TKJunkMail
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
 ·Comcast
|  No brainer - merger should be allowed
The key issue appears to be whether or not the satellite-radio marketplace is its own separate entity -- XM and Sirius are the only national license holders -- or part of a larger audio marketplace that includes terrestrial radio, cable radio, Internet radio and downloads. It is obvious that satellite radio competes with all those other audio sources and is in fact losing the battle(which is mostly in cars) due to iPod interfaces, media harddrives in cars, digital AM & FM in newer cars, etc.
The only reason this merger wasn't already approved is because the radio network companies(like Clear Channel) don't want more competition than they already have.
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My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page |
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rosco
Premium
join:2003-11-10
USA | what happened?
I thought I heard that part of the conditions of XM and Sirius being granted licenses in the first place was that they could not merge.
What happened with that? |
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IgnorantMeat
@rr.com
| reply to TKJunkMail
Re: No brainer - merger should be allowed
I agree completely. Clear Channel and Infinty Broadcasting don't want anymore competion. I am a subscriber to sirius and the sound qauilty is better than any over the air broadcast and I can listen to any of the channels I want to on the internet, save for some of the sports channels. |
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p92289
@verizon.net
| Monopoly?
Does the term "monopoly" really apply to a non-essential service? XM/Sirius is by far the best existing concept for "broadcast" radio (given that [almost] all of the "local" AM/FM stations are now really just outlets for national programming "warehouses").
Long live progressive radio (if you can find it).
WGOE 1540... still got your adhesion circle?  |
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Gilitar
join:2000-11-20
Mobile, AL | No more mergers
Look at what mergers have gotten us. Sprint-Nextel floundering, AT&T raising prices, Exxon Mobil and buddies gouging us, and the list goes on.
Mergers are NOT good for the consumer. |
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kfsutops
Premium
join:2002-08-19
Brandon, FL
clubs: 
| reply to TKJunkMail
Re: No brainer - merger should be allowed
said by TKJunkMail  :It is obvious that satellite radio competes with all those other audio sources and is in fact losing the battle(which is mostly in cars) due to iPod interfaces, media harddrives in cars, digital AM & FM in newer cars, etc. The only reason this merger wasn't already approved is because the radio network companies(like Clear Channel) don't want more competition than they already have. Satellite is losing the ware because of price, lack of contact, and commercials.
Some people say the price isn't that much. BS. For the average joe $13/month isn't to bad. Now start adding the additional radios. See how quickly the price gets higher. It can get out of hand quickly.
I am against then to the 10th degree. This will not lower prices. This is doing nothing more than creating another cable industry business model scene that gives you less of a product for the same price.
They will continually raise prices on their higher tiered stuff while lowering the price on the lower tiered stuff. But what they fail to tell you is that nothing you want will be on the lower tier. Forcing you to buy the higher tier stuff at a higher cost.
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"There are no stupid questions, but there are a LOT of inquisitive idiots" |
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liquidman
join:2003-11-07
Boynton Beach, FL
 ·Teliax VOIP
·Vonage
·voip.ms
·Axvoice
·Comcast
·VoicePulse for Bus..
·Callcentric
 ·DSLi
| reply to Gilitar
Re: No more mergers
I think what people don't realize is that if they aren't allowed to merge, one of these companies will go out of business and there will end up being the only satellite radio company. I see no reason for these two to be allowed to merge, and why the govt is dragging their feet when they allow companies that offer essential services to merge. Even if they don't allow the merger, they should make a decision quickly and let the companies go back to the drawing board. When oil Rupert Murdoch wants to purchase another media outlet, its approved in 10 days, this merger request has taken over a year and still no decision. |
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NJxxxJon
something good. or your mom.
Premium
join:2005-10-22
00000
| Stopped using my XM
I still have the old school handheld pioneer and they take my 45 bucks every 3 months deal. I keep forgetting to hook it back into my nissan but been lazy  Maybe theyll call me and force me to install it and turn on my radio again. heh.
