Satellite of Love
Earlier this week you may have heard that the merger deal to unify Sirius Radio and XM Radio was approved. The only question that was holding the approval back is that it seemingly turns satellite radio into a monopoly held by one company.
Well, since the approval there has been some other news relating to the merger, let’s just say that communication companies broadcasting on regular radio are not happy:
Howie Carr (Boston’s WRKO) was reading the news on the air about the Department of Justice approving the merger and was bleeped over by his producer* when he said the names of the merging companies. WRKO is owned by Entercom Communications.
Clear Channel Communications, one of Entercom’s competitors, has gone a step further and has asked the FCC to impose a list of conditions on to the newly formed Sirius/XM alliance. Some of the items on their list would directly benefit them (upping the number of radio stations one company can own), others would indirectly help Clear Channel (requiring the satellites to support HD Radio broadcasts, which Clear Channel is a big investor in) and others would just hurt the satellite companies (having to follow FCC rules for broadcast decency).
Looks like with the merger of the Satellite radio companies terrestrial radio companies are starting to freak out and have a panic attack. I guess if you can’t beat them, force massive amounts of paperwork and hoops to jump through upon them.
*We would have linked to the Radio-info article on it, but you need to register to red the archives of the newletter this was in.
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28. March 2008 at :
When there were disruptions and protests in Tibet yesterday the Chinese Communist controlled central television station did not show any of it to the Chinese people. They are in the dark about what is happening in Tibet, despite the fact that the rest of the World knows. Now that the FCC wants to let just a few large broadcast companies control more and more of the broadcasts in the United States we will be more and more at the mercy of people like Rupport Murdoch, who will control what we hear and what we see. Since the air waves belong to the people, there is no reason why they should be under the control of a small group of broadcasters. Americans deserve to hear the entire range of opinions, not just right or left wing. The rules against monopoly control of the airways have a substantial justification in fact, as we can see from the Chinese experience. We have no business allowing this administration to destroy the freedom of the airways.