Seems like a mountain out of a mole hill. This happens with every FCC project, especially mergers. Don't think AT^T and SBC do the same thing? They invented it. How about the people against indecency on TV and radio, or the groups that oppose more media consolidation? The FCC knows how the world works and probably arent' swayed much by the hundrds or thousands of letter that come in from individuals, on either side. The Post probably just needed some kind of feature for the holiday weekend since its a slow news time out of the govt.

I'm not sure I see a lot of difference between this NAB tactic and the tactics employed by XM and Sirius on their pro-merger websites. One says "click here to help stop the merger" and the other says, "click here to support the merger". What's the difference?

Slow news day , but wait until tomorrow , when you'll see people rushing and stampeding through the doors, walking over each other at the stores , and all the fights and such, and all of the road rage . You'll see the video on the news .

I can hardly wait for tomorrow .

The comments generated on the Sirius and XM websites allow people to submit their own original comment and they have to actively go on to do so, not send a form letter written without their knowledge and without their permission. Not the same thing and this does not happen all the time. This is fraud and id like to see somebody turn the tables and investigate the nab for a change.

BillyC - Its unclear if you work in DC or on policy things like this, but if not, please be aware that form letter campaigns to govt officials and decision makers have been going on for 30-40 years. they're just more technoligically sophisticated now.

When your name appears on something you didnt authorize or even know about , it is wrong, even if it has been done for year and by any side in an issue. Dishonesty is never right,in DC or where ever, making excuses for it is part of the problem.

When your name appears on something you didnt authorize or even know about , it is wrong, even if it has been done for years and by any side in an issue. Dishonesty is never right,in DC or where ever, making excuses for it is part of the problem.

>>> When your name appears on something you didnt authorize or even know about , it is wrong, even if it has been done for year and by any side in an issue. Dishonesty is never right,in DC or where ever, making excuses for it is part of the problem.

Ridiculous.

These people clicked a button on a website that said they could help to stop the satellite radio monopoly, then entered their name, address, email address, and whatever other info it collected.

They should have at least had a clue what they were doing.

The argument that it is somehow different from the XM/SIRI letter campaign because they allow you to type in your own text is a distinction without a difference.

And the idea that this matters, one iota, is equally as ridiculous. FCC is going to do what they're going to do, and not one of these comments pro- or con-, is going to influence them in the slightest.

Stackpointer -One says "click here to help stop the merger" and the other says, "click here to support the merger". What's the difference?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There is a big difference!

The NAB supported link automatically generates a "opposition letter" to the FCC on behalf of the unknownig consumer with just one click.

The "contact FCC" link on Siri/Xm web sites must be filled out and sent by the consumer.

There is a huge difference between running a form-letter campaign and running a deceptive submission process. Form letters are a common practice, but this is an entirely different - and far more severe - issue.

From the article:
"A check by The Washington Post of 60 people [...] produced mostly unanswered phone calls and recordings saying the phones were disconnected. Of the 10 people reached, nine said they never sent anything to the FCC, and only one said she remembered filling out something about Sirius but did not recall taking a position on a merger."

That's a massive margin of error. Out of 60 people, they could only reach 10... and out of those, only 1 person even remembered filling out something related to satellite radio? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

Throw out whether you're pro- or anti-merger for a second here and really TRULY think about this one.

Stack has truly gone off the deep end here if he believes that there is no difference between what Sirius/XM and NAB are doing.

NAB: Ads on unrelated sites, paid for by the NAB. Click on the ad and the form letter gets sent without your full knowledge.

Siri/XM: Puts a link on their own merger-specific website. Click on a button that specifically says "Contact the FCC" - gives the clicker specific instructions and requests the user to scroll down and send a PERSONAL note to the FCC.

It is impossible to respect anything you say (as if it wasn't hard enough already) when you can't tell the difference between these scenarios. Pull your head out of your ass sometime and join the rest of us here in the real world.

Stackpointer WOULD break the law to stop the merger.
He is a planted poster from 3CSR or the NAB directly.

Here is another very good article about this from SiriusBuzz.com. The NAB are desperate losers.

http://siriusbuzz.com/is-wharton-trying-to-cover-davids-rehr.php

I KNOW we have some good photoshop people out there, someone please photoshop the turkey with David Rehr's Head!

The Dallas Morning News carried a reprint of the Post article today.

Stack, you are so dead set against this merger that you have been blinded by stupidity.

A random popup add on a website saying "Stop this monopoly" and typing in your name and address and email address and then not knowing anything further than that is the same as a MERGER website saying "Contact your congressman and the FCC and let them know what you think by typing in your comments here!" is a HUGE difference.

