Sirius and XM to merge - wonder what the impact will be?

[Pakbackr]

Breaking News from ABCNEWS.com: SATELLITE RADIO PROVIDERS SIRIUS AND XM WILL MERGE, ABC NEWS HAS CONFIRMED. SIRIUS. HEAD MEL KARMAZIN WILL RUN THE MERGE.

Wonder what the impact will be on Dish and Directv feeds...and for those of us who have one or the other. Should be interesting. Somehow, I am sure Howard Stern will get more $$ because of this and that makes me sick!

 

[StevenD]

How many threads on this do we need?

 

[Slamminc11]

Breaking News from ABCNEWS.com: SATELLITE RADIO PROVIDERS SIRIUS AND XM WILL MERGE, ABC NEWS HAS CONFIRMED. SIRIUS. HEAD MEL KARMAZIN WILL RUN THE MERGE.

Wonder what the impact will be on Dish and Directv feeds...and for those of us who have one or the other. Should be interesting. Somehow, I am sure Howard Stern will get more $$ because of this and that makes me sick!

FCC will end up blocking it, just like they did with the Dish/Direct attempt at a merger.

 

[bbtkd]

Merger

Breaking News from ABCNEWS.com: SATELLITE RADIO PROVIDERS SIRIUS AND XM WILL MERGE, ABC NEWS HAS CONFIRMED. SIRIUS. HEAD MEL KARMAZIN WILL RUN THE MERGE.

Wonder what the impact will be on Dish and Directv feeds...and for those of us who have one or the other. Should be interesting. Somehow, I am sure Howard Stern will get more $$ because of this and that makes me sick!

If the SEC and FCC even allows it, it will present a huge technological problem for the radios since the technologies are different. They'll have to support both technologies for a while and I would guess that in the near term they will come up with a common channel lineup, and that's what we'll see on Dish and DTV.

Why do you hate to see Howard Stern get more money given that signing him is what made Sirius a contender? If that had not happened then XM would have driven Sirius out of business. Or - were you saying that you don't like Howard's programming? If that's it, then just listen to something else and accept that not everyone has the same tastes. I doubt he will get more money unless merging with XM was somehow written in as a bonus.

 

[Sammy033]

Depends on how its presented, who they say their competitors are, how much muscle the companies have, and how good their lobbyists are. It will be interesting to see what happens considering some of the other big mergers that were approved in the last couple years.

Yes this issue has been debated to death and (pardon the cliche) its done and time to stick a fork in it. But perhaps this is a good way to test the waters and see whats possible now. Even a year can make a difference.

Edit: As for Howard.. either for radio or HowardTV... business is business.

 

[cybertrip]

How many threads on this do we need?

Not only that, this thread is in the wrong section.

 

[skysurfer]

FCC will end up blocking it, just like they did with the Dish/Direct attempt at a merger.

I think it will pass - XM/SIRIUS' "competitor" is terrestrial radio.

Just like TV, if you don't want to pay any money for programming, you can watch TV or listen to radio over the public's airwaves for free.

If you want to pay for more "quality" TV or Radio, you can pay your money and get tv from DISH, DIRECTV, cable, IPTV or get your pay radio from the XM/SIRIUS combined company.

As for the tech hurdles, it would be a dual-format radio (or just swap out of the XM radios for SIRIUS radios, or vice versa depending on which radio type has been deployed more and the uplinks can change out the encoders). With more satellites and one tech format and less duplication of channels, even more channels can be added to the XM/SIRIUS combined lineup.

 

[Peter Parker]

I think it will pass - XM/SIRIUS' "competitor" is terrestrial radio.

And the competitor to the combined E*/D* was terrestrial TV and cable. But te FCC did not buy that argument and many feel they won't buy it in this case.

 

[ekilgus]

I agree that the FCC will not allow the merger for the previously stated reasons. The reason these two want to merge is despite the millions of subscribers, they both continue to lose money big time. Their perception is that only if they merge and eliminate a lot of duplication will they be able to turn a profit. That and hefty subscription price increases which they feel they can impose considering there will no longer be a satellite radio alternative for the consumer.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

And the competitor to the combined E*/D* was reretrail TV and cable. But te FCC did not buy that argument and many feel they won't buy it in this case.

The difference here is everywhere in the US you can get radio signals, that was not the same for getting cable tv or satellite. In some places satellite is the only way you can get cable type channels.

With satellite radio its not considered a lifeline service but more of a luxery, so it COULD pass. Will it pass I dont know. And at the mooment I don't have an opinion eaither way.

I got to give Sirius credit they keep pushing ahead of XM while XM keeps getting more and more stale each month, which is sad since I was such a huge XM fan in the past.

 

[KE4EST]

IT will be interesting to see what happens.

