The Carmel Group, a self-proclaimed influential research firm, has released a study exclusively to the New York Post countering the XM-Sirius merger.
A key highlight of the study is the so-called "ping-pong chart" illustrating historically XM's and Sirius' competitive reactions to each other. The Carmel Group created a similar chart for the EchoStar-DirecTV merger, which they themselves cite as being a significant deciding factor for rejecting that merger (sadly the FCC says nothing of it).
The Post cites one example, where the chart notes that in December 2002, XM launched its first portable satellite radio, which they assume prompted Sirius to do the same just 5 months later. (You have to wonder what they consider the development cycles to be for receivers... I think a 5 month turn-around time from concept to production sounds reasonable - don't you?)
I'd like to see this ping-pong chart, because I'll make one just for terrestrial radio's reactions to satellite radio. Was HD Radio a reaction to Satellite? Nah! Was renaming your stations to "Free FM" a reaction? Absolutely not! How about those "Radio, you shouldn't have to pay for it" ads?
...oh, but let's forget about all that. I just want to highlight one specific thing about The Carmel Group report: It was sponsored by the NAB. 'nuff said.
Game over....suck on that Stern fans. O and A aren't going anywhere...however, after Sirius goes bankrupt, your Goblin King might be broadcasting from his apartment on Paltalk. And don't let Gobbie fool you, O and A initiated that first also.
HOO HOO!!!! I INVENTED BANKRUPTING COMPANIES!! RIGHT ROBIN? TELL 'EM FRED!!!!
Two words... i Pod!
As far as the O&A comment... Mel and Howard won. Get over it.
Who are O & A ?
Wow, O&A fan... you don't want this merger to happen? Are you stupid? I take it you have XM. You don't want 100+ more channels on your radio? You're just afraid that O&A will lose their jobs when people start listening to Mr. Scarecrow. You're falling for their plan. 4 Million > 30K.
Do you work for the NAB???
I had XM and decided to try Sirius....What a mistake. XM for the most part has stations with no talk. At Sirius they can't shutup. I would rather listen to over the air, or better yet MP3 than pay for Sirius. I am giving my Sirius to a friend and reactivating my XM... Danny K.