XM-Sirius merger approved by DOJ

[samson]

http://money.cnn.com/2008/03/24/news/companies/xm_sirius/index.htm

I can't wait to get the MLB on Sirius.

S.

[Airdale]

Right on! It's going to be great.

Post by samson
I can't wait to get the MLB on Sirius.
S.

[Kingo Gondo]

Hooray, FINALLY!

[vanguard]

On Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:51:28 GMT, "Kingo Gondo"

Post by Kingo Gondo
Hooray, FINALLY!

Ditto, Gentlemen. Stock prices for both firms zoomed today.

This is the only way the Satellite programming we love can
survive into the future.

Hats off to both the "Zenmaster" of Sirius and Hugo of XM
for making Satellite radio possible.


Vanguard

[Gummy Mummy]

Post by vanguard
On Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:51:28 GMT, "Kingo Gondo"

Post by Kingo Gondo
Hooray, FINALLY!

Ditto, Gentlemen. Stock prices for both firms zoomed today.
This is the only way the Satellite programming we love can
survive into the future.
Hats off to both the "Zenmaster" of Sirius and Hugo of XM
for making Satellite radio possible.
Vanguard

So the next big question is WHEN?

[Rick Brandt]

Post by Gummy Mummy

Post by vanguard
On Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:51:28 GMT, "Kingo Gondo"

Post by Kingo Gondo
Hooray, FINALLY!

Ditto, Gentlemen. Stock prices for both firms zoomed today.
This is the only way the Satellite programming we love can
survive into the future.
Hats off to both the "Zenmaster" of Sirius and Hugo of XM
for making Satellite radio possible.
Vanguard

So the next big question is WHEN?

The article I just read indicated that it STILL needs to be approved by the
FCC which is not a certainty.

[Bob Bohling]

Post by Rick Brandt
The article I just read indicated that it STILL needs to be approved by
the FCC which is not a certainty.

Yep, it said the FCC has said in the past, they had "huge hurdles" to cross,
before
they would approve a merger.

[Karen]

Post by Gummy Mummy

Post by vanguard
On Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:51:28 GMT, "Kingo Gondo"

Post by Kingo Gondo
Hooray, FINALLY!

Ditto, Gentlemen. Stock prices for both firms zoomed today.
This is the only way the Satellite programming we love can
survive into the future.
Hats off to both the "Zenmaster" of Sirius and Hugo of XM
for making Satellite radio possible.
Vanguard

So the next big question is WHEN?

.. and the second big question is "how much?"

[AlphaOmega]

Post by samson
http://money.cnn.com/2008/03/24/news/companies/xm_sirius/index.htm

Mistake, mistake, mistake.

[Kimba W Lion]

Post by AlphaOmega
Mistake, mistake, mistake.

Exactly.

The two companies have, since 1997, been under order by the FCC to
produce and market a radio that would be able to receive both
services, and yet they never have. Why not? Such a radio would have
increased the number of subscribers to both services. Obviously they
had no intention of complying, so why should they receive special
dispensation from the FCC now? What in the history of either company
suggests that a merger will benefit consumers?

Also in 1997, the FCC issued an order that barred one company from
owning the two satellite radio licenses. Does Mel think that ignoring
one order for 11 years means the other order should go away, too?

Why is our government being run by corporations?

[Newt]

Post by Kimba W Lion

Post by AlphaOmega
Mistake, mistake, mistake.

Exactly.
The two companies have, since 1997, been under order by the FCC to
produce and market a radio that would be able to receive both
services, and yet they never have. Why not? Such a radio would have
increased the number of subscribers to both services. Obviously they
had no intention of complying, so why should they receive special
dispensation from the FCC now? What in the history of either company
suggests that a merger will benefit consumers?

Yes, they should reject all their own analysis and instead go with that of
some Usenet dumbfuck called "Kimba W. Lion". He knows best for sure.

Ass.

If Xirius shits the bed, it will fail. Big deal, that's how markets work. It
is not like satellite radio is some essential commodity.

Besides, once it craps out like you predict, you can buy up the assets cheap
with your fabulous wealth accumulated from all your successful business and
YOU can be the King of Satellite Radio.

[Kevin]

Post by Kimba W Lion
Also in 1997, the FCC issued an order that barred one company from
owning the two satellite radio licenses.

In 1997, we were all still using Windows 95. There was no You Tube, no
I-pods, no MP3 players, the list goes on and on. The point being that the
landscape for the media market has changed dramatically and is still
changing.

Perhaps some of the orders issued in 1997 need to be updated to properly
reflect some of these changes.

