"8% of their airspace (24 channels) would need to be dedicated to noncommercial and minority programming."

Why? Sounds like Jesse Jackson is trying to play something out to make himself a buck or two.

SMG3er

@ViperBorg: I don't know what your track record will be but let's see how we can make this story about you.

Late_Night

Yeah no kidding, Satellite Radio hardware is a good 5 years behind the times. Also, al la carte is good - maybe I won't have to pay for all the garbage stations I'll never listen to. If only I could get my cable that way... but I suppose that's what the internet is for.

robotleawesome

@ViperBorg: Why do you hate this merger? As far as I see it, both companies could perish since they can't seem to make a profit. A merger gives them a little bit better chance of surviving.

liquidsoapdispenser

@ViperBorg:

This merger is a little different in that... if the merger didn't happen, XM would most likely go out of business.

Sirius has the better balance sheet. XM doesn't look good.

yoshi

I wonder if the 8% noncommercial and minority programming will be free.

itchytooth

@yoshi: Agreed. And note: I hate this merger. And I was screaming about the Sprint/Nextel merger sucking hard.

Shall we see what my track record will be?

ViperBorg

@CEOself:

Go with Sirius

yoshi

"3. 8% of their airspace (24 channels) would need to be dedicated to noncommercial and minority programming."

What in the world would that be? Are we talking about something like an NPR or public access channel? Will we be able to do a broadcast if we fill out ze appropriate papers?

I do have to say though that the a la carte options sound very intriguing. I could dump all those sports, rap, and country channels and actually pay for what I listen too.

Any guesses on how they'll muck this one up? Maybe force you into a 2 year contract like a cell phone company... Hmmm, makes me wonder.

Iczer2

So if I wanted to finally get satellite radio. Should I buy XM or Sirius, wait till the merger? I don't really listen to sports, so the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA differences don't really matter to me.

CEOself

"Current hardware still has to work" isn't one of the listed conditions, but I hope it's true. I don't want to have to go running out to get a new radio because of this.

chucklebuck

@SMG3er: jesse jackson? really? do you even have any idea wtf you're talking about?

firesign

And this merger is still not done.... This has got to be one of the longest in history.

liveallnight

@IphtashuFitz:...and because otherwise Clear Channel would figure out someway, somehow to sneak in the backdoor and take over every all of them like in Airheads and only broadcast variations on a top 40 / center-right-politics-lite theme.

92BuickLeSabre

@IphtashuFitz:

I have XM myself, so I wasn't sure about those channels. Either way, I think you're right on the nose. As it is, they'll have to cull some of the channels when they merge the lineup, unless they have like an "XM and Sirius Classic" lineup they keep for people using older radios? More than likely not.

Iczer2

@SMG3er: Sirius already offers a number of noncommercial channels. I already mentioned NPR, BBC, etc. They also offer a handful of channels devoted to traffic & weather in major cities, international news, religion, news in languages like French, Spanish, Korean, etc. They'd probably be able to achieve that 8% with little or no change to their current programming.

IphtashuFitz

@Iczer2: I have Sirius and they already have two NPR channels, a BBC channel, as well as other things like "Korean Language Radio". I'm guessing that they just want channels like these to continue to be offered.

IphtashuFitz

@firesign: SMG3er does know WTF he's talking about. Jesse Jackson, through the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, was lobbying the FCC to force the post merger company to give up TWENTY PERCENT (20%) of their channels for this BS. YOU don't know WTF you're talking about . . .

3atm3

BABA BOOEY BABA BOOEY!

chumleyex

where is the sirius lifetime subscription...need to buy that now

mricyfire

I also have to give XM some love. I don't know what I'd do without Opie and Anthony or Ron and Fez.

bspence

@maven2k: You're confusing "non-commercial" and "commercial-free". On XM, all music channels have NO commercials and the comedy/news/etc. channels have LIMITED ads - but ONLY spots for big-dick pills, credit repair and long haul trucking jobs. (Coincidence?)

"Non-commercial" is public affairs programming (I assume). As mentioned above, XM's already got plenty PLUS minority content. There's an all-ASIAN channel for cryin-out-loud - with Bollywood music and everything. There's even a hybrid: a talk channel devoted to black topics.

Seems like a non-issue. Funny how the FCC is trying to be all noble with a service that reaches maybe one fifth of the country yet bends over and grabs ankle for mainstream media.

thebullfrog

It's not all good news to the consumer. It may be good news for investors, but I fully expect the quality of programming on XM to suffer once Mel moves in...

TVGenius

Jesse Jackson needs to write a book called "The Art of the Shakedown" or "The 48 Laws of the Shakedown."

He and Sharpton are crooks.

yoshi

Love the merger, I want Baseball, Football, Beatles, and Howard. Before I would have to have to sets of service. I'm happy. The minority crap is BS, its a pay service Al Sharpton, what's next, do you want 8% of Maxim magazine, a track on every CD I buy, and a spot on every Entourage episode. The gov pussed out on this one, as usual. As for missing O and A, their gone, but hey you can listen to the people who know how to put on a show and invented all the stuff that O and A stole. BBBB!

powerball

I know that radio and TV are different and the regs are somewhat different as well, but the concept of a la carte programming could set a standard for all broadcasting. I think that offering a la carte would entice more folks to subscribe.

I read they they would offer the same standard services they offer now as well as the additional packages, a la carte, etc. That was a couple of months back though. I'm still not excited about this but I don't think they've been trying to pass it off as being 'better for the consumer'. At least they're honest in that.

agentUrge

@chumleyex: Hahaha, someone had to do it! The conditions of this merger are B.S.. Now, I'm not complaining about the price freexe, but they don't make any other broadcasting medium do either of those other things. A la carte would KILL most of the cable networks and a lot of people have been screaming for that for years. I just don't understand the "commercial free and minority" thing. The music channels on Sirius are already commercial free and how much minority programming do you need? If there was a demand for it wouldn't it be there already?

maven2k

sirius has a korean language channel, some hispanic speaking channels and I think at least one french-canadian channel.

I think the FCC is trying to distance itself from the f**kup of allowing companies like Clear Channel to suck up troubled radio stations and changing the programming further the Rush/Hannity message.

agentUrge

Les Davis

Sirius Pure Jazz 72

'Nuff said.

strider_mt2k

my problem with both sirius and xm that probably wont change much when the merger actually happens, is i listen to non mainstream heavy metal and both of their "metal" channels play only the crap that gets as close to mainstream as possible then plays the same stuff over and over again. so either service is a waste of my money.

stryker1800

@TVGenius:
XM has superior content? That would explain the subscription numbers over the last few years (sarcasm), even despite having most of the new vehicles monopolized, Sirius has won more consumers.

powerball

More media consolidation FTL!! Fewer and fewer people controlling more and more of what we see, hear, and read. Just what we need... NOT!!

ackthbbft

@CEOself:Sirius over XM. As for the discussion overall, consumers aside, satellite radio technology was initially designed for one company (Sirius), and then the government made them split everything up. I heard the creator of satellite radio interviewed and he said that approval of the merger would mean a stronger, clearer signal overall and stronger improvements in future technology as well. Thank God the government didn't screw this up, but shame on them for taking so long. BBBB!

jessedylan

Will my SkyFi Receiver still work?

oopl

Who cares what Kevin Martin backs ? He's been caught with his hand in the cookie jar almost as much as Bill Clinton and flip-flops on his opinion just as much_

uberfu

@ackthbbft: Without the merger, it's more likely both companies will fail, and the net effect will be less sources of audio content and more power to a few mega media corporations. Sometimes a few small guys joining forces is better than them disappearing completely.

liquidsoapdispenser

@thebullfrog: You'r eright, this whole thing just pisses me the eff off.Sirius has a gay and lesbian channel, a Catholic channel, a Christian channel, etc... Why does the FCC think they have to tell them every move to make. From what I can tell, Sirius is very concerned and connected with it's audience and would probably program almost any kind of channel that they thought would get listeners.

maven2k

I'm curious to see if the approval of the other FCC commissioners will depend on other stipulations that are more stringent then the ones given by the chairman. A 3 year price guarantee doesn't offer much in the overall scheme of things. Whose to say that 3 years down the road the prices don't start to creep up. I'm all for a merger because I want to get baseball games onto Sirius, but if there's no regulation and no competition in the market that could be be bad news for consumers.

jz5001

@CEOself:
Sirius over XM. As for the discussion overall, consumers aside, satellite radio technology was initially designed for one company (Sirius), and then the government made them split everything up. I heard the creator of satellite radio interviewed and he said that approval of the merger would mean a stronger, clearer signal overall and stronger improvements in future technology as well. Thank God the government didn't screw this up, but shame on them for taking so long. BBBB!

AbeniCheney