FCC Commissioners Ponder XM-Sirius Proposal
Hill Democrats continue to push for conditions on satellite-radio merger.
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 7/1/2008 7:50:00 AM
The pushback from Hill Democrats continues as the Federal Communications Commission members contemplate a proposal, circulated by FCC chairman Kevin Martin, to approve the XM Satellite Radio-Sirius Satellite Radio merger with conditions volunteered by the two companies.
In a letter dated June 27, five House Democrats from Minnesota wrote the commissioners to register their disapproval with the condition that would set aside only 8% of the combined company's spectrum -- 4% for educational fare and another 4% to an outside entity, say, a minority, to program their own channels on the service.
The legislators said 25% of the spectrum should be reserved for educational, minority and emergency-service use.
And echoing a letter from a trio of senators including John Kerry (D-Mass.), they called for a requirement that the satellite-radio receivers also be able to receive digital broadcasts from free, over-the-air radio stations.
They also warned that approval of the XM-Sirius merger without conditions would be "to the detriment of the public interest," although the odds of an approval with no conditions are slim to none.
Signing the letter were Reps. Betty McCollum, James Oberstar, Collin Peterson, Keith Ellison and Tim Walz.
-
Saw this posted on Yahoo.. thought it sums this up nicely
Commissioner Tate plays Kathy Bates - In the movie "Misery"
Remember the movie "Misery" where Kathy Bates "Hobbles" James Caan so that she can keep him incapacitate just enough to enjoy his company, but to never see him become healthy enough to leave or defend himself? Every time the poor bastard would start to heal, here comes Kathy with a sledgehammer to crush his ankles.
See an analogy here?
The FCC five are not stupid people, in fact, if you look at their writings you'll discover that they are highly intelligent and articulate people. I've read most of their individual works and rulings. However, apparently something is horribly amiss as past history has shown that the average merger processes in less than 9 months .. So why are we here nearing 18 months with two quickly fading companies whose stock is valued by the leading financial house in the ENTIRE world as being worth less than a Big Mac or a quart and a half of gasoline?
Why ... Because the FCC knows very well that this merger is necessary for the proliferation ... no, existence of satrad. They know these companies are deeply in dept and can't sustain themselves for another half year, they know people love the service, they know satrad provides a great pubic service, they know the NAB has had a monopoly for years treating consumers like sheep.... and YOU know all these things are true!
But as Mr. Addlestein's writing hint (and I like him as a person and Commissioner ... he'd make a great future Chairman IMO) the FCC has allowed itself to be controlled by Congress... and Congress has allowed itself to be controlled by the NAB... and the NAB's intent is to destroy Satrad for their own financial benefit.
The FCC has fully relinquished its autonomy under Kevin Martin.
So what is a puppet FCC organization to do? Torn by the dictates of their puppet masters yet intelligent and moral people who realize that they are not doing their duty to consumers or the technology by nixing this arrangement.
They "Hobble" Sirius and XM very much like Kathy did. They take XM and Sirius within inches of their lives. This way they can have it as close to "both ways" as possible. Please their Congressional puppet masters and (lastly) hopefully the public.
This is exactly what they have done!
Let's hope it's not too late.
Go Jimmy Go!
Mark Kittle - 7/4/2008 9:01:00 AM EDT -
Idea from an Orbitcast post.....
Att/Bell South 257 days
SBC/ATT 199 days
Verizon/MCI 199 days
T Mobile/Cingular 106
Next Wave/ Cingular 129
Citidel/Disney 380 days
Att/Comcast 188
Aol/Time Warner 179
All Tell/Midwest 276
Cingular/ATT 208
Echo Star/GM/Hughes 156
WorldCom/Sprint 75
Sirius/XM 470 days
Just proving that the larger you are, the more money you grease with, the faster the wheels turn.
John Kerry - 7/2/2008 3:05:00 PM EDT -
" The Very Best Governement Money can Buy "
A fine yet small example why your vote doesn't count and why America is down the crapper for good.
Matt - 7/2/2008 7:06:00 AM EDT -
Why not 50% .... as long as the NAB ( the people Congress are speaking for and getting cash-back from ) takes 50% of future satrad losses.
Screw Congress. I like Communism where they don't pretend to be fair.
Louis - 7/2/2008 7:01:00 AM EDT -
This is totally nonsense to think that statelite radio merger will cost customer a lot of money. Sat radio is not a necessacity for anyone to buy and live in this world. This is one of the optional thing in life just like TV or cable or traditional radio or ipod or what not. People can live happily without sat radio. But people can not live without essiential things like food or gas or electricity...The senators and agencies like FCC should rather concentrate their energies on those essential items and the companies who cheat customers..not on simple things like SAT radio mergers. They allowed big oil companies to merge and finding it more difficult to approve these small and money loosing sat comapnies merger. This shows where the government and FCC is going. 387 days passed still no decisions yet. By the time FCC approves this after so many months or years who knows...by looking at the competency of FCC..both the companies will be bakrupt..then look at all the small investors who lost the money because of the FCC indecisive action. Only God will help these poor investors.
True opnion - 7/1/2008 8:32:00 PM EDT
No related content found.
-
No Top Articles
VIEW ALL GALLERIES