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___________Post a VIDEO...or it DIDN'T HAPPEN_____ |
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Gilitar
join:2000-11-20
Mobile, AL
·AT&T Southeast
| reply to liquidman
Re: No more mergers
said by liquidman :I think what people don't realize is that if they aren't allowed to merge, one of these companies will go out of business and there will end up being the only satellite radio company. Pure propaganda from the Sirius and XM. If one of them goes belly up a private equity firm or another corporate entity will buy them for pennies on the dollar. |
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bordway46
@dhs.gov
| fillibustering
Back in the day when a radio license wasn't required, anyone could have a radio station. Then the FCC came along to provide direction. Unfortunately, they've missed the mark on their duty in this case. The merger will be allowed and should be allowed. The fact that a 5% market share represents any sort of monopoly in today's media is a total farce. More people are turning to IPods than satellite radio. Get off your butt FCC and address this approval! |
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merge already
@rr.com
| merge already
you need to look at this merger the same as the blu-ray vs hd-dvd issue. take away the companies and look at the two products. shortly we will start to see the benefits as consumers for the push to that one high def format in blu-ray - lower player costs, software advancements and the publics less confusion toward that technology, not to mention no battle for movies releasing on different formats. satellite radio will only survive as one combined product because of internal battles for content and separate r&d. sat radio needs to quit fighting itself before we lose it altogether. sat radio is one product, and with a concentrated effort will only benefit the consumer through the competition it will create with regular radio, ipods and so on. maybe then terrestrial radio will be forced to update its horrid programming and even sat radio having to increase its portability to compete with ipods. if at all consumers do not like the merger, and what it brings, then the market will deal with it when those consumers unsubscribe.
as far as the cable argument - if the public all gave up cable i bet you would start to see fees lower. go buy an antenna and get hd programming for free, sign up for netflix and get all the cable programs when they come out on dvd, watch them on the internet. cable is not a necessity. the problem with cable is people have made it an untrue necessity.
the anti-merger groups hold no water on the sirius/xm merger - simply...there is a reason they all seem backed by the NAB and special interest. the FCC and DOJ should be ashamed with the injustic going on - clearly not looking out for the average consumer. |
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gaforces
United We Stand, Divided We Fall
join:2002-04-07
Santa Cruz, CA
| reply to bordway46
Re: fillibustering
If Sirius and XM radio can't abide by the terms set when they were granted their licenses, let them go bankrupt and re-organize their business strategy.
If they cannot survive, then the licenses should revert back to the gov to become available for some other technology that can.
The IPod sales figures have nothing to do with this and is just being used as smoke and mirrors to get some corps agenda advanced.
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Vista ~ Less functional every day! |
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openbox9
join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA
·AT&T Southeast
1 edit | reply to Gilitar
Re: No more mergers
said by Gilitar :a private equity firm or another corporate entity will buy them for pennies on the dollar. And then break up the company to sell off assets piecemeal to the remaining sat radio co and perhaps terrestrial broadcast companies.
Oh, and mergers can be good for consumers. Blanket statement however, are often not. |
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Neyland
join:2003-02-04
USA
| reply to kfsutops
Re: No brainer - merger should be allowed
Well I have XM and am frustrated by the addition of commercials on some channels. And the content of the commercials leaves a lot to be desired too.
However, the FCC has said that Sat TV and Cable TV compete in the same market place. It would only be logical that Sat radio would be viewed in the same way. With that said, not much in gov is logical. |
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Neyland
join:2003-02-04
USA | reply to merge already
Re: merge already
How about register or login already.... |
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MadMANN
Premium
join:2005-08-19
·Comcast
| reply to TKJunkMail
Re: No brainer - merger should be allowed
Amen to that. It took way less time for large oil companies to merge. Hell, it only took a few weeks for our government to decide to invade Iraq. And they can't make a decision in over a year to let two sat radio companies merge? Yeah, I can see how this is complicated. 
