Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), wrote an open letter to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, urging him not to rush the approval of the merger between Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. and to very closely consider the matter.
It's a funny statement, considering that it has been over 380 days since the companies filed their merger application with the FCC, but Kerry feels that "serious concerns remain as to how this merger will impact consumers if it is permitted to go forward."
Kerry recognizes that "the financial incentives to consolidate are indisputable" for Sirius and XM, but that it "does not follow however that it would be in the public interest for these two competing entities to merger."
The former presidential hopeful added that "if left unchecked, the entity that would emerge from this partnership would be capable of exercising monopolistic powers that could potentially result in diminished service at increased rates to consumers."
Kerry additionally asked Martin to "resist rubber stamping the Justice Department's determination that sufficient competition exists. Should the FCC determine that this merger does indeed serve the public interest, I urge you to consider appropriate conditions that will effectively protect the American consumer from what could prove to be an entity with strong monopoly power."
The Senator also pointed out that he is a senior member of the Senate Commerce Committee (which oversees the FCC along with the House Energy & Commerce Committee) and said he will keep his eye on the Commission to make sure that it serves the public interest.
[FMQB]
"Don't Rush"?!?! Has Kerry looked at a calander? How much MORE TIME could the FCC need to make a decision? It's been on the table for over a year now. Comments like this are aggravating ... really aggravating ...
Don't rush? Is that a joke?
So let's just say that after the merger Sirius XM they decide to increase their rates. Regardless of what the rate is, I, as a subscriber can decide if it's worth it or not. If a 2$/month increase is justifiable then I will continue to subscribe. If a 2$/month increase is too much then I will cancel my subscription and go back to terrestrial radio... or HD radio... or my iPod... or CDs...
The more I think about this, the more upsetting it is. This is a non-essential service that affects less than 20 million people...
I hope Kevin Martin knows of John Kerry has some interesting NAB connections.
WE ALL KNOW ABOUT THE CONNECTIONS AT GOLDMAN SACHS TO THE NAB!!
opensecrets.org (1989). opensecrets.org. Retrieved April 4, 2008, from JOHN KERRY: CAREER PROFILE (SINCE 1989) Web site: http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/allindus.asp?CID=N00000245
“TV/MOVIES/MUSIC DONATED = $4,408,967” (opensecrets.org, 1989, p1).
opensecrets.org (1989). opensecrets.org. Retrieved April 4, 2008, from JOHN KERRY: CAREER PROFILE (SINCE 1989) Web site: http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/allindus.asp?CID=N00000245
“As a senator, John Kerry has had a long history of working with the telecommunications industry” (Common Cause, 2008, p 4).
Common Cause, (2008). The John Kerry Telecom Fundraisers - Common Cause. Retrieved April 4, 2008, from Bush, and Kerry fundraisers: What have they gotten, and what do they want? Web site: http://www.commoncause.org/site/pp.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=196565
These are just a few and there are more. He has been connected to the NAB for a long time!
He must have said this on april fools day . I HOPE
GO KERRY GO!!! Congress may actually block this thing.
If John Kerry really cared about the "public interest", he would be urging for speedy passage of this merger.
"GO KERRY GO!!! Congress may actually block this thing..."
doubtful.. @ least the bureaucrates seem to be able to see threw the money which backs the politico's and their pundits.. wading through the sh*t evident this past year has shown humiliating practices, by many who should show much less bias.
There's nothing wrong with thinking about it... take your time... but in the end just say no.. but take your time just the same....
Once again John Kerry goes on record showcasing his stupidity.
Once again John Kerry goes on record showcasing his stupidity.
All of these delays have nothing to do with public interests. It's all about the NAB not wanting any meaningful competition. They would love to keep milking the advertisers while dishing out content that the public really doesn't want. While the IPod et al have had an impact on terrestrial radio it is nothing compared to the kind of competition that satrad could dish out. The terrestrial stations would have to come out of their comfort zones and offer better content with less commercials. That equls less money to their bottom line. Somehow it always comes down to money.
you have to wonder what financial interest people like Kerry have in this thing. Why would he concern himself with a merger request between two small radio companies that are fighting for survival? Did he also speak out against the Clear Channel merger?
Senator Franken-Kerry is on the take? Great! I used to like that dude. But he's TOTALLY clueless about this merger I think. Telling Kevin Martin NOT to rush? WTF??!!
Thats competely insane. :-)
Horseface Kerry
"I'm John Kerry, and I know a thing or two about aircraft carriers, ugh ugh i mean satellite radio". What a dickhead.
"I'm John Kerry and I approve this Merger...er...message!"
Each day that goes with no movement on the merger, the odds improve that it'll never pass!!! And that's fine with me! Lead the charge Sen. Kerry!
