Elizabeth Edwards's public battle with cancer has inspired Hugh Panero to write a piece for the Washington Post providing insight into his wife's own struggle with leukemia.

It's an incredible read, especially for those who might not have known that Panero and his family were going through such a difficult time (during XM's 2001 launch even).

The strength to persist during such an emotional time - for Hugh, his wife Mary Beth Durkin and their children - is something that many can't truly understand. This article at least gives you a glimpse into that.

[Washington Post]
(And if you're inspired to help, visit marrow.org for info on the bone marrow donor registry)

Remember that resolution against the XM-Sirius merger that was passed in Alabama? Well it seems that several keen-eyed commenters have noticed that the chief sponsor of the resolution actually owns a terrestrial radio station as well as a production company.

Mike Hubbard, Alabama's House Minority Leader and the chief sponsor of a resolution against the Sirius-XM merger (HJR144) cites his own possible conflict of interest in his official bio:

"Hubbard’s company, Auburn Network, Inc., owns and operates WANI NewsTalk 1400, a commercial radio station in the Auburn/Opelika market as well as Studio 197, an audio production company serving the national broadcast industry..."

In his legislative bio, we also learn that Hubbard is a member of the Alabama Broadcasters Association which identifies itself as a trade association representing radio and televisions stations. The ABA itself has officially denounced the XM-Sirius merger, obviously using the strength of its 287 members (particularly one certain House Minority Leader) to push forward their agenda.

Conflict of interest? Nah, it's for the good of the people! 

[via The Port Chronicle]

It's Friday! Friday! Frrrrrrriday! Crack a beer and read some news bits... 

• XM channels changes are a-comin' - including some new sports channels and some rearranging [XM Channel Guide (PDF)]
• Radio World op-ed piece criticizes the merger. Favorite quote: "If satellite radio can’t exist in even a minimally competitive environment, perhaps it shouldn’t exist at all." (you'd like that wouldn't you?) [RW Online]
• Confirmed? Apple iPhone release date is supposedly June 11th - just in time for WWDC 2007 (though the source is a bit suspect) [Gizmodo]
  
• AutoNet - which turns your car into a WiFi hotspot using both 3G and 2.5G cellular networks - is launching with Avis on April 16th (newsflash for skeptics: in-car Internet radio is right around the corner) [AutoNet]
  
• Current crop of HD radios worse than analog models? (tee hee) [Engadget]

Thanks to everyone who sent in these news bits! 

XM is headed to the Augusta National Golf Club for some live play-by play coverage of the Masters golf tournament.

Tiger Woods and returning champion Phil Mickelson are among the top players in contention for the Masters title and the famous green jacket.

The tournament will air on XM's PGA Tour Network (ch 146) starting on Thursday, April 5th from 12-noon to 7pm ET all the way until the Masters ends on Sunday, April 8th. Highlights of each day’s action will air between 7pm and 8pm.

The on-site coverage begins on Tuesday, April 3rd, when a special Masters press conference show will air from 2pm to 8pm. The coverage continues on April 4th from 2pm to 7pm, with a tournament preview and interviews from the Masters' par 3 contest.

XM will have a team of nine broadcasters on the course covering the action. Jim Gray will be positioned at the 18th green to interview players. Jay Randolph, Jr. will host the daily broadcasts and Mark Carnevale will provide analysis from the 18th tower above the green.

...sadly, Marie and crew will probably not be there.

Garmin has unveiled the GRC 10, a handheld remote control designed specifically for use with the GDL 69A, which itself is a remote sensor that receives broadcast weather data from XM WX Satellite Weather and audio entertainment from XM Satellite Radio. Information obtained from the GDL 69A is displayed on aviation products such as the G1000 (pictured), the GMX 200 (not pictured), the GNS 530W (not pictured) and the GNS 430W (also not pictured).

Using the GRC 10 passengers in the rear seats/cabin of the airplane can scan through their favorite XM radio channels without disturbing the pilot. The GRC 10 controls the GDL 69A's XM entertainment features such as volume, channel selection by channel, channel selection by category and more.

Thanks to its strong 2.4 GHz RF link, the GRC 10 can control XM Satellite Radio from anywhere in the cabin no matter what direction you're pointing the remote. The bi-directional remote also receives and displays information from the XM unit directly on the remote, so you can see what song is currently playing right on the remote. It has a high contrast, 160x128 pixel backlit display that makes it viewable in all lighting conditions.

The GRC 10 communicates with the GDL 69A through the GRT 10 which is connected through a serial port (you follow that? The GRT 10 is actually a wireless transceiver installed in the airplane, which talks to the GRC 10 and relay the message to the GDL 69A... I know, alphabet soup).

Garmin's GDL 69A delivers both XM digital entertainment and XM WX Satellite Weather. The GDL 69A's comprehensive weather data suite includes NEXRAD, METARS, TAFs, TFRs and more (more alphabet soup!).

Garmin figures the GRC 10 and GRT 10 will be sold together at a suggested retail price of $590.00. And if all goes well, availability will be around June 2007.

As we learned yesterday, a federal judge has dismissed the class action lawsuit alleging securities fraud against XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc.

Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said the suit, "failed to identify any materially misleading statements or omissions" by XM Satellite Radio that would support a lawsuit.

A group of XMSR shareholders argued that XM executives predicted in mid-2005 that their marketing costs for subscriber acquisition would decline or stabilize. But early last year it was revealed that XM's marketing expenses had significantly increased - causing shares to drop about 28% - and these investors sought to recover these financial losses they incurred for stock or stock options.

But Huvelle ruled that the company's projections of its marketing costs were "forward-looking statements...accompanied by meaningful cautionary language" and therefore shielded from lawsuits.

The plaintiffs also failed to show that XM's statements "lacked a reasonable basis when made," Huvelle wrote.

[AP] 

Corporate Crime Reporter has revealed that C3SR - the consumer group that was created to oppose the merger between XM and Sirius - is in fact supported by the NAB.

Separately... and perhaps more importantly... in the recent Criterion Economics Study about the XM-Sirius merger there's a footnote  (on page 3) stating:
"The Consumer Coalition for Competition in Satellite Radio is a consumer group consisting of Sirius and XM subscribers. It is supported by the National Association of Broadcasters."

Consumer Coalition For Competition In Satellite Radio (C3SR) founding member Chris Reale actually works full time at Williams Mullen Strategies - the lobbying arm of the Williams Mullen law firm - whose communications practice is headed by Julian Shepard, who just happens to be a former assistant general counsel at the NAB.

When Corporate Crime Reporter confronted Reale about who is funding C3SR, he wouldn't say, but did admit that the NAB "supports" the group. Reale refuses to identify the nature of NAB’s support.

"If we were out there in the media telling people who funded us, it would detract from support from different groups," Reale said. "I didn’t think that was a wise course."

Read more on Corporate Crime Reporter.

Read the Criterion Study (PDF) ...and be sure to specifically check Page 3, Footnote 3.

UPDATE: Add some salt to the wound, a commenter has pointed out that C3SR even links to an NAB study in a blog post. I don't mind anyone opposing the merger, but aligning yourself with the NAB doesn't help your case.

The Alabama House of Representatives has unanimously passed a resolution opposing the proposed XM and Sirius merger.

House Joint Resolution 144 was introduced last Tuesday, March 20th, and will now go to the Alabama Senate.

The resolution stated "that the Attorney General of the United States and the Federal Communications Commission are encouraged to disapprove the proposed merger between the only two national satellite radio companies."

The resolution also says: "that the merger will result in consumers, musicians, and other entertainers being subject to a single company with unlimited market power to impose anti-competitive terms, conditions, and prices;" "the combination of these two satellite radio companies will potentially restrict programming, reduce diversity, and diminish creativity; each result negatively impacting the public interest;" and "unquestionably, a government sanctioned monopoly is harmful to consumers and the public and should be avoided and denied."

In a statement, the NAB said that "It is our hope that similar resolutions will be introduced in other states."

[FMQB] 

UPDATE: XM Satellite Radio has issued a statement about the Alabama resolution:

"The NAB’s unprecedented campaign against the merger demonstrates that AM and FM broadcasters vigorously compete with satellite radio. The more the NAB does to oppose the merger, the more it weakens their credibility."

The Class Action lawsuit that was filed against XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc, on behalf of purchasers of XMSR common stock has been dismissed by the judge.

An SEC disclosure has been filed giving a bit more detail:

Securities Class Action Litigation Dismissed. On March 28, 2007, our motion to dismiss the previously disclosed securities class action litigation was granted and the case dismissed with prejudice. The court concluded that “plaintiffs have failed to identify any materially misleading statements or omissions that are actionable under Section 10(b)” of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. 

Perhaps the most significant revelation about Sirius Backseat TV is the content partners. At CES we saw that Cartoon Network was a content partner, but the adding of Nickelodeon and Disney Channel shows that Sirius has a powerhouse of children's programming backing this effort.

That's huge, because Sirius has essentially covered all the bases for the leaders in children's television.

In a statement, Denise Dahldorf, Executive Vice President of MTV Networks Content Distribution and Marketing said, "like all of our MTVN brands, our goal for Nickelodeon is to be everywhere our audiences are, and the launch of Sirius Backseat TV gives kids and families even more screens to interact with us."

"Disney Channel viewers expect to be able to access their favorite shows and stars wherever they are on a wide variety of devices," said Ben Pyne, President of Disney and ESPN Networks Affiliate Sales and Marketing.

"Cartoon Network Mobile is a customized programming service designed for the on-the-go mobile lifestyle," said Coleman Breland, Executive Vice President of sales and marketing for Turner Network Sales. "This new venture with Sirius is one we think parents will see the benefits of and represents the next generation of back seat entertainment."

The one-year of free Sirius Backseat TV and free Sirius Satellite Radio is pretty significant as well. Just like satellite radio, I think the Backseat TV product requires consumers to first experience the product before they realize that they want the product. While $470 isn't a cheap offering - that price does include the full year of service as well as the hardware - which might make it an easier sell at the dealership.

My only concern with Sirius Backseat TV: there are tons of ways for a substitutive product to overtake them in the marketplace. Yes, it's live streaming content while on-the-go, but - as the iPod has shown us - people are just as accepting of a cached solution (especially if it's without a monthly charge). With WiFi-enabled households becoming nearly ubiquitous, what's to stop a device to download new programs while your car is parked in the garage? I'm not saying that Sirius Backseat TV doesn't have potential, but ignoring the competitive risks is silly.

But with Nickelodeon, Disney Channel and Cartoon Network on their side - as well as the key OEM partnership with Chrysler - Sirius might have a decent jump on the competition as demand for this type of service grows.