http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/sirius/ en-us Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:44:12 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051195/posts Sirius Satellite Radio host Howard Stern supports the merger of his network with XM Satelitte Radio and is fuming at Democratic opposition on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) panel. After FCC commissioners announced they have reached a deal to approve the merger of Sirius (NASDAQ:SIRI) and XM (NASDAQ:XMSR), Stern ranted about Democrats’ ‘gangsterism’ and ‘communism’ and the obstacles to the merger. Stern described a phone conversation he had with his agent, who he described as a “liberal Democrat kind of guy.” “I go, ‘That’s it!’” Stern said. “[I] go, ‘You know what Don, I’ve voted Republican and I’ve voted Democrat.... Howard Stern Show http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051195/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:44:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050731/posts Sirius Satellite Radio host Howard Stern supports the merger of his network with XM Satelitte Radio and is fuming at Democratic opposition on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) panel. After FCC commissioners announced they have reached a deal to approve the merger of Sirius (NASDAQ:SIRI) and XM (NASDAQ:XMSR), Stern ranted about Democrats’ ‘gangsterism’ and ‘communism’ and the obstacles to the merger. Business & Media Institute http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050731/posts#comment Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:00:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050722/posts XM-Sirius merger OKd in fines plus booster-dump deal Woo FCC with $19m in 'voluntary contributions' XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio are nearing a final agreement with US regulators to approve their long-pending merger. The companies agreed to pay millions of dollars in fines in order to grease the wheels of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for formal approval of their proposed monopoly. Some officials and lawmakers are concerned that leaving only one company to rule satellite radio airwaves will lead to price-hikes and anti-competitive behavior. But XM and Sirius are approaching a final pact with the FCC that... The Register (UK) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050722/posts#comment Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:44:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2035857/posts Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin J. Martin said yesterday that he will support a merger between the nation's sole satellite radio operators, XM and Sirius, a decision that could remove the last regulatory hurdle in the lengthy and heavily criticized move to make the companies one. ... The companies have agreed to: ... set aside 4 percent of their radio spectrums, or 12 channels, for noncommercial services such as educational and public safety programming. They would lease another 12 channels for programming run by minorities and women, groups that are underrepresented in entertainment broadcasting Washington Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2035857/posts#comment Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:16:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2032166/posts Senior members of the Congressional Black Caucus yesterday criticized a compromise plan for the proposed merger of the XM and Sirius satellite radio companies, saying the deal does not provide enough opportunities for minority-owned programming. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin J. Martin said over the weekend that he would support the merger after XM Satellite Radio Holdings and Sirius Satellite Radio voluntarily agreed, among a series of other concessions, to lease 4 percent of their radio spectrums, or 12 channels, for programming run by minorities and women. Members of the black caucus on Capitol Hill have been arguing for the... Washington Compost http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2032166/posts#comment Tue, 17 Jun 2008 10:05:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1990818/posts WASHINGTON (AP) - The Justice Department approved Sirius Satellite Radio's $5 billion buyout of rival XM Satellite Radio on Monday, saying the deal was unlikely to hurt competition or consumers. The deal was approved despite opposition from consumer groups and an intense lobbying campaign by the land-based radio industry. The buyout received shareholder approval in November. The companies said the merger will save hundreds of millions of dollars in operating costs—savings that will ultimately benefit their customers. The Justice Department, in a lengthy news release explaining its decision, said the two companies compete not just with each other but also... Drudge http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1990818/posts#comment Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:39:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1986068/posts Sirius Satellite Radio is launching a station devoted to the Spitzer scandal. Client 9 Radio, by isteners' demand, is on-air through the weekend....with call-ins, segments on fallout, psychology and implications. NY POST http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1986068/posts#comment Sat, 15 Mar 2008 11:23:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1975975/posts Satellite radio held hostage THE $4 BILLION merger of satellite radio companies Sirius and XM continues to languish in the hands of government regulators, despite hopes that the 10-month antitrust investigation wouldn't drag into 2008. An otherwise clear-cut approval process has been hijacked by competitors seeking to prevent consumers from receiving better service, more choices and lower prices. As a result, the government could become an accomplice in bankrupting satellite radio and removing a popular product from the market. Before granting approval, antitrust officials at the Department of Justice must determine whether the merger creates a monopoly, an easy question.... Philadelphia Daily News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1975975/posts#comment Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:55:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1949717/posts XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. will no longer broadcast the Starbucks XM Cafe channel after ending a marketing agreement with the coffee chain operator, the company said in a regulatory filing Monday. As part of the breakup, Starbucks has the right to sell $22 million in XM shares. At the time of the filing, that amounted to about 1.85 million shares, which represents less than 1 percent of XM's total 314.2 million shares outstanding at the end of September. XM said in the filing that if Starbucks does not realize $22 million from the stock sale, XM may be forced... AL AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1949717/posts#comment Mon, 7 Jan 2008 18:17:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1925803/posts Soros fund takes on Countrywide, XM, Sirius stakes Soros Fund Management reported in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission its holdings as of Sept. 30, which included a $33.9 million investment in Countrywide. The fund also reported stakes in Sirius Satellite Radio Inc (SIRI.O: Quote, Profile, Research) and XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc (XMSR.O: Quote, Profile, Research), of 1.21 million shares and 103,265 Class A shares, respectively. The shareholders of the rival companies voted in favor on Tuesday of a planned $5.1 billion merger that still needs approval by the federal government. The overall value of Soros'... Reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1925803/posts#comment Wed, 14 Nov 2007 21:55:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1861010/posts The only reason I subscribe to Sirius is for their Metropolitan Opera Channel which mostly rebroadcasts old Saturday afternoon performances. Even if you're not an opera fan, you can probably imagine my horror when I clicked to the Sirius site to check out the schedule and saw that the Sunday schedule was preempted and given over to "Live Earth" programming. I immediately searched for the customer service link and fired off a message to the Sirius folks. I don't have a copy. The gist of it was that I was interested in opera and not left-wing political stuff. Within minutes... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1861010/posts#comment Thu, 5 Jul 2007 00:43:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1809452/posts A study sent yesterday to the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice demonstrates that the proposed merger between XM and Sirius would create a monopoly, constituting a likely violation of the antitrust laws. Conducted by one of the country's leading economists and scholars, the study lends concrete evidence and analysis to some of the most important questions that have plagued lawmakers since the merger was announced earlier this year. As lawmakers on Capitol Hill began to focus increasingly on what the relevant product market is for satellite radio and what impact this merger would have on consumers, the... Bend Weekly http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1809452/posts#comment Fri, 30 Mar 2007 20:08:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1797000/posts NEW YORK (Reuters) - Kevin J. Martin, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, has privately questioned recent congressional testimony by the architect of a proposed merger of the nation's two satellite radio companies that subscribers would both pay the same monthly rate and receive significantly more programming, The New York Times reported. As he sought to sell the proposed merger of Sirius Satellite Radio (SIRI.O: Quote, Profile, Research) and XM Satellite Radio (XMSR.O: Quote, Profile, Research) to Congress, Mel Karmazin, the chief executive of Sirius, vowed last Wednesday that prices would not be raised and that listeners would benefit... Reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1797000/posts#comment Wed, 7 Mar 2007 22:20:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1794523/posts Former Attorney General John Ashcroft, hired by opponents of the deal, has blasted Sirius Satellite Radio Inc.'s proposed acquisition of XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc., saying the combination would leave only one provider in the market. Ashcroft, who served as head of the Justice Department for four years until January 2005, was hired by the National Association of Broadcasters to examine the acquisition. The NAB, which represents traditional radio broadcasters, has been a fierce critic of the acquisition, now worth about $4.4 billion, since it was announced last week. In a letter sent on February 27 to his replacement as... Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1794523/posts#comment Sat, 3 Mar 2007 15:01:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1793305/posts Sirius CEO argues for radio merger WASHINGTON — Despite vowing not to raise their prices, the nation's only two satellite radio providers found their proposed merger to be a tough sell Wednesday on Capitol Hill. "You've got some high hurdles to overcome, don't you think?" House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) told Mel Karmazin, chief executive of Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. Karmazin, who would run the new company if federal regulators approve Sirius' proposed merger with XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc., tried to overcome those hurdles by promising not to hike for an unspecified period the $12.95 monthly... LA Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1793305/posts#comment Thu, 1 Mar 2007 15:50:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1788198/posts NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. pledged on Tuesday to work with regulators to close their proposed $4.9 billion merger by year's end, seeking to calm concerns that U.S. antitrust authorities would block the deal. Sirius Chief Executive Mel Karmazin, a seasoned dealmaker and media veteran, said the goal of the deal was not to raise consumer prices but to boost subscriber growth by combining the two satellite radio services and bringing stars like Howard Stern and Oprah Winfrey under one roof. But he acknowledged that Sirius's planned takeover of XM has... Washington Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1788198/posts#comment Tue, 20 Feb 2007 23:20:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1787575/posts NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sirius Satellite Radio agreed to buy larger U.S. rival XM Satellite Radio for $4.6 billion in stock on Monday in a deal that gives all subscribers access to entertainers such as Oprah Winfrey and shock-jock