Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) originally supported the merger between satcasters SIRIUS and XM, but the New York congressman has had a change of heart.
Meeks indicated he was swayed by Georgetown Partners LLC’s argument against the merger.
He voiced his opposition to the merger in a letter to the FCC.
Meeks writes, “By allowing a minority-controlled entity to be the lessee, the Commission would serve the public interest by achieving diversity of ownership in this large medium as well as enhanced minority media ownership in general - two areas that the Commission has been asked to address.”
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The satellite radio industry in Canada could be facing some competition from a terrestrial broadcaster after a media source in Canada revealed a large Canadian broadcaster has been quietly testing the appetite for a rival for the XM and Sirius.
But… and there always seems to be a but, when these things occur; the broadcaster only has until Dec. 31, 2007, to launch its terrestrial radio subscription service.
CTVglobemedia had requested the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications (CRTC) extend their terrestrial subscription radio service licence until June of 2009. But they were only granted a three-week extension. It now seems unlikely that the new service will fly. But….. and there always seems to be a but in thise situations…
“We are still reviewing our options,” said Paul Sparkes, who is in charge of regulatory affairs for CTVglobemedia.
Talk Radio Nation will keep an ear out for developments…..
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XM Canada satellite radio service announced today it has achieved 350,000 subscribers as of the end of its first quarter ended November 30, 2007. The number of subscribers increased by 86 per cent over the first quarter of last year.
As part of the company’s continuing efforts to align its definitions more closely with industry norms, XM Canada’s subscriber numbers now include rental cars installed with XM Canada’s service for which the Company receives compensation. Excluding rental cars, XM’s subscriber base was 338,000 this quarter and 306,300 at the end of the fourth quarter of 2007.
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It’s the big buzz in satellite radio and all the players concerned wait patiently for the decision to come down. I’m talking about the merger, of course. Today, XM’s chairman said he remains “hopeful” the deal will close this year.
The chairman of XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. said Wednesday he remains “hopeful” that the company’s $5 billion acquisition by rival Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. will close this year, although he acknowledged that time is running short.
Read the full story here…
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XM Chairman of the Board Gary Parsons is scheduled to present at the 35th Annual Global Media & Communications Conference in New York, N.Y. today, December 5, from 2:30 pm to 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
Yesterday, David Frear presented for SIRIUS Radio. Of note, Frear told the UBS that he expects to close the Sirius-XM transaction by the end of the year.
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David Frear says he expects to close the Sirius-XM transaction by the end of the year.
Frear argues that the so-called “original rule” that prohibited XM and Sirius from merging when the original licenses were granted by the FCC, was of a different time, not relevant to the music/media market today. He says former FCC chairman Reed Hundt, who created the initial rule, agrees.
Check out more of Frear’s address to the UBS’s Global Media conference here…
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Shock jocks Opie & Anthony are being sued by a TV reporter over a prank that he says left his ears ringing.
WABC-TV’s Anthony Johnson was doing a live report about snow when he says an Opie & Anthony fan waved a bumper sticker and blew an air horn.
Opie & Anthony had launched an “Assault on the Media”campaign that encouraged listeners to draw attention to their show during live news broadcasts.
Johnson claims the incident caused him to miss two weeks of work. He also saye he suffered permanent ear damage from the prank.
The suit also names the listener who carried out the prank and XM Satellite Radio.
In addition to Johnson, the lawsuit was filed on behalf of his wife, WNBC-TV reporter Pat Battle.
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Georgetown Partners L.L.C., a minority-owned private equity firm with a commercial interest in the proposed Sirius-XM merger, today reported it has made a filing with the Department of Justice involving, among other documents, a specific letter to the head of the Antitrust Division, Assistant Attorney General Thomas O. Barnett, detailing its concerns about the antitrust consequences of the proposed merger as structured and urging the Department to fulfill its responsibility to block the transaction in court.
In its filing, Georgetown said that recent public reports have stated that the Antitrust Division’s non-political professional career staff has concluded that the proposed merger needs to be blocked under the law but that the staff is being stymied by Mr. Barnett. Georgetown asserts in its filing that the transaction as structured violates antitrust law and would have adverse economic consequences for the American public.
(more…)
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XM Satellite Radio will air all five Bowl Championship Series (BCS) football games in January 2008.The Allstate BCS National Championship, FedEx Orange Bowl, Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, and AllState Sugar Bowl are all broadcast by XM thanks to a multi-year agreement with FOX Sports. Find out more here at Orbitcast.com.
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Orbitcast.com has a neat post on a new XM commercial out called the “XM-erator.” It’s ‘pretty neat’ writes Orbitcast, and we at Talk Radio Nation agree. Check it out for yourself here, and tell me what you think.
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