[unknown]

Post by Kevin
In 1997, we were all still using Windows 95.

Hm. Nothing like starting off with a totally irrelevant comment.

Post by Kevin
There was no You Tube, no I-pods, no MP3 players, the list goes on and on.

So, more diversity in the general marketplace means we need less diversity
in satellite radio?

[Airdale]

Frontmed, give it up.

You lossssse..........

Post by unknown

Post by Kevin
In 1997, we were all still using Windows 95.

Hm. Nothing like starting off with a totally irrelevant comment.

Post by Kevin
There was no You Tube, no I-pods, no MP3 players, the list goes on and on.

So, more diversity in the general marketplace means we need less diversity
in satellite radio?

[unknown]

Post by Airdale
Frontmed, give it up.

You just keep telling yourself how brilliant you are.
No one else will.

[Kevin]

Post by unknown

Post by Kevin
In 1997, we were all still using Windows 95.

Hm. Nothing like starting off with a totally irrelevant comment.

The Windows 95 reference was to illistrate just how long 11 years IS in
technology terms.
I'm surprised you didn't grasp that.

Post by unknown

Post by Kevin
There was no You Tube, no I-pods, no MP3 players, the list goes on and on.

So, more diversity in the general marketplace means we need less diversity
in satellite radio?

No we do not need less diversity in satellite radio and in a perfect world
we would have even more.
(BTW the diversity in the general marketplace that you mention confirms the
merger is not a monopoly)
The general consensus is that if these two companies have go it alone we
probably won't have ANY
satellite radio 11 years from now.
It's my opinion that combining the programming of both services, along with
tiered pricing and total sports packages, we'll end up with something that
most Americans and Canadians for that matter, will be more than satisfied
with.

And if they're not, then we're only accelerating the inevitable. That's
capitalism.

[Kimba W Lion]

Post by Kevin
It's my opinion that combining the programming of both services, along with
tiered pricing and total sports packages, we'll end up with something that
most Americans and Canadians for that matter, will be more than satisfied
with.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-bz.radio27mar27,0,1478617.story
The two a la carte packages that promise the most flexibility will
require new radios at up to $200 a pop. Perhaps 5 percent to 10
percent of current subscribers "might go through the trouble" of
buying new radios for the "a la carte" option, says Kit Spring, an
analyst at Stifel Nicolaus & Co.

[Kevin]

Post by Kimba W Lion
new radios at up to $200 a pop.

That's UP TO $200 a pop.
Can you name one technology which hasn't precipitously dropped in cost after
it's initial introduction?
Besides once the radios start coming through factory installed in cars a
huge part of the cost issue becomes a moot point.

Post by Kimba W Lion

Post by Kevin
It's my opinion that combining the programming of both services, along with
tiered pricing and total sports packages, we'll end up with something that
most Americans and Canadians for that matter, will be more than satisfied
with.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-bz.radio27mar27,0,1478617.story
The two a la carte packages that promise the most flexibility will
require new radios at up to $200 a pop. Perhaps 5 percent to 10
percent of current subscribers "might go through the trouble" of
buying new radios for the "a la carte" option, says Kit Spring, an
analyst at Stifel Nicolaus & Co.

[unknown]

Eleven states urged U.S. communications regulators to consider imposing
conditions on Sirius Satellite Radio Inc.'s proposed $4.59 billion takeover
of XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc.

The attorneys general of the states, led by Democrat Marc Dann of Ohio, said
they are ``disappointed'' that the U.S. Justice Department cleared the deal
on March 24 without restrictions. The states said the combination of the
only two satellite radio providers is ``anticompetitive,'' and the
government should demand concessions.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=auQ19XwOps1M&refer=us

[Kevin]

"Anticompetitive?"
That's funny, because I can already hear the effects of the "competition"
between satellite radio and traditional broadcast radio...more commercial
free hours, special segues and concert airings. The competition between
satellite radio and broadcast radio is the best thing that ever happened for
the consumer.

Post by unknown
Eleven states urged U.S. communications regulators to consider imposing
conditions on Sirius Satellite Radio Inc.'s proposed $4.59 billion takeover
of XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc.
The attorneys general of the states, led by Democrat Marc Dann of Ohio, said
they are ``disappointed'' that the U.S. Justice Department cleared the deal
on March 24 without restrictions. The states said the combination of the
only two satellite radio providers is ``anticompetitive,'' and the
government should demand concessions.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=auQ19XwOps1M&refer=us

[Rob]

Post by samson
http://money.cnn.com/2008/03/24/news/companies/xm_sirius/index.htm
I can't wait to get the MLB on Sirius.
S.