Why is Kerry even looking at this merger? He should be more concerned about price of gas rather than a merger of two small radio companies. I hope he is not really kidding about take your time. How much time do they need another year? Satelite radio is not a necessity in that if prices get to high just end your subscription. As two split companies the price of service is higher? I am a big sports fan and I have to have two satelite receivers and two subscriptions to listen to the sports I like. I would preffer to have just one receiver and get to choose the channels I receive. That is what the consumer wants, it is jaked up the way it is now and costing me more. I can't believe he said not to rush the merger. This has been going on for over a year, evidently they are not.
Does he even still have a job? He should go find Algore and start his own company, and stop tring be bring down some other company.
Do not rush? Martin has drafts on his desk.
Monopolistic issues were investigated by the DOJ. FCC will work out any other issues but the DOJ decision indicated that prices will be OK since there is enough competition.
The DOJ would have asked for restrictions if they had concluded that there was a danger.
This has NOTHING to do with his concern about the consumer. Give me a break. Another politician bought and paid for...
I am not really worried about this merger. By 2009 there will probably be one satelite company anyway as both are financially collapsing. I would think it would be to the FCC advantage to approve the merge in that they can place conditions on the merger. Because the handwritting is on the wall for both of these companies as single entities.
I'll be voting anti-incumbent this year. Throw em' all out.
1.7 million people want the merger. HOW DO I KNOW YOU ASK? read the survey conducted by c3sr, although the chickens don't ask if they agree or disagree with a merger, it does show that 10.5 % of 17.5 Million subs (SIRI+XM subs) already pay for both services so they surely would appreciate the price reduction with a merger, and i bet a few more million would appreciate the ala carte offering, SO YES THIS MERGER IS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST.
who does not benefit from a merger is a better question? and the answer is all other audio content providers which includes terrestrial radio, HD radio, wifi radio, internet radio, Apple itunes, etc etc etc.....but mostly terrestrial radio and their HUNDREDS of radio stations, THAT IS WHY THEY OPPOSE THE MERGER THE MOST!!!!
John who?... Kerry???
Oh yeah, wasn't that the guy who lost to Bush. What ever happened to that guy?
Thank you SEN. John Kerry for looking out for consumers. The FCC needs to CRUSH this "merger" MONOPOLY. This "merge" MONOPOLY is NOT in consumers best interest, no in satrad's best interest if anyone else has the ability to think big picture, blind fanboy sheep excluded.
"1.7 million people want the merger."
"THIS MERGER IS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST."
More fanboy BULLSH*T..... Only the ignorant would agree with this crap.
Consumers DO NOT want a satrad "merge" MONOPOLY. The FCC must do the right thing and STOP it.
The only people who want this to happen are the shareholders. The merger is certainly not in the public interest. When has a corporate merger EVER produced lower prices and better service for consumers?!
Did he also ask for a carrot and a bucket of oats?
Yes, John will be fixing housing, health care, and SS so he's wayyy too busy to bother with a satrad merger.
WTF is up with this jack off Congress... the nation is dying on the vine and this fuck-head needs to crap in things he fails to understand.
Hey John... if your reading this... fuck yourself and go fix issues that have crippled America you pussy.
John Kerry is a has-been.
Now, move on looser.
Go John! Block this thing!
LERCH SPEAKS.
YOU RANG......
LERCH LOOKS LIKE A FUKIN HORSE.
Yea! the DOJ takes over a year to review and make a decision. Kerry gets a phone call and a donation takes him less than 15 minutes to make a decision. I wish I would have never invested in siri. I could have live the rest of my life being ignorant to how fkd up our government really is.
Enough with this bullshit already- Approve the merger once and for all-
Who cares what Herman Munster says! as long as he can get his palms greased by the NAB
DIDN'T HE LISTEN TO THE ANALYSTS? EVEN WITH THE SIRI/XM MERGER ANALYSTS BELIEVE THE STOCK SHOULD BE $3.00
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?? EVEN WITH THE MERGER, SATELLITE RADIO STILL SUCKS AND CANNOT COMPETE WITH THE OTHER COMPETITION.
ALSO, JOHN KERRY IS HORSEFACE KILLAH
NO WONDER HE COULDN'T WIN THE PRESIDENCY OVER BUSH. THE HORSEFACE KILLAH IS DUMBER THAN THE BUSH MONKEY
what a jack-off ...
Don't blame Kerry, he sounds like a granddad. He or his childrend did not grow up with satelite radio, ipods, wifi, internet radio and etc. He probably do not even know what they are. I have faith that Martin will make the right decision. He is a lot younger or atleast he appears a lot younger and he probably been exposed to this technology when he was younger or his children and know how they compete with each other and how it will benefit consumers for the merger.
you wonder why he lost the election--Hes got NO clue
While sitting on the commerce and finance committees, John Kerry has seen many interests, and you could forgive him if he didn't think they were all special. But Kerry has raised more money from Washington lobbyists than any other senator. He's raised over $30 million over the past nine years, and you just ask the folks in the telecom industry if he doesn't make them feel special.
You just ask David Paul, one of the big figures in the savings and loan scandal, if Kerry didn't make him feel special. You just ask the high-tech executive Bob Majumder how special Kerry made him feel, at least until Majumder was charged with 40 counts of conspiracy, witness tampering, fraud, tax evasion and illegal campaign contributions. You just ask the law firms, the brokerage houses, the oil companies, the H.M.O.'s and the drug companies, which have donated tens of thousands of dollars to Kerry.
JOHN KERRY AND THE NAB CONNECTION
“Goldman Sachs DONATED = $306,250” (opensecrets.org, 1989, p1).
WE ALL KNOW ABOUT THE CONNECTIONS AT GOLDMAN SACHS TO THE NAB!!
Sirius and xm have milked billions from investors, Failed to produce interoperable radios, lined the pockets of their. Senior management staff and completely mismanaged the business and NOW the GOVERNMENT should bail them out by letting become a monoploy?!
People that support the merge are blind sheep that WILL pay more for services... The conditions that should be imposesd if such a government sponsored monopoly is allowed should be as follows:
1. Open up xm's bandwidth for bid - a recent AT&T patent application shows that they would put the xm satellites and bandwidth to good use and be a huge benefit to consumers.
2. Take the ability for Sirius/fm to control hardware technology and pricing away.
3. cap the amount of. Pricing increases they can place on their services - no price gauging.
Anonymous Coward,
Hate to correct you but thats.....
People that support the "merge" MONOPOLY are IGNORANT, blind sheep, FANBOYS that WILL pay more for services...
The smart consumers know better, reject this "merge" MONOPOLY and WILL reject a MONOPOLY satrad. Hello HDradio, Hello FM, you have been missed.
Ha Ha HA HA Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha HA Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha
"merge" MONOPOLY x3 in one post. Some asshat wants his new mashup word to catch on, put is scared to sigh his name.
"Yes, John will be fixing housing, health care, and SS so he's wayyy too busy to bother with a satrad merger.
WTF is up with this jack off Congress... the nation is dying on the vine and this fuck-head needs to crap in things he fails to understand.
Hey John... if your reading this... fuck yourself and go fix issues that have crippled America you pussy. "
John Kerry and most dems have no interest in fixing anything. In fact they want things to get worse so they can blame bush and win elections. They care nothing about solving problems, on exaserbating them so they can justify increase the size and power of the govt. Sad but True.
Actually I just want to have this be over, either way and with whatever restrictions they put on it.. but it takes a long time people.. this is our government at work here.. it takes a long time to get anything done what with everyone sitting with their thumbs shoved up their asses...
He needs emails telling him what yiou think.
I wonder how many years he thinks the FCC should take?
You can email Mr. Kerry right here- http://kerry.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm
FCC will CRUSH this "merge" MONOPOLY and blind fanboy hopes and dreams in one shot. Poor blind fanboy ass hat tom c. will be very "scared to sigh his name" soon when the truth about this "merge" MONOPOLY is pointed out.
Sorry fanboy....
Tom C. , is it only me, or is it apparent that AC is living in a fantasy world? Because, here on planet earth, things are complex and definitions of a word are not always 100% correct.
mitchman79k,
It's only you. AC is 100% correct Sirius/xm "merge" is really a MONOPOLY which will be bad for consumers. It will RASIE prices, while taking away choice and competition in the satrad industry. Didn't know so many are upset with satrad as it currently is but the grass after a "merge" MONOPOLY will not be any greener, thats ignorant, blind fanboy sheep "fantasy world". mitchman79k, you'd be smart (unlike myself) to open your eyes and see thru the spin job Sirius/xm is selling to it's ignorant fanboys and see this "merge" for what it truely is, a MONOPOLY
tom c.
The people who really want this merger are holding stock, and hoping for a big gain on approval. Other explanations just don't add up. I don't much care one way or another, but if the merger is approved the bandwidth should be returned and reauctioned to a competitor who thinks they can run a profitable business. The merged company doesn't need all that real estate, they'd just like to prevent another company from getting into the satrad business. Sirius and XM aren't making money because they are poorly managed and not particularly popular. Let's give someone else a chance.
Don't rush for the goverments means don't decide within 4 years, etc. So if the FCC decides soon then in Kerry's mind they will be rushing. Geez, government is so inefficient. I am not sure