It's a slow news day which means that another "rumor" needs to hit the streets to justify everyone's salaries. This time around its... a Sirius and Apple partnership. Wow. How original.

Too bad it's just a rumor, and as usual, will continue to be just a rumor.

Yet the good folks over at Briefing.com have managed to create enough buzz on this that it's driven SIRI up a good $0.10 at today's current high. Oh joy.

Let's stop for a second and question... why? Why would Apple, who is enjoying a significant market leadership position, partner with "the competition" and muck with the iPod and iTunes? It ain't happening ...yet.

[Ant & Sons] 

That's what AllAccess.com is speculating. According to the report, Bubba The Love Sponge was seen walking out of the Cox building in Tampa with several "suits" with him.

Two questions are being raised:

1. Is Bubba leaving Sirius Satellite Radio?
2. Or is Bubba pulling an "Opie & Anthony" and doing a dual-satellite/terrestrial radio show?

Oh the speculation!

[AllAccess.com]

"A weekly schedule [for ION Media CEO Brandon Burgess] might include meeting with Samsung in New York about cell phone chips for broadcast signals, before jetting off to Washington to chat with pals at the Federal Communications Commission. Then it's back to New York to dine with Sirius Satellite Radio CEO Mel Karmazin as they explore new ideas for the two companies."

ION Media apparently is also pushing a values-oriented kids digital channel, and Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin has specifically mentioned children's programming and that the Sirius video feed will be live. But besides that, and the two CEOs having dinner together, there's little other evidence that anything is going on.

Speculate away.

[BusinessWeek]