Sirius and XM radio get merger approval from FCC

[riddler 0]

Anyone that does not believe that the US Government is just another corporate entity looking to make a buck should look at the newly approved merger between the only two US satellite radio providers in the US:

XM and Sirius to merge

Here's the short version of the story:

FCC: We will not allow you to merge because it is bad for US Consumers.
Financially struggling sat-radio: How about $20 million for you?
FCC: Deal!

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[lawrocket 3]

As a Sirius lifetime subscriber (actually, a double lifetime subscriber as of a week ago - I finally got myself one) I have heard the slant from Howar Stern on it. And he makes good points.

16 fucking months to merge. And it was lobbied HARCORE by the landd-based radio industry? Why? BEcause satellite raio is COMPETITION. And they phrased it as satellite merger is anticompetitive. What?

Stern said that the actions of the Democratic commissioners led him to conclude that he cannot in good faith be a liberal. An even the Republicans. Price caps? Will they put price caps on oil company mergers or airline mergers?

The government is the biggest an worst monopoly out there.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[diablopilot 2]

Let's see. Two companies invested their moneys into a new technology and the marketing for that technology, they CREATED the market, demand, and supply.


They want to join, and they should be stopped?

WTF?

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[kelpdiver 2]

the merger should be approved- otherwise both companies are at risk of failing. Each was overly optimistic at the growth potential versus free radio (or more likely the result of the ipod allowing people to carry a thousand cds in their car) and spent a lot of money signing people like Howard and Rush.

And there are no more barriers to entry for another satellite radio venture with these as one or two.

[riddler 0]

Quote

They want to join, and they should be stopped?

I am not stating that the merger should be stopped. In fact, I could not care less, as I stopped listening to sat-radio many years ago.

What I am stating is that nothing gets done in this country without a payoff. The payoff here is that the FCC has made the statement that they would block the merger, "in the interest of consumer rights". The truth is the FCC doesn't care one iota about consumer rights - they care about how much money they can make from it.

The sat-radio companies decided they need to merge to be profitable. Good for them, again, I don't care. But they only way it can get done is if they throw $20 million at the government. It's a bribe - nothing more or less.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD