Below The Beltway

It’s been long enough, but it looks like the merger between XM and Sirius Satellite Radio may finally go forward:
WASHINGTON (AP) — The proposed merger of the nation’s two satellite radio broadcasters, bogged down in the regulatory process for over a year, has cleared a major hurdle with Federal Communications Commission chief recommending approval of […]

At the end of a blog post about the Presidential race, Chris Core shares this tidbit:
Starting on April 17th, I will be a host on XM’s POTUS ‘08 (Channel 130).  POTUS ‘08 is politically neutral, unbiased, commercial-free presidential campaign news 24/7. On the 17th, and through the 28th I will be on from 11 am-1 […]

The Department of Justice has given the okay to the long-pending planned merger of XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio:
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — The U.S. Justice Department approved the merger between satellite radio companies Sirius and XM Monday, more than a year after the two companies first announced their deal.
In its decision, the Department […]

While the bureaucrats at the FCC and FTC, not to mention Congress, have yet to rule on the issue, the shareholders of both XM Satellite Radio and competitor Sirius have approved the merger that was announced earlier this year:
NEW YORK — Shareholders approved a deal Tuesday to allow Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. to acquire its […]

As the XM-Sirius merger slogs it’s way through the regulatory process, the Washington Post reports that satellite radio is facing competition from a new source:
When Hyundai introduces its still-unnamed premium sports sedan for 2008, it will arrive with a built-in feature that most other new cars won’t have: high-definition radio.
Over the past few months, high-definition […]

A new startup debuted today that promises to deliver personalized satellite radio:
SAN JOSE, Calif. — A new service is taking personal taste in music to another level by combining elements of Internet radio, portable music and satellite distribution.
A startup led by a team of veterans in the digital music arena seeks to offer “personal radio” […]

With yesterday’s announcement of the proposed merger between XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio, and the announcement last month by the Chairman of the FCC that he would oppose such a merger, the battle that will determine whether this merger will go forward has begun, and it will revolve around the question of whether […]

It’s been the subject of speculation for months, but today XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio officially announced their plan to merge into a single company:
District-based XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. and New York-based Sirius Satellite Radio Inc., which together control the emerging satellite subscription radio market, today announced that they plan to merge […]

Last month, the Washington Post reported on rumors that Sirius and XM were considering a merger. Today, the New York Times carries a similar story that points out the reasons why a merger may make sense for both companies:
Both companies have continued to lose hundreds of millions of dollars because of marketing and other subscriber […]