Sirius & XM Together-What is the hold up?

[nativeatlanta]

What is the hold up in the merger between these two?

Would anybody like to speculate on this?

Also, can either one survive if merger doesnot go thru? I am very happy with Sirius. I am not going back to local radio here in the Atlanta Area.(Atlanta Radio has become F.U.B.A.R.).

 

[oldvnewschool]

Good Question!

I too would like to know myself

 

[Slambang]

Alot of this can be blamed on the FTC, for holding up the situation and the NAB, who likes to complain about anyone who moves in on their territory.

 

[Gatekeeper007]

One problem is the fact that local broadcast radio does not have satellite carrage rights. In other words local TV stations have must carry rules local radio doesn't. The reason XM and Sirius are affordable is because they have to compete with local radio stations across the country, and that is not to say that all programming on all local stations are good but then too Sirius dropped The Grand Ole Oppry and I along with many others dropped Sirius in a heart beat and went back to XM so programming does account for a lot of radio movement. The other reason is the battle between XM and Sirius for listeners wouldn't exist, again prices go up way up just like gas prices. There needs to be a third satellite provider that carries local radio stations, that would put everyone on a lot more even playing field then a merger would not be such a bad idea, now no way.

 

[raydofan]

One problem is the fact that local broadcast radio does not have satellite carrage rights.
~~~~~~
There needs to be a third satellite provider that carries local radio stations, that would put everyone on a lot more even playing field then a merger would not be such a bad idea, now no way.

I would imagine you you mean totally unique formatted stations. Otherwise, no. Radio FORMATS are syndicated. Hosts are syndicated. Groups and clusters use the same playlist. Ya folly? No need for a redundant service.

WSM is an exception to the rule. WFMU would be another. Yes to them, no to just about everyone else.

 

[Gatekeeper007]

Yes

 

[livingfruitvirus]

One problem is the fact that local broadcast radio does not have satellite carrage rights. In other words local TV stations have must carry rules local radio doesn't. The reason XM and Sirius are affordable is because they have to compete with local radio stations across the country, and that is not to say that all programming on all local stations are good but then too Sirius dropped The Grand Ole Oppry and I along with many others dropped Sirius in a heart beat and went back to XM so programming does account for a lot of radio movement. The other reason is the battle between XM and Sirius for listeners wouldn't exist, again prices go up way up just like gas prices. There needs to be a third satellite provider that carries local radio stations, that would put everyone on a lot more even playing field then a merger would not be such a bad idea, now no way.

This isn't cable television. Must-carry has an easier time existing with cable and satellite TV because cable TV is stationary and the local stations are assigned to the proper local companies, and satellite TV has enough bandwidth provided to them to carry all those local stations for each individual market with many satellites. Satellite radio on the other hand, is mobile, and there's no cable alternative. If you had enough bandwidth to provide the 15,000+ radio stations in the country with proper carriage and enough satellites to boot, and then provided those local stations to customers based on location, we'd have something. However, that's not necessary, and people still use antennas to listen to AM/FM radio unlike television, where the antenna is a nuisance more than anything. Besides, I can't see people willing to pay to hear what they can immediately hear for free.

The Grand Ole Opry is a country music institution and has national recognition through TNN/GAC and Westwood One's syndicated show, so it is something that would be useful on a national platform. I'm surprised that WFMU, even though it's a local station in north Jersey, has received so much internet fame to the point where it's more of an internet radio station than an FM station. I don't get it. Them and WAXY, except WAXY lost its FM stick.

And there technically is a provider (not satellite) that carries local stations. It's called mSpot and is received through cellphones.

 

[chuckydoll]

Maybe it's a case of bribery

Georgetown Partners gave good money to 3 congressmen who then put in a good word for the company at the FCC. Not only that, Georgetown Partners is a minority-owned company.

 

[Rockin Rob]

http://www.dcrtv.com/nyc.html is reporting that approval by the DOJ [snip] "could be cleared by the Department Of Justice "any day now," according to analysts at Stanford Group." Then, the FCC should follow and make their approval official as well.

 

[agentUrge]

... and WAXY, except WAXY lost its FM stick.

Don't you mean WOXY? Maybe I'm wrong. A similar thing happened to WNNX in atlanta. They were 99x for 15 years and then over the course of a couple of weeks went HD and internet only.

I'd be interested in hearing stations like that end up on a Satellite system. Wonder what it would take for said Satellite radio network to purchase a station like that rather than have it go under.

and I'm whole heartedly against the merger. to say it benefits the customer is like having broken glass in the ice cube tray.

 

[LucasNugent]

There needs to be a third satellite provider that carries local radio stations, that would put everyone on a lot more even playing field then a merger would not be such a bad idea, now no way.

That is a great idea.

 

[raydofan]

There needs to be a third satellite provider that carries local radio stations, that would put everyone on a lot more even playing field then a merger would not be such a bad idea, now no way.

That is a great idea.

Kind of defeats the purpose of being 'local' doesn't it? Localism is a unique available facet to TR, but broadcasters have managed to ruin that. So this idea would accomplish what-bad formats and VTs already de facto syndicated, and no local service at all?

As I stated: WFMU, WSM, maybe WOXY-room could be made in the current platforms for these unique outlets I'm sure. Some crap cluster, group or chain outlet? Uh, no.

 

[LucasNugent]

Kind of defeats the purpose of being 'local' doesn't it? Localism is a unique available facet to TR, but broadcasters have managed to ruin that. So this idea would accomplish what-bad formats and VTs already de facto syndicated, and no local service at all?

As I stated: WFMU, WSM, maybe WOXY-room could be made in the current platforms for these unique outlets I'm sure. Some crap cluster, group or chain outlet? Uh, no.

No no, keep the "local" aspect (if there is any). And no it doesn't defeat the purpose of local. I would love to be able to listen to the broadcast of stations around the continent, but can't. I don't care if I'm listening to a station in Chicago or Texas and they don't talk about me listening on the satellite. Just to have a way to hear those stations without the online quality would be awesome. Perhaps though it would only be picked up by radio people but that's another conversation lol.

 

[raydofan]

Kind of defeats the purpose of being 'local' doesn't it? Localism is a unique available facet to TR, but broadcasters have managed to ruin that. So this idea would accomplish what-bad formats and VTs already de facto syndicated, and no local service at all?

As I stated: WFMU, WSM, maybe WOXY-room could be made in the current platforms for these unique outlets I'm sure. Some crap cluster, group or chain outlet? Uh, no.

No no, keep the "local" aspect (if there is any). And no it doesn't defeat the purpose of local. I would love to be able to listen to the broadcast of stations around the continent, but can't. I don't care if I'm listening to a station in Chicago or Texas and they don't talk about me listening on the satellite. Just to have a way to hear those stations without the online quality would be awesome. Perhaps though it would only be picked up by radio people but that's another conversation lol.

Wait for WiMax..that is the only real way to expect any close to HIFi performance. If the stations and the ISPs manage the system to ensure full fidelity, then it will compete with SatRadio. But if the bandwidth and service is managed the way the Cell providers do (ie: on the cheap) then forget it.

I think a nationwide alternative distro for TR would be an offshoot of a digital cable package, or on the various sat TV services-I think XM does that now.