These deceptive tactics are ludicrious and bordering on illegal. Like Ryan said above, 60 were contacted, 10 responded, and only 1 could remember somethign even remotely related to the merger? That is a 1 in 60 error. Considering that over 6000 comments were filed by this form letter, that means a grand total of maybe 100 people may remember this thing. Each and every one of these 6000 people would have a case for a class action lawsuit, and nearly every shareholder of XM and Sirius could join in, claiming that these actions "artificially lowered stock prices during this time".

well, this pretty much takes the ENTIRE NAB argument out the window as they have no credibility--The decision SHOULD be based on the facts, not the NABs "facts" as they have been disproven--What a terrible PR mess for them---But sat radio doesnt compete with them---ya right...

>>>>>> There is a huge difference between running a form-letter campaign and running a deceptive submission process. Form letters are a common practice, but this is an entirely different - and far more severe - issue.

Perhaps I misunderstood. The NAB process was "deceptive"? It was my understanding that these individuals proactively typed in all of their personal information in response to an ad that said, "Help to stop the merger".

I have never condoned the tactics used by NAB, but unlike the pro-merger folks around here, I don't condone the tactics employed by the parties to the merger, either. What the NAB did may not have been squeaky clean, but the chronic misrepresentations coming from both of these companies is far more egregious.

XM/SIRI good. NAB evil. That's been the message amongst pro-merger forces from the outset.

Nothing about this merger is more deceptive than Mel's claim that the merger doesn't create a monopoly, after saying "It would be great if there was a monopoly, but the second best thing to a monopoly is a duopoly" less than one year before entering into merger talks.

How do you people ignore this remark? It is the most telling statement about why this merger is being pursued that one can find.

I am accused here of being stupid, but anyone who buys that creation of this monopoly is about providing consumers with "more choice" is about as stupid as you can get.

This monopoly is about consolidation of power.

It was my understanding that these individuals proactively typed in all of their personal information in response to an ad that said, "Help to stop the merger".

They were unaware that their names and addresses were being sent to the FCC. They didn't know that anybody would reveal their address to a public information file, and they didn't know that it would be a Sirius-XM merger. Just ask one of my acquaintances, she thought it was something to stop something like an AT&T merger.

>>> They were unaware that their names and addresses were being sent to the FCC. They didn't know that anybody would reveal their address to a public information file, and they didn't know that it would be a Sirius-XM merger.

My understanding is that the ads they clicked on specifically referred to stopping the "Sirius/XM Merger".

The argument that they didn't think their names, etc., would be disclosed is a good point and I accept that. I still don't believe it is any dirtier than the tactics employed by XM & Sirius, which involve the intentional deception of millions of listeners and shareholders. Just the sheer numbers make the XM/SIRI misrepresentations more egregious.

Just from reading message boards it is clear that many, if not most, listeners believe the merger is good for consumers in that it will provide more choice. While the proposition is sufficiently absurd that you would think people wouldn't be sucked in by it, they are.

Stack has officially graduated from pompous to insane. With a monopoly on Howard Stern and the Bob Dylan channel, the combined satellite radio company will rise against their creators and take over the world! Quick NAB, forge some more names to stop the impending devastation! Come with Stack if you want to live!

Funny, I remember filling out the pop-up and knew exactly what it was. Unless you're online for the first time in your life don't try to claim you don't know what the fuck an online form letter does. I appreciated the chance to send it too.

Oh, so when it said "Help stop a monopoly" you knew it was about Sirius and XM, you knew all of the facts based on THAT POP UP (not anything else you had aquired anywhere else) and you knew that it would generage a letter to the FCC and post all of your public information for anyone looking to see?

All of that from "Help stop a monopoly". Wow, you are good.

Oh, so when it said "Help stop a monopoly" you knew it was about Sirius and XM, you knew all of the facts based on THAT POP UP (not anything else you had aquired anywhere else) and you knew that it would generage a letter to the FCC and post all of your public information for anyone looking to see?

All of that from "Help stop a monopoly". Wow, you are good.

My understanding is that it said, ""The XM Radio/Sirius Merger will create higher prices. Stop the Monopoly!". Nobody reading this could have been confused about what they were supporting.

The point has been made about disclosing that information to a third party (the FCC) without clearly asking for and receiving permission, but there are people posting on this very website that have committed far worse violations of Internet etiquette.

It would probably have been better had they not done it, but this is just really an insignificant event in the overall scheme of things. NAB has mishandled this mess from the outset, and XM/SIRI have misrepresented the facts from day one. Neither side is free of transgression.

Yzlr50 vcxsdfg54345fbcv5464