 

[dishcomm]

And the competitor to the combined E*/D* was reretrail TV and cable. But te FCC did not buy that argument and many feel they won't buy it in this case.

The NAB came down hard on Charlie and the proposed D*/E* merger..It had nothing to do with Satellite market share of pay tv...BTW the cable lobby was opposed to the merger as well.....Look, the feds allowed MA Bell to be reincarnated with the Bell South/At&T merger so why not sat radio...Look at all the huge banks that merged when interstate banking wa made legal....and the Airlines..Heck in 20 years there will be three to five major carriers and a whole bunch of little regional carriers....US Airways/America West already merged to create the 3rd largest carrier, NW will merge with Delta or United, Continental will merge with whichever major carrier is left..And that 's that....So there will be less competition....But that's banks telephone and air travel..Things that are tough to get along without....Satellite radio?..It's still a luxury item....I don't think the feds wilk look at this one too hard....

 

[skysurfer]

That and hefty subscription price increases which they feel they can impose considering there will no longer be a satellite radio alternative for the consumer.

If satellite radio (assuming one company) gets too expensive for you or not worth the increased price for what you get, you can always turn back to your terrestrial AM/FM radio.

It's not like if satellite radio sub fees get to be too much for your taste that you are SOL from any kind of audio entertainment.

 

[Jeff003]

I hope this doesn't mean channels will be getting axed.If they axe Escape on Xm I'm going to be very dissapointed.

 

[dishcomm]

If satellite radio (assuming one company) gets too expensive for you or not worth the increased price for what you get, you can always turn back to your terrestrial AM/FM radio.

It's not like if satellite radio sub fees get to be too much for your taste that you are SOL from any kind of audio entertainment.

same applies to cable vs sat vs ota...there are always choices..

 

[icstephen]

same applies to cable vs sat vs ota...there are always choices..

Depends on where you live we have Sirius here in Atlanta because broadcast radio has become so bad, we now have 14-16 Spanish stations, 6 urban/rap stations, 2 top 40 (heavy on the rap), 4 country stations, 1 AC, 1 Hard rock, 1 alternative & 1 classic hits (300 song juke box w/no dj's. So if you like oldies or classic rock you are sol. My wife likes top 40 but has stopped listening to the broadcast station most of the time because they have really started pushing the rap crap. It is almost as if the radio companies just gave up. I hope they don't merge, I have had both and I like Sirius better but even if the prices go up I will keep it (to a point) if it gets to expensive we will have to go back to cd's (which can get expensive as well). So technically we have choices but none that we want its like having a choice between chocolate and vegimite...if your starving you will eat the vegimite but you wont enjoy it.

 

[Tampa8]

Looks to me it will definately pass. What's better for the consumer - one of the two folds, leaving their customers with useless equipment/accessories, and leaving a remaining still weak provider? Or, a merged much stronger company that can offer innovative things, and compete with their real competition - MP3 players and terrestrial radio?

And all the talk about the concern of regulating prices becasue it will now be one provider makes no sense. They cannot price themselves out of the market because regular radio is free, and the use of MP3 players, CD'S, etc.. prohibits an unrealistic subscriber cost.

 

[Greg Bimson]

The difference here is everywhere in the US you can get radio signals, that was not the same for getting cable tv or satellite. In some places satellite is the only way you can get cable type channels.

This is an apples and oranges comparasion. The reason the DirecTV/Echostar merger did not come to pass was because there would only be one choice in multichannel programming in rural areas. The FCC also believed (and rightfully so) that DirecTV and Echostar are competitors. They fought so hard for subscribers that they were in competition for each other...

Look, the feds allowed MA Bell to be reincarnated with the Bell South/At&T merger so why not sat radio...

But it is much different now. AT&T is basically quite a few of the old "Baby Bells" with the AT&T long distance and Cingular Wireless services. And this time, there is a major competitor in Verizon, which also has a couple of old "Baby Bells, with the MCI long distantce and Verizon Wireless. The market is not what it was when AT&T was forced to break-up; there is competition in the industry.

Which is (in my opinion) why the merger will not go through. The FCC and FTC are loathe to approve a deal which "removes competition". The DirecTV/Echostar deal would have removed competition. The various telephone mergers did not reduce competition, and neither did many of the cable mergers and acquisitions.

This proposed XM and Sirius deal will remove competition. I don't think this has a chance of passing the main regulatory hurdles.

 

[Greg Bimson]

What's better for the consumer - one of the two folds, leaving their customers with useless equipment/accessories, and leaving a remaining still weak provider?

Folds? Have you seen the stock prices recently? Unless there is a danger of another Enron or Adelphia, there is no way either company folds.

 

[Jeff003]

If this happens it will be bad in all kind of ways meaning you will probebly have to upgrade your equipment.My boombox,skyfi 2 and car connections probebly won't work anymore.Also the price will probebly double and a lot of music channels will get axed.