The Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) has released its decision on royalty rates for satellite radio. The info contains specific royalty rates as well as XM Radio’s response to the news. Sirius will likely release its own statement shortly.

Under the terms of the CRB Satellite Radio Services, XM will pay a performance license rate of 6.0% of those gross revenues subject to the fees for 2007 and 2008, 6.5% for 2009, 7.0% for 2010, 7.5% for 2011 and 8.0% for 2012.

The revenue that is subject to royalty fees includes subscription revenue from our subscribers and advertising revenues from channels other than those that use only incidental performances of music.

Other exclusions and deductions from revenue subject to the statutory license fee include but are not limited to revenue from channels, programming and products or other services offered for a separate charge where such channels use only incidental performances of sound recordings, revenue from equipment sales, revenue from current and future data services, fulfillment service fees, and bad debt expense.

“Today’s ruling by the Copyright Royalty Board brings to an end a year- long proceeding with the record labels and provides our company certainty regarding music performance royalties to be paid through 2012,” said Gary Parsons, Chairman, XM Satellite Radio. “Moreover, the music performance fees set by the CRB are in the range projected by many financial analysts who cover this industry. XM remains strongly committed to providing consumers the very best in both music and non-music programming, to compensating artists for their creative work, and to providing our shareholders a fair return on the multi-billion dollar investment in this new audio entertainment platform.”

Parties have 15 days from the December 3, 2007 decision to move for rehearing. Once the CRB has considered any rehearing motions, the Librarian of Congress will publish the final determination in the Federal Register. Parties will have thirty (30) days from that publication to appeal the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

Existing 2007 financial guidance does not include the effect of this arbitration decision on 2007 financial results.