Study confirms XM-Sirius merger constitutes a monopoly

Bend Weekly ^ | Mar 30,2007

[E. Pluribus Unum]

I've been contemplating getting Sirius because it has the NFL over XM. I'd appreciate anyone's thoughts / recommendations.

NFL is a wast of time.

Wrestle Mania is the way to go!

[ChromeDome]

Sirius now has Nascar as well as NFL. That made it a hands down winner for me.

If you want to listen in doors, check around your office to see if anyone already has SAT. radio. Depending on the construction of your building, what sky you can see from a window, etc, it may not work indoors, EVEN IF you are right next to a window.

[NC28203]

>>>Clear Channel can own 1,200 radio stations in the U.S. that these two companies have to compete with, yet their merger is a monopoly? Market definition is the key in these antitrust arguments and this is the first attempt to set the boundaries by those opposing the merger. Those supporting the merger will devlop a similar study defining the market much more broadly, likely including broadcast and internet radio.
For example, when Alcoa sought to purchase Reynolds there were concerns by opponents that the combined company would have to large a share of the aluminum foil market. Proponents of the merger argued that the aluminum foil market was too small a definition and that the more appropriate definition would include plastic wraps as well.

[Doohickey]

If you work in a metropolitan area, you should be able to get the Sirius over-the-air broadcast. Works in DC, Philly and here in Richmond.

[TBP]

First of all, they'll be a stronger competitor in the radio market together than separately.

Second, they're planning to sell some of their satellite space so they won't be a monopoly.

[TBP]

Their basic argument is flawed - they claim satellite subscribers would be harmed when in fact for the same money they will get all the content from both services.

Exactly -- except some channels that are duplicates. In that case, the cvhannels will be merged into one beter station.

[DeerfieldObserver]

It is by no means a monopoly. Anyone who owns an Ipod or MP3 player knows that.

You can also music for free legally by recording the many free Internet Radio stations and playing them in your car via Ipod or even CDs.

[TBP]

If you want to listen in doors, check around your office to see if anyone already has SAT. radio. Depending on the construction of your building, what sky you can see from a window, etc, it may not work indoors, EVEN IF you are right next to a window.

XM streams content online.

[puppypusher]

If you want to listen in doors, check around your office to see if anyone already has SAT. radio. Depending on the construction of your building, what sky you can see from a window, etc, it may not work indoors, EVEN IF you are right next to a window.
XM streams content online.

So does Sirius Satelite Radio. and Most large cities have a Sirius Radio repeater system to broadcast the signal over the air. So if your office has a window you should have No problem receiving a signal.

Hell I drive into a multi-leval Concrete and steel parking garage in a major city and I get a signal that as clear as you can get.

It beats anything you can get on terrestrial radio.

[elfman2]

“How much competition will there be if one goes belly up!”

You mean after their equipment is bought up by another broadcast service for penies on the dollar and don’t pay one personality hundreds of millions?

[Ken H]

1. Why would anyone pay for radio?

2.Satellite radio will be gone in 5 years.

3. I used to subscribe but I got rid of it. $13 a month to listen to filth? Forget it.

NOTE: This is sarcasm. Getting the inane talking points out of the way.

(I left off sarcasm tags last time, and got peppered, lol!)

[ChromeDome]

So does Sirius, BUT Sirius doesn't stream EVERY channel, AND you don't get all the cool features your radio provides (artist alert, 40 minute playback, etc).

[KevinB]

Well, then let the merger proceed and regulate the crap out of it.

[gondramB]

Excellent point.

I don't subscribe directly but I get XM through Comcast and AOL - a deeper lineup but without adding duplication would suit me just fine.

The reason I don't listen local stations much is they talk too much compared to the music.

I don't buy songs from Itunes or anywhere else online is music from the major artists are crippled with digital rights management.

There could be a hundred satellite music companies or none and it would'nt fix the core problems with local radio and ITunes.

[Centurion2000]

Did a few thousand FM and AM radio stations close down recently?

[Brimack34]

The MSM,Universities,Hollywood,Music industries, non profits are a monopoly so break them all up.

[Ken H]

Have you heard anything about Imus going to satellite radio? I know the issue has been raised on Imus threads here, but I haven't heard any hard news.

Talkers Magazine had him at 2.25 million weekly listeners in late 2006. For comparison, Opie & Anthony had 1 million and G. Gordon Liddy was at 1.5 million.