Does this mean I will finally be able to listen to 'Coast to Coast AM'
on my Sirius radio?

Oh joy!

rob

[ShootEveryDemocRAT]

Oh boy, a monopoly! I'll bet everyone is going to get excited about all
the coming price hikes! Yippee! Can't wait to pay more and get less.
Gosh, with no real competition (how they can say crappy AM and FM along
with an iPod compete with sat radio I'll never know), things will go
downhill and prices will go uphill......isn't everyone excited?

Post by samson
http://money.cnn.com/2008/03/24/news/companies/xm_sirius/index.htm
I can't wait to get the MLB on Sirius.
S.

[Russell Patterson]

On Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:23:31 -0400, ShootEveryDemocRAT

Post by ShootEveryDemocRAT
Oh boy, a monopoly! I'll bet everyone is going to get excited about all
the coming price hikes! Yippee! Can't wait to pay more and get less.
Gosh, with no real competition (how they can say crappy AM and FM along
with an iPod compete with sat radio I'll never know), things will go
downhill and prices will go uphill......isn't everyone excited?

Post by samson
http://money.cnn.com/2008/03/24/news/companies/xm_sirius/index.htm
I can't wait to get the MLB on Sirius.
S.

As someone pointed out, Sat radio is not essential for anybody to
live. It is strictly entertainment and there are many other options,
such as AM, FM, IPOD, DVD, cassette, 8-track, silence. Whatever
floats your boat. If prices go up on sat and service goes down, then
one of the above will eventually present itself as a viable
alternative.

[Tony Elka]

Post by Russell Patterson
As someone pointed out, Sat radio is not essential for anybody to
live. It is strictly entertainment and there are many other options,
such as AM, FM, IPOD, DVD, cassette, 8-track, silence. Whatever
floats your boat. If prices go up on sat and service goes down, then
one of the above will eventually present itself as a viable
alternative.

I don't understand this monopoly concern. What's to stop the largest
terrestrial radio corporations from going into satellite radio
themselves? XM and Sirius managed to do it. If the two of them
combined are going to be so hard to compete with, why not compete with
them on their own ground, that is, space?

Tony

[unknown]

Post by ShootEveryDemocRAT
Oh boy, a monopoly! I'll bet everyone is going to get excited about all
the coming price hikes! Yippee! Can't wait to pay more and get less.
Gosh, with no real competition (how they can say crappy AM and FM along
with an iPod compete with sat radio I'll never know), things will go
downhill and prices will go uphill......isn't everyone excited?

Excerpted from today's Washington Post:

XM-Sirius is the latest in a long series of cop-outs by the antitrust
police, but it's also more than that. As an unregulated monopoly, it is the
perfect embodiment of Bush-Cheney capitalism -- a capitalism that
reflexively favors shareholders over consumers, rewards financial
manipulation over genuine innovation and is never shy about harnessing the
power of government to the service of private interests.

It took some doing -- and more than a year of "investigation" -- for the
Justice Department to come up with its undisclosed evidence and tortured
logic to justify this strikingly anti-consumer decision.

The prospects for innovation will be greatly reduced after XM and Sirius
merge and the combined company focuses on protecting its existing hit
channels rather than creating new ones.

Full article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/25/AR2008032503269.html?hpid=news-col-blogs

[Newt]

Post by unknown

Post by ShootEveryDemocRAT
Oh boy, a monopoly! I'll bet everyone is going to get excited about all
the coming price hikes! Yippee! Can't wait to pay more and get less.
Gosh, with no real competition (how they can say crappy AM and FM along
with an iPod compete with sat radio I'll never know), things will go
downhill and prices will go uphill......isn't everyone excited?

XM-Sirius is the latest in a long series of cop-outs by the antitrust
police, but it's also more than that. As an unregulated monopoly, it is the
perfect embodiment of Bush-Cheney capitalism -- a capitalism that
reflexively favors shareholders over consumers, rewards financial
manipulation over genuine innovation and is never shy about harnessing the
power of government to the service of private interests.
It took some doing -- and more than a year of "investigation" -- for the
Justice Department to come up with its undisclosed evidence and tortured
logic to justify this strikingly anti-consumer decision.
The prospects for innovation will be greatly reduced after XM and Sirius
merge and the combined company focuses on protecting its existing hit
channels rather than creating new ones.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/25/AR2008032503269.html?hpid=news-col-blogs

Then they will fail and the world will go on.

Get a life already, and quit trying to play "businessman"--you are obviously
ill-suited for it.