NAB corrals 72 House members to oppose XM/SIRIUS merger

[Thommy Melanson]

Sirius and XM produce their own content (for the most part) and cable does not.

Every cable channel creates original programming.

HBO, Discovery, History, TNT, Showtime, MTV, Comedy Central, Sci-Fi, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Hallmark, Lifetime etc.

[sonnylarue]

A. Sirius and XM compete with regular radio and Ipods...just becasue there is one company doesn't mean that there is an monopoly.

Also like I said before...if you don't want the service...then don't get it. B. It's not like electrcity, phone or natural gas. You don't need it

A. actually that does make the merged comapny a monopoly of "sattelite radio" .

sattelite broaacst companies have their own rules that were charteered by the gov't, one of which was that these two companies wouldn't merge.

all of these hearings are about whether they should be allowed to change the rules, and so far XM and Sirius's best reason for the merger is they're losing money...

why should the gov't "bail out" two badly run businesses?


B. The congress is acting on behalf of the people , who own the airwaves, so this goes beyond the idea of "if you don't want it , don't buy it."

techincally the us citizens own the airwaves, therefore have the right through the proxy of congress to have these hearings and decide whether it's in THE PEOPLES INTEREST that the companies merge.

BTW, The FCC isn't running these hearings, Congress is.

[WillieLee]

This thread is rife with spelling errors.

[WillieLee]

Every cable channel creates original programming.

HBO, Discovery, History, TNT, Showtime, MTV, Comedy Central, Sci-Fi, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Hallmark, Lifetime etc.

But HBO isn't your cable provider.

[Jim T.]

I sure wish those Congressman would get interested in the cable monopoly I've had in my area for 20 odd years....

[adamgreenberger]

I sure wish those Congressman would get interested in the cable monopoly I've had in my area for 20 odd years....

well there are more important things that Congress needs to worry about than this merger.

[Shane W]

But HBO isn't your cable provider.

Doesn't matter. Most cable carriers produce a small amount of local content.

[mattbrand]

I sure wish those Congressman would get interested in the cable monopoly I've had in my area for 20 odd years....

Is your cable provider Comcast?

We used to have Adelphia here in Vermont. My parents always have had Comcast down where they live, in DC. And it has always sucked. Last year Adelphia got eaten up by Comcast and now our service is much worse

[Bill?]

No. It's like all of the available Cable providers merging into one company. Hell, Cable companies ARE an unhealthy monopoly in many areas of the country. Cable companies aren't considered as competition for broadcast stations and DVDs. The "Ipods and regular radio" argument is spin.

Competition is good. This isn't a "terrestrial" (god what a pretentious load of crap to call it that) vs. satelite thing, this is a "Wait, what happens to the consumer 2 years from now when there's only one option for satelite radio.

Yeah I don't know about where you live, but most places I've been there is only one option for cable (but of course since we have the option to get satellite tv, it doesn't really count). and fewer and fewer companies on the channels. it's the same thing for radio already. unless they can somehow prove that the XM/Sirius merger is going to somehow stop another satellite company from starting up or is going to be overly-costly for the consumer (which is ridiculous because there's is a great deal or other choices), I don't see the argument. The bottom line is that satellite radio is in direct competition with terrestrial radio. The NAB is just trying to protect it's turf here. Given who they are, I don't believe for a second they're really looking out for the consumer.

[Smokinblues]

Yeah I don't know about where you live, but most places I've been there is only one option for cable (but of course since we have the option to get satellite tv, it doesn't really count). and fewer and fewer companies on the channels. it's the same thing for radio already. unless they can somehow prove that the XM/Sirius merger is going to somehow stop another satellite company from starting up or is going to be overly-costly for the consumer (which is ridiculous because there's is a great deal or other choices), I don't see the argument. The bottom line is that satellite radio is in direct competition with terrestrial radio. The NAB is just trying to protect it's turf here. Given who they are, I don't believe for a second they're really looking out for the consumer.

I agree.