At this point, it doesn't even matter. Martin will be gone in a matter of months anyway after the election. Typical of our government to spend time and resources investigating a man who will no longer hold the position shortly.

So Martin should just say "Fuck Congress" and force through this merger. Then at least he will have friends in SatRad land.

Exactly. He should give the congress a finger and approve the merger. After November he can work for new Sirius.

FCC staff was given protection to speak. Many are unhappy with the way things are done.

Never in the past has the FCC done so many stupid wrong things. It makes me wonder if money is changing hands.

Money is changing hands... It's called your tax dollars being spent recklessly.

"FCC Process Appears Broken"

Gee- ya think?

I disagree that this investigation is "useless", b/c the problem is systematic, not individualistic or party-specific! Everything that is wrong with the FCC can be extrapolated from the Sirius-XM merger. The inability for the FCC to make a timely and effective ruling on this merger, is evident that the system is "broken"; Even a complex decision like this, shouldn't take the time ,nor the course, to still be in limbo this very day; The FCC has had over 1-year to do a proper investigation; That's more than enough time to render a "thoughtful decision"; No, the FCC is "broken" and investigating Martin as chairman is quite appropriate. As I recall, the FCC didn't even ask for important and pertinent documents from the perspective mergees, until very late in the process, such that everyone was surprised when the said documents were requested; Then to have the DOJ make a ruling, and the FCC still un-able to follow-through with a ruling post-DOJ in a proper fashion, speaks worlds about the problems endemic in this failed institution; Still, the fact that the FCC would seriously entertain policy hearings from the opportunistic and self-serving Chester Davenport along with Jessie Jackson and the Rainbow Push Coalition, tells me that the agency is profoundly confused, mixing "civil-rights" concerns with "communications issues". This is a sham and a shame, and I am glad to see Martin feel the heat here; All the FCC ever needed to do was to "make a thoughtful decision in a reasonable amount of time", being prepared and efficient, with whatever "decision or vote" might be required; But to take this long to do what appears to be little more than "politicking" is all the reason in the world for Congress to seriously investigate the FCC's viability!

So, you think holding meetings to "discuss" the merger with third parties AFTER the deadline for public comments is over, is not a time management problem?

More than a "time management problem"...more like an inappropriate, un-specific, even un-related waste-of-time, entertaining the likes of "civil-rights" proponents! This isn't a "civil-rights" issue! If Davanport and Jackson want to secure Nate Davis' position in the merged Co., then great; But no, they come with their hands outstretched, saying:..."give to me...I am African American...we want a piece of this pie b/c we are a minority interest"!

Need more really be said! What do XM and Sirius owe Jessie Jackson and Davanport? Whose interest do these men represent? Answer: their own pockets...using race to mask greed! The NAACP has already given their support for the merger!

Ok, enough...my point has been stated!

Just the tip of the Iceburg.

see where this bastard in the fcc is going??? Yeah I mean u Martin u idiot!!! This has been going on too long with this merger! APPROVE IT ALREADY!!!

I could care less if this merger is approved or not at this point. I will just be happy when it's all over with. Just approve or deny the thing already!

THIS REALLY LOOKS GOOD. One broken organization investigating another.

Beautiful, screw Martin! Bob Savage (WYSL) has been in touch with Dingell over the jamming of his station - let's hope that IBOC, and those fuckers Struble, Bilk-o, and Fumbles get taken to the mat!

That might be the biggest understatement of the year.

Some good reading and for me it says the FCC is not able to understand how radio works or they are on the take.

The other insane thing is internet over power lines. Power lines are wires and wires are also antennas. Did money cause the FCC to become dumb as to how this radio stuff works?

Whatever it is dumb or paid off we need a house cleaning at the FCC.

HD Radio's relentless jamming of AM and FM stations well defines the mendacity and incompetence of the FCC under this Martin.

Public airwaves were handed, gratis, to thugs who fancy themselves broadcasters. The results? About what you'd expect. Broadcast stocks worthless. Programming dull. Relentless HD jamming caused by a 'high-stakes corporate scam', that 'carny shill' known as HD Radio.

Some call it State Sanctioned Jamming. Who alllowed BigRadio to pollute public airwaves? The FCC. Haven't they a gift for irony? Can you jam or otherwise transmit unlawful signals without concern the FCC will fine and perhaps arrest you? Of course not.

So, how does BigRadio get away with jamming public airwaves?

Paul Vincent Zecchino
Manasota Key, Florida
30 April, 2008

Opps forgot to add the link.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=IBOC+JAMMING

And think about all the BS with the modulators the FCC so concerned about a passing car hearing a Sat Radio but it is ok to Jam the entire country Jamming thousands of Radios.

It is hard for me to think that they were not paid off.

First of all, let me say the merger should have taken this long no matter what...

But actually this article highlights the REAL reason the delay has extended even longer. I don't think it's a coincidence that the Kevin Martin investigation started in December right about the time when ALL the analysts were saying the merger was imminent and Martin was hinting about it too.

Martin seems friendlier toward the merger and Sirius and XM's proposals of a la carte pricing. He kept making statements like Merger by March. Merger RIGHT after the DOJ.

I think it's obvious that this investigation has forced him to make it LOOK like he is taking his time. Which when you think about it is RIDICULOUS! It's already taken over 430 days!

Anyway...this investigation COUPLED with the increased NAB opposition has delayed what should have been decided months ago, let alone LAST year.

This whole thing has become a soap opera of shakespearian proportions.

All we can do is sit back and WAIT.

Oh...and write the FCC. But I am sure they are ignoring all the angry emails.

To all the idiots that bash Martin, it's not him where the holdup is. It's the doucebags like Adelstein.

The whole reason they agreed to merge when they did was that they knew that they had 3 republicans and 2 democrats. The 3 republicans will approve and the 2 democrats will dissent. It's just a matter of how long the democrats drag it out and keep allowing Chester Davenport to meet with them insisting that he should get 20% of a business for no other reason than the fact that he's black.

I'm not a republican, but it's pretty obvious Matrin isn't the issue...it's the democrats on the commission.

Mr. MARTIN NEEDS TO BE A MAN AND MAKE THE DIFFERENCE OTHERWISE THIS COULD BE STALLED FOREVER.
It seems to me that there are powers that affect the FCC process and delay this merger in order to maximize the damage or even stall this merger to death.
Someone must end this mess now! And Mr. Martin should understand that this is his true role as a chairman.

Something tells me that it will be better for him after this merger is decided. Because all his enemies will be only motivated by revenge when now they have also a deal to destroy.

Mr. Martin make the move before it is too late. You can be remembered for bringing A LA CARTE to the people. I do not think you want to be a lame duck and sit on this merger forever. It is better to be a controversial figure that does something against the odds than someone that just hides in the corner when they are after him.

I think its personal. Martin just plain hates Stern.

This is a pot/kettle situation

That fact that it takes the FCC 400+ days to make any decision is an indication there is something wrong.

Its good that someone is checking up on them.

Yeah, interesting thread about "Martin, his role in 'holding-up the merger', his "not standing-up", or his keen poker-playing-hand of "tactical-stalling"! When I lambasted Martin earlier during this topic debate, it was without much thought that "maybe, possibly", he is/was doing the "best-thing-to-actually-get-the-merger-done"; Thing is, we the general public will never know the answer to this question; On the one hand, it would appear that he needs to take the reins and make a stand as chairman, even if all he can do is get a 3:2 ruling, in favor, split along party lines; Actually, as a casual observer, I would think that is all he will be able to do anyway; But there are so many variables. Consider that maybe, possibly, there is one Republican who is opposed....If that was the case, maybe the stalling is in effort to win-over the one vote needed to get the merger passed; Or consider that since Martin is taking so much heat from Congress on other FCC-related business, that possibly he knows that the best way to placate Congress and "squeak the merger though" is this long-drawn-out, "sick-of-it" tactic! And these are just a few of the many, many possible scenarios; So, on the surface, as I put full responsibility on Martin for not "stepping-up"...I must also concede that he may be trying to get this merger done the best way he knows how, and that means "politicking, delays, feigned thorough exhaustive scrutiny", and any other of a host of "tactics", that will result in an approved merger without restrictive conditions!
But of course, this is all giving him a "great benefit of doubt"; Until I know different, as chairman and leader of the commission, he is responsible for administering this affair in a timely and prudent manner....

So and thus, we wait! eom!

I'm wondering if anyone here has actually attempted to contact Chairman Martin and ask him what the hold up is?

I mean, many small voices make up a big force.

Martin is an idiot, he should be fired at least if not put in jail: BPL, HD, having absolutely no idea what to do about the merger, I repeat: he's an idiot. He is beholden to Big Giant Conglomerations, that is all. He is a boy in a man's job who is in WAY over his head. Why doesn't someone get put in there who actually understands radio, TV etc. Everything he has done has been to benefit big business including forcing HDTV onto people who either don't want it or don't care which I would bet is the majority. BPL radiates noise into all the ham bands. Ham radio is THE only thing that worked during Katrina. HD is threatening to ruin what is left of terrestrial radio. I hope he gets caught with his hands in the pot and he gets hung. Someone needs to get in there and force the owners of these huge blocks of 1000 identical stations to divest, give the stations back to individual owners like they used to be when radio was interesting.