Howard Stern. The transaction, which faces regulatory scrutiny and objections from terrestrial radio companies, gives XM shareholders 4.6 Sirius shares for each XM share held. The deal has Sirius paying about $4.6 billion in stock for XM, or a 21.7 percent premium to XM's closing share price of $13.98 on Friday, based on shares outstanding in the latest regulatory filings. Veteran... Reuters News Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1787575/posts#comment Tue, 20 Feb 2007 00:02:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1787480/posts NEW YORK, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- U.S. radio operators Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio Holdings are in final merger discussions, a published report said Monday. The deal, which would create a single satellite radio operator with more than 12 million subscribers, would save the companies nearly $7 billion a year, The New York Post reported. RightBias News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1787480/posts#comment Mon, 19 Feb 2007 20:22:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1787228/posts Satellite radio operators Sirius and XM are expected to announce their long-awaited merger today, according to a source familiar with the deal. The two sides were locked in negotiations over the weekend trying to hammer out a final agreement with an eye toward going public with the merger today in Washington, D.C., where XM is based, this source said. Talks were still going on at press time and the deal could fall apart at any time. With antitrust issues of paramount importance, this source said lawyers for both companies were working overtime to fine-tune the language of the agreement and... New York Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1787228/posts#comment Mon, 19 Feb 2007 10:07:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1784585/posts Sirius has always been a complicated company with a complicated story. First of all, you've got the blue-sky opportunity of satellite radio, which has lured in many only to see them washed away in a sea of red ink and missed expectations. Then you've got the deal with Howard Stern, a mythic figure with the cult status of Steve Jobs and whose importance to the well-being of the Company (and its stock price) is a topic of endless conversation. Next you've got Mel Karmazin, yet another big personality in a small company with an agenda all his own. And finally... InformationArbitrage.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1784585/posts#comment Wed, 14 Feb 2007 13:31:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1767227/posts Robert Anton Wilson, co-author of the cult classic "The Illuminatus! Trilogy," a science-fiction series about a secret global society, has died. He was 74. Wilson died peacefully of natural causes at his home Thursday in Capitola in Santa Cruz County, his daughter Christina Pearson said Saturday. Post-polio syndrome had severely weakened Wilson's legs, leading to a fall seven months ago that left him bedridden until his death, Pearson said. Wilson wrote 35 books on subjects such as extrasensory perception, mental telepathy, metaphysics, paranormal experiences, conspiracy theory, sex, drugs and what he called quantum psychology. He wrote the "Illuminatus" trilogy with... AP on Bakersfield Californian http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1767227/posts#comment Sat, 13 Jan 2007 23:04:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1766501/posts The libertarian novelist, journalist, humorist, and philosopher Robert Anton Wilson died at about 4:50 this morning, Pacific Coast time. As far as I'm aware, the last thing he wrote was this, posted on his blog last Saturday: Various medical authorities swarm in and out of here predicting I have between two days and two months to live. I think they are guessing. I remain cheerful and unimpressed. I look forward without dogmatic optimism but without dread. I love you all and I deeply implore you to keep the lasagna flying. Please pardon my levity, I don't see how to take... Reason Online http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1766501/posts#comment Fri, 12 Jan 2007 15:20:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1764894/posts NEW YORK — Sirius Satellite Radio (SIRI) paid shock jock Howard Stern a bonus worth nearly $83 million on Tuesday for surpassing subscriber goals set in a 2004 contract that had already turned heads with its $500 million compensation package. The freewheeling and ribald Stern joined Sirius one year ago... His defection marked a turning point for the nascent business of satellite radio, with both Sirius and larger rival XM Satellite Radio (XMR) paying millions more to sign on other talent and attract listeners to their subscriber model. Sirius had roughly 600,000 subscribers when it signed Stern in 2004 for... Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1764894/posts#comment Tue, 9 Jan 2007 21:18:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1725977/posts I'm not a stock holder. I'm just a customer. I certainly wouldn't pay for Howard Stern. But if you like/love opera and don't know already, Sirius is broadcasting live from the Met four nights a week. Tonight is a so-so Rigoletto, but there is just enough brilliance every so often that even the most jaded listener has to think, "Wow!" When there aren't live operas, they play live recordings from their archives (unfortunately introduced by the lamentable Juntwait). A couple of days ago I recorded a '63 Sutherland-Sonnambula! What would Mozart think!? ML/NJ http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1725977/posts#comment Thu, 26 Oct 2006 01:44:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1721532/posts Howard Stern, the self-proclaimed "king of all media," moved to satellite radio in January 2006 to be free from government decency regulations. However, the president of the American Decency Association says the notoriously profane radio host's newfound freedom has apparently come at a cost. Stern predicted that millions of so-called "terrestrial" radio listeners would follow him to satellite and pay a monthly subscription fee to hear his show. Sirius Satellite, which now carries the well-known shock jock's broadcast, put its money on him in the hope that he was right. In addition to Stern's show, Sirius also offers Playboy Radio,... Agape Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1721532/posts#comment Wed, 18 Oct 2006 14:17:49 GMT