How about terrestrial radio using their money to focus on improving their own programming and actually doing something that listeners want instead of lining the pockets of politicians? Oh yeah. Too much work. |
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kd6cae
P2p Shouldn't Be A Crime
join:2001-08-27
Lancaster, CA
·RoadRunner Cable
·DSL EXTREME
| Why should the companies merge anyway?
why can't XM and Sirius remain as 2 separate companies? Why is it they have to merge in to one? I personally like XM's programming, and can't understand why it has to be that both providers suddenly feel this need to merge.
If we can have dish and DirecTV, then we can have Sirius and XM as separate companies. My fear is the companies will merge, and then some of the unique programming XM has, such as XM's annual "It" program, a look back at some of our favorite hit pop songs from the 30's to today, will be gone. So just keep the companies separate already, and let them have their unique programs. Now if they can merge without taking away unique programming, then fine, but that begs the question why were 2 separate sattelite radio services created to begin with, if they're just going to merge anyway? |
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FastiBook
join:2003-01-08
Newtown, PA | Yes.
Please. It would allow greater service reliability, and future coverage increases. I can't wait. |
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Steve Mehs
Go Sabres
join:2005-07-16
| reply to merge already
Re: merge already
I always find SDARS discussions on this site funny. Most people have no real clue on the industry.
quote:
Satellite is losing the ware because of price, lack of contact, and commercials.
Some people say the price isn't that much. BS. For the average joe $13/month isn't to bad. Now start adding the additional radios. See how quickly the price gets higher. It can get out of hand quickly.
Commercials? With XM and Sirius I have access to 138 channels of COMMERCIAL FREE music.
Lack of content? Where on terrestrial radio can I find southern gospel, electronica, smooth electronica, lounge music, bluegrass, folk, alt country and even formats like oldies, which is disappearing and heavy metal. Not to mention wider playlists.
Cost? With 3 XM subscriptions, 2 Sirius subscriptions and Sirius Premium Internet Radio, I'm at $50 a month for radio. Worth every penny and more. I'd pay $100/month or more in a heartbeat just to keep the content I have access to right now.
quote:
Well I have XM and am frustrated by the addition of commercials on some channels. And the content of the commercials leaves a lot to be desired too.
What commercials? You do realize XM was FORCED to put commercials on 4 of the music channels, right? You do realize the four channels that have commercials have commercial free clones, right?
quote:
if at all consumers do not like the merger, and what it brings, then the market will deal with it when those consumers unsubscribe.
That's a pretty poor attitude. As a dual subscriber it's lose-lose. Yeah if it all goes down hill I'm free to cancel at anytime and quit paying and receiving service, but that doesn't help get me back what I lost. Cost is irrelevant, I love the choices I have with XM and Sirius, I do not want that to go away. If the merger happens, when I lose what I have I can never regain.
quote:
as far as the cable argument - if the public all gave up cable i bet you would start to see fees lower. go buy an antenna and get hd programming for free, sign up for netflix and get all the cable programs when they come out on dvd, watch them on the internet. cable is not a necessity. the problem with cable is people have made it an untrue necessity.
OTA HD and Netflix don't give me Sabres hockey, Yankees baseball and my favorite shows they moment they air. Watching TV shows online sucks, I have a 42" Sony HDTV and a 55" Sony HDTV, yeah like I'd want to watch TV on a dinky 22" PC monitor.
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Time Warner Cable Subscriber
Digital Cable & Road Runner Turbo
252 Channels, HD DVR & 15/1 Broadband
I Don't Want No Stinkin' Fios! |
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Far North
@acsalaska.net
| reply to FastiBook
Re: Yes.
said by FastiBook :Please. It would allow greater service reliability, and future coverage increases. I can't wait. I am all for the merger as long as the those 'future coverage increases' include Alaska and Hawaii which currently are not supported by either brand. I believe this is one of the blocks that are currently holding this up. |
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