Robert D Young Jr
33 S Main St #2B
Millbury, MA
KB1OKL

Bronowyn
Martin was asked that by the press last Friday and he HAD NO COMMENT.

Anon. Cow. - being that there are 3 Repubs. and 2 Dems. on the commission and that Martin seems to be pro-merger and a la carte, it would seem that the correct thing for him to do is go ahead and approve the merger with a majority vote, whoever and however they play out.

With the merger having taken this long so far, it's Martin's responsibility to put an end to the Democratic filibuster, if indeed he has judged that to be the case. At this point in time, NOBODY knows what's going on with those FCC people. However, whatever it is that is going on, the length of time for the merger has surpassed what should be accepted as reasonable. Therefore, if Martin is waiting for a unanimous decision, as he has stated he prefers, he should also have made the judgement by now that this may not be an option in the merger approval decision. "Endless" meetings need to come to an end and a vote taken and an announcement made.

I think you guys are misreading what Congress is saying.
They're saying it's broken in the other direction, the FCC should DENY more stuff.
Not pass things through quicker.

Whenever Mr. Martin is asked a question, he never gives an answer. It's always "No Comment". We do not have a grown man running the FCC, we have a little boy who is afraid of getting his hand slapped if he says the wrong thing.
Go home martin--You have become more useless than when you started. We need someone who will not be intimidated by groups like GP that use the black card to get everything for free. More than 30 meetings with Davenport --Martin are you totally nuts or just afraid of this nonsense group.

At this point I really don't believe Martin is capable of making a decision so lets just get this scared rabbit out of there and move on.

Heavy

Badward said:

"I think you guys are misreading what Congress is saying.
They're saying it's broken in the other direction, the FCC should DENY more stuff.
Not pass things through quicker."

Yes, BPL: debacle, consolidation: debacle, HD: Huge debacle. He is pro-big business and ruining radio. He knows not what he doeth, haha!

Whenever Mr. Martin is asked a question, he never gives an answer. It's always "No Comment". We do not have a grown man running the FCC, we have a little boy who is afraid of getting his hand slapped if he says the wrong thing.
Go home martin--You have become more useless than when you started. We need someone who will not be intimidated by groups like GP that use the black card to get everything for free. More than 30 meetings with Davenport --Martin are you totally nuts or just afraid of this nonsense group.

At this point I really don't believe Martin is capable of making a decision so lets just get this scared rabbit out of there and move on.

Heavy

According to Bob Savage (WYSL), who has been working with Chairman Dingell:

"Whatever is said, whatever is written, IBOC will be over sooner rather than later. Radio is becoming a financial train wreck, and Congress is putting the thumbscrews on the corrupt FCC. A federal court just ruled that the FCC ignored interference problems with broadband-over-power-lines (BPL) and IBOC is also being pointed to by the House Commerce Committee. Very shortly the massive failure of HD Radio in the marketplace, its endless technical faults, the confiscatory licensing, and the lousy receivers will all be revealed for all to see. IBOC is already a bad consumer-electronics joke. And its fortunes are about to take a decided turn for the worse. Say and believe what you will, IBOC's fate is no longer in the dirty hands of iBiquity, the Alliance and the NAB."

http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,98363.msg767627.html#msg767627

Sweet!

Typical of anthing tied to the failed GW, Martin is a Bush appointee!

Kevin and Brownie. From the great mind that brought you unnecessary war and a recession.They both should have jumped ship like Bush's smarter appointees did before it hit the fan but they got greedy.

When it comes to Iboc you need to think about the money money from who??
I doubt that they are making money from the equipment?
What is it all about? Pay radio is that it?

Broken is an understatement. Airlines and oil companies can merge in a day and they impact everyones life. 2 radio companies that you choose to pay for, therfore not having anything to do with most peoples lives, have to go through hell just because they aren't owned by Georges buddies ergo no kickbacks.I personally don't care whether the merger goes through because the only show I listen to from XM is Ron and Fez and I get that for free off of Directv. I am more than happy with 1 company and I just dont want to go back to crappy radio that plays Mariah Carey and Rhianna 100 times a day.

This decision on the merger may be delayed until after the November election, so as not to interfere with NAB campaign contributions. At this point, they don't want to get anybody mad by making the decision now.

I bet if a candidate got behind the merger they would be looking at 10 million votes and some contributions from the subscribers and shareholders.Easier than kissing babies.

The FCC works just like every other government agency.. half assed as every thing there is governed by our government.. I didn't want the merger and don't want the merger but right now I'd like to see what the hell this agency is going to do.. before the next ice age.. make the up your minds and say no... say yes... SAY SOMETHING.. ANYTHING.... is there life in there?? a heart beat???