Interesting new merger news

[ianbobo]

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080718/D9205MQG1.html

sorry if its been posted, didn't see it anywhere
anyways 6 year lock on pricing and 25 percent channel lineup for public and minority programming proposed

[TJLamb0518]

25 percent for public and minority programming....okay, here's a wacky thought; is this the governments way of giving public radio a platform that they don't need to fund? This way the pittances they pay public radio stations can go away without really pissing off the tree hugging garrison keillor lovers. "public" radio on a pay platform....brilliant in its' absurdity....

[d0uche_n0zzle]

It's a way of saying "No" when they say "Yes."

[dms964]

It's a way of saying "No" when they say "Yes."


Nah, it's pretty much a done deal now. This proposal was from the commissoner who is thought to be the most antimerger, so if he is coming up with conditions for approval the deal will get done. The price freeze isn't too big a deal, it will come down to how much of the spectrum are the companies willing to lose.

[straightdick]

25 percent for public and minority programming...That's garbage

[Jimmy's Dignity]

Rap & salsa music stations better be included as part of the "minority programming"

[TEXAS TRUCKER]

It was all proposed months ago. It has been recycled and reconfigured but still the same thing. 25% of the channels going to minority and public is no big deal. It should not make much of a difference. No one says you have to listen to any of them. Most of us only use about 10-12 channels on a regular basis anyway. The price freeze is a great deal for the consumer for six years. After that, all bets are off. Just do the deal and lets move on. All I want is access to O and A via satelite and also Nascar and NFL.

[Sinn Fein]

How about they add a condition that Mel Karmazin has to step down?

[dms964]

How about they add a condition that Mel Karmazin has to step down?

Why, so XM management could take over. Then sat radio would be out of business by the end of the year.

Karmazin has a million times more respect on the street than XM management. He's made money wherever he's went. Karmazin is the best hope for satellite radio. If he jumps ship, the end is near.

[d0uche_n0zzle]

How about they add a condition that Mel Karmazin has to step down?

I'd support that proposal 110%.

[mr. sin]

not sure if this has been posted sorry if it has!!!!



WASHINGTON (AP) - During his tenure at the Federal Communications Commission, Jonathan Adelstein has been a fierce critic of government policies that allow big media companies to get bigger. So it came as a surprise when the Democratic commissioner put forth a proposal that would allow the nation's only two satellite radio companies to merge.
Adelstein, the potential deciding vote, told The Associated Press on Thursday that he would support Sirius Satellite Radio Inc.'s $3.1 billion buyout of XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. if the companies agree to a six-year price cap and make one-quarter of their satellite capacity available for public interest and minority programming, plus other conditions.

It may be that the commissioner, a seasoned political operator who spent 15 years as a Senate staffer, recognized a limited window of opportunity.

Thus far, two of the five members of the commission have voted to approve the satellite radio deal, one vote shy of a majority. All eyes have been on Republican Deborah Taylor Tate, who is expected ultimately to vote in favor of the deal, but as a friend to the broadcast industry that opposes it, has been under intense pressure to reject it.

Her reluctance to cast the deciding vote created an opportunity for Adelstein to extract further conditions from the companies.

"It's critical that if we're going to allow a monopoly, that we put in adequate consumer protections and make sure they're enforced," Adelstein told the AP on Thursday.

Adelstein is seeking stronger concessions than the companies offered voluntarily one month ago. That offer led to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin's recommendation that the deal be approved. Robert McDowell, also a Republican, has voted in favor, too. Democrat Michael Copps is expected to be a "no" vote.

Commissioners are able to vote on items "on circulation," meaning by way of computer, rather than at a public meeting. Those votes are generally not made public until all have been cast.

Following Adelstein's offer, Martin, Tate and both companies all declined to respond to requests for comment.

XM and Sirius first announced their intent to merge in last year. The Justice Department cleared the combination in March. Martin made his recommendation for approval last month.

The companies have faced a tough challenge in gaining approval because the FCC, in creating the satellite radio industry in 1997, prohibited the only two licensees from merging. In an effort to prove the combination is in the public interest, lawyers for the companies volunteered to submit to a number of conditions, including a three-year price cap, a time frame Adelstein would like to see doubled.

They also agreed to turn over 24 channels to noncommercial and minority programming.

Adelstein is seeking 25 percent of the companies' satellite capacity for public interest programming—10 percent for noncommercial programming and 15 percent for minority programming. That potentially would work out to about 75 channels.

XM broadcasts more than 170 channels, Sirius over 130 channels.

The companies also offered to adopt an "open radio" standard, meant to create competition among manufacturers of satellite radios. The condition was met with skepticism because the companies subsidize the price of radios, making it unlikely that competitors will get into the business.

Adelstein is proposing that the companies be required to include a digital radio tuner in any radios they subsidize that also include regular, non-digital AM-FM service.

Adelstein also wants to set up an enforcement regime to make sure the companies adhere to the conditions, something that was not outlined in the previous voluntary offer.

Sirius and XM have promised to include an "a la carte" offering that would be available within three months of the close of the deal. In addition, they have pledged to offer radios that are capable of receiving both XM and Sirius service within one year.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9207FPG0&show_article=1

[kloraferm]

i'd support that proposal 110%.
x2!!

[vegasbob]

25 percent for public and minority programming...That's garbage

Why the fuck should We pay for Sparkling Wiggle, Wetback, & Chink Radio programs? Public Radio sucks. Will there be an Al Jazeera Radio?

[tysonpunchinguterus]

I'm sure they'll count those as part of that group of channels. Maybe they can also include Oprah's shitty channel and Air America (fags are minorities, too).

Oh--:action-sm to the fags. :)

Rap & salsa music stations better be included as part of the "minority programming"

[mascan42]

25 percent is roughly 80 channels across both services. I don't think there's enough minority programming in existence to fill 80 channels, never mind the 80 existing channels that would have to be eliminated.

[frago]

Could not possibly care less.
Sat Radio= ONA
MP3 Player = music

The only thing I care about is seeing ONA re signed. The moment it becomes news that they are not or wont be I throw my sat radios off a cliff. I got over having stations pick my music for me long long ago. Politics? Sports? Fucking free radio os over flowing with this shit dont need these assholes for that.

[Hydrosludge]

x2!!

x3

[Smokezilla]

Fuck yo merger, Nigga!!!:haha7:

[jackjack]

X4, except I also enjoy Mr. Bennington's show.
I doubt that matters much though, as I suspect if O&A are gone, R&F aren't far behind.

Hope it all works out and 202 is intact.

[weeniewawa]

they are trying to destroy satellite radio all together. they are in the pockets of the NAB and will do all they can to delay the merger or make it so much in favor of old fashioned radio that it won't matter, business wise if they survive or not. they won't get rid of public radio unless they can make XM/sirous give free radios and subs to all the fruits who listen to public radio.

[Shane1V]

25 percent for public and minority programming...That's garbage

When are minorities gonna stop being wanting to be pandered to? Maybe when they actually have some real pride/dignity?

[cokelogic]

Whatever keeps O&A on satellite radio.

But I still don't understand including AM/FM tuners into the units. It's that the competition?

Giving 25 channels away, when the idea of the merger is to consolidate seems like a waste, but I only listen to one channel on XM now; so fuck it.

Still don't like this A La Carte crap. Because the side effect of this is O&A go back on premium. We know the show grows better when it's free and accessible to new listeners.

Now if XM would only renew O&A's contract; or all this talk will be moot.

[progambler2]

202 already caters to the minorities..............

Whitey (opie)
Italian (Ant)
Irish (Yimmy)
The Negro (Patrice + SG)
Animal (Steve C)
Women (Travis)
Fatsos (Erock)

[Mindslayer]

whatever keeps o&a on satellite radio.

But i still don't understand including am/fm tuners into the units. It's that the competition?

Giving 25 channels away, when the idea of the merger is to consolidate seems like a waste, but i only listen to one channel on xm now; so fuck it.

Still don't like this a la carte crap. Because the side effect of this is o&a go back on premium. We know the show grows better when it's free and accessible to new listeners.

Now if xm would only renew o&a's contract; or all this talk will be moot.


qft.

[kloraferm]

X4, except I also enjoy Mr. Bennington's show.
I doubt that matters much though, as I suspect if O&A are gone, R&F aren't far behind.

Hope it all works out and 202 is intact.
Amen to that!

[Hey_Asshole]

thats 25% of radio I wont ever listen to, I hope that comes with a 25% decrease in my bill!

[dt105cf]

202 already caters to the minorities..............

Whitey (opie)
Italian (Ant)
Irish (Yimmy)
The Negro (Patrice + SG)
Animal (Steve C)
Women (Travis)
Fatsos (Erock)

haha:clap:

[weeniewawa]

202 already caters to the minorities..............

Whitey (opie)
Italian (Ant)
Irish (Yimmy)
The Negro (Patrice + SG)
Animal (Steve C)
Women (Travis)
Fatsos (Erock)

you forgot
the mexicans: Mars, and that stammering guy Roland
rag heads: Lilly
retards: ESD
ex-cops: Kenny

[caniseeyourtaint]

you forgot
the mexicans: Mars, and that stammering guy Roland
rag heads: Lilly
retards: ESD
ex-cops: Kenny

You forgot the gays....

oh wait

Ron and Fez...noon to 3

[Jerry1]

Why, so XM management could take over. Then sat radio would be out of business by the end of the year.

Karmazin has a million times more respect on the street than XM management. He's made money wherever he's went. Karmazin is the best hope for satellite radio. If he jumps ship, the end is near.

No, so we don't have to worry about either them not picking up O&A(I think he's not too crazy about them) or ole Howie pushing Mel into slapping the ole gag order on them like back on WNEW.

Minority programming huh?

"The Rev Sharpton" radio show.....on 202.......:icon_roll:arrrh:


you forgot
the mexicans: Mars, and that stammering guy Roland
rag heads: Lilly
retards: ESD
ex-cops: Kenny


Current Cops:Keith The Cop

[Vic Mackey]

Since the head of XM Nate Davis is black, shouldn't that take care of the minority interest part since he more or less controls all of the channels on XM? Or do the Georgetown Partners follow the Jesse Jackson model of giving them a list of who has to be in charge for it not to be racist.

[weeniewawa]

they are throwing way too many restrictions at them. What company should have to agree to keeping their prices frozen for six years? I don't want to pay more but no one knows what the future will bring. Satellite launches are not getting any cheaper, bringing out new products keeps taking more money for more talented people. Let's see them make the US postal service not raise their rates for 6 years, and they are making billions in profits.

[pinkertonfloyd]

They didn't say how much bandwidth, just channels... if you get my drift.

Put them on, place them with the super popular traffic channels in the same bandwidth they use... problem solved.

[annoyinglee]

I'm not going to worry about this issue, right now!!! If this issue becomes a red alert..... then we have to be worry about it :icon_lol: