I don't understand why or how people think that satellite radio has such a rosy future. I don't. They are saddled with mountains of debt (Thank you, Howard Stern) and the cars that are populated with the receivers aren't moving quickly off the lots. Many people (myself included) see satellite radio as a 'luxury' and there's not a big appetite for that kind of spending going on right now. So XM and Sirius are saddled with a ton of debt yet their subscriber base isn't growing (or is, but anemically). XM and Sirius probably thought the merger would bring the fence-sitters, but is that happening to any meaningful degree? Even though the companies are 'merged,' the equipment sure isn't. Promises that this will 'eventually occur' abound, but meanwhile Stern still wants his paycheck.
