Sirius and XM to Merge

[Some Stupid Japanese Name]

Why would we care?

[Frogacuda]

WTF is the $20 million fine for?

For losing billions while sitting around waiting for an unpredictable impossible to navigate government bureaucracy to ooze toward a decision.

Great. Two basically dead companies are going to merg. Whoopdeedoo. Neither one has signed a deal or put out a new radio since they announced the merger. They've lost so much ground, and now they can barely pay their fucking employees anymore.

I was against this merger, but really whatever they decided should have been decided about 10 months ago. This process is fucking ridiculous.

[Dolemite]

About time.
I was sick of hearing Howard go on long winded tirades about this. While I agreed with him each time, it was far too often.

Agreed. I couldn't stand Stern's constant whining, especially when he would claim the hold-ups on the merger were done all because the government has it out for him.

[Rumpy]

lol!

[Andrew]

Whoa, whoa, whoa... hold the fuck on for a second here.

Republican Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate will cast the deciding vote in exchange for an agreement that settles enforcement issues involving the companies and a $20 million fine...

Enforcement issues? Are we talking "enforcement" as in "enforcing decency standards?" That's very vague, and very troubling.

So in addition to bleeding these fucking companies dry, these fucking cunts are going to rob them of their strongest selling point (lack of censorship/adherence to FCC decency mandates)? Because that's the way I read it.

[Dolemite]

I doubt it, but if that's the case, I'm canceling my membership right away.

[OGcritic]

Oh, and I forgot that Sirius will get baseball now. That's the most important win for Sirius subscribers!

[dave is ok]

I'm not sure what Deborah Tate wanted, but here's what the other holdout requested:

"FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein said he'll back the takeover of XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. by Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. if the companies agree to tougher conditions, the Associated Press reported.

Adelstein, a Democrat, could supply the third vote needed to approve the $3.09 billion deal. He told AP he wants the companies to cap prices for six years and make 25 percent of their capacity available for public interest and minority programs.

The commissioner is seeking more than triple the 8 percent set-aside agency Chairman Kevin Martin has recommended. The FCC is the last regulatory hurdle for the deal, which would combine the only two U.S. pay-radio companies. The merger was announced in February 2007 and there isn't a deadline for action. "

[Rich]

Whoa, whoa, whoa... hold the fuck on for a second here.



Enforcement issues? Are we talking "enforcement" as in "enforcing decency standards?" That's very vague, and very troubling.

So in addition to bleeding these fucking companies dry, these fucking cunts are going to rob them of their strongest selling point (lack of censorship/adherence to FCC decency mandates)? Because that's the way I read it.

You know what that read to me?

GIVE ME $20,000,000 AND I'LL VOTE IN YOUR FAVOR OR ELSE FUCK OFF.

[Wildkat]

Who cares? All I know is that tomorrow, Howard is going to waste my entire commute babbling about this and being not funny.

Isn't that every monday through thursday?
Just kidding, don't want to make this a Howard thing... besides, he gets like 10 weeks off a year too

Whoa, whoa, whoa... hold the fuck on for a second here.



Enforcement issues? Are we talking "enforcement" as in "enforcing decency standards?" That's very vague, and very troubling.

So in addition to bleeding these fucking companies dry, these fucking cunts are going to rob them of their strongest selling point (lack of censorship/adherence to FCC decency mandates)? Because that's the way I read it.

Nothing to do with content. Both XM and Sirius had violated some FCC rules with thier terrestrial repeaters, some were over the power limits, and some weren't authorized at all. Some of the units built in FM Modulators were over limits as well.

There was some grey area on the whole "inter operable radio" thing that was part of the original licence. Siruis and XM both said they were required to make one, but not actually market it. The FCC thought different.