Comments on: Could politics be holding up the XM-Sirius merger, now 450 days later?

By: jessedylan

jessedylan — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 03:28:56 +0000

The FCC needs to step out of the way and let Free Enterprise run its course. I know that the NAB is crying like a stuck pig, but how about terrestrial radio actually adapting, evolving, or innovating?

I wrote my own attorney general about this very issue, after he wrote a letter to the FCC urging them not to approve the merger. I encourage everyone else to do the same, to their representatives and anyone else who will listen. You can read my letter here: http://mooreover.com/blog/?p=497

By: Katchoo

Katchoo — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 03:26:48 +0000

Whenever this merger does go through I’ll buy one of their portable receivers. Until then no money from me.

By: Plowboy

Plowboy — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 00:30:21 +0000

PS… Orbitcast feels that Martin wishes to run for Congress when he gets the boot. This issue could have been done in January. Don’t forget this issue and dog Martin’s worthless ass until the day he dies.

By: Plowboy

Plowboy — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 00:28:27 +0000

DO NOT let off next week. Call your Senators, White House and Reps. (Don’t bother calling the FCC) Demand, as I did today, an answer.

Once this is done we need to ask… why is TERRAD not paying royalties as satrad does? …I think it’s time for the NAB to be good citizens and pony up.

By: Robert

Robert — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:28:35 +0000

I’m pretty sick of waiting. I waited for over a year to buy a new car cause the factory install is XM and I love Sirius. I finally bought the car I wanted last month and put an aftermarket stereo in just so I could still get my Sirius channels.

Those pr!cks at the FCC and on capitol hill are all playing to the lobbyist’s and not the public. Just because there are entities like NAB who don’t want their 20 minutes of commerials per hour to be bypassed the are investing lots of lobbyist monies to get the goverment to stop satcasters.

Pretty tired of politics as usual screwing with what the public actually wants and letting whoever throws them the most money decide what is good for us…

By: Ben

Ben — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:16:35 +0000

Can they do that? Just merge without the FCC saying its okay? Because if the can, then yeah, F the FCC!

By: Joe Ranft

Joe Ranft — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:16:26 +0000

This delay is killing the two stocks as well. Both are down 30% or so, after considerable runups.

By: thebonafortuna

thebonafortuna — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:44:38 +0000

Holding out for some kind of giant bribe? They saw the money Sirius gave Howard, got furious (they hate Howard), and now they want some of his money.

Sarcasm aside, I have no idea. I love Sirius, not so big on XM but want the platform to survive. They can either have one company in the satellite radio space thriving, or they can have none and the space can die. As it most likely will without the merger.

So to me, they’re weighing the following:

Satellite radio = Sirius + XM
XM + Sirius = XiriuM
XiriuM = Taxes + Jobs
XiriuM = Monopoly
Monopoly = Bad < Taxes + Jobs = Good
Profit?

They should just come out and say f*ck the FCC, we’re merging. They had their chance and blew it. Our business is dying while they take their sweet ass time, the speculation isn’t helping anyone and definitely not inspiring investments in our stock. Its had more than a reasonable amount of time to move on this, and at this point the government is effectively hampering our business.