That’s why I get a really bad feeling about this one. Something tells me that the post-merger entity will be a pared-down, bare bones, empty box. Hope I’m wrong, I have basically no other radio options out here in the boonies.
So if the merger is approved, how would this likely affect the subscribers? IIRC they each have their own satellites with incompatible frequency/modulation, right? Would they simply broadcast the same programming through both networks?
Did I miss the news. Have they filed for bankruptcy protection? I did a quick search and they are reports that they may but nothing that says they have filed.
You haven’t missed anything. Rick doesn’t know what he’s [del]talking[/del] coughing about. Many large suppliers are currently bankrupt, as has been mentioned, but none of the major automakers have gone bankrupt yet.
As for the XM-Sirius deal, it looks like the regulatory hurdles are going to be quite steep. Specifically, comments from Justice Department guys strongly suggest that they’re going to nix the merger on antitrust grounds.
From the bits and pieces of what I’ve been finding around the 'net, this may be what will happen with the programming after the merger. I think.
- Sirius and XM will continue as separate services.
- Some of the music and talk channels will be merged, with others remaining intact to keep brand identity.
- In the not-too-distant future, all new satellite receivers will have the capability of receiving both Sirius and XM programming. (Sirius and XM technology is incompatible, and it’s impossible to modify a Sirius radio to receive XM programming, and vice versa.)
- A subscriber to Sirius or XM in … oh, 2010, with their new satellite receiver, can pay extra to subscribe to channels that are unique to the other service. A Sirius subscriber could pay another buck a month for O&A, and an XM subscriber could pay extra if they wanted Howard Stern.
I have no idea what’s going to happen with the Canadian service.
before we assume this won’t be allowed by the gov’t, remember that congress recently (late 90’s?) allowed MASSIVE mergers and the creation of conglomerates in standard radio.
That move SUCKED and killed radio variety in the US.
The satellite merger should be less harmful, IMO, as they require variety to get people to pay a monnthly fee as opposed to getting free homogenous radio.
I fear in the not too distant future that SR will end up being as bland and pointless as regular
radio. It seems like broadcasters need to appeal to the LCD in order to be profitable (c.f. an
earlier discussion we had in CS regarding such cable networks as the SF Channel, A & E,
Discovery, etc.).