home receivers, virtuall all of their business comes from consumers who listen in the car. Most new customers, despite the heavy promotional spending, are consumers whose new cars come with XM or Sirius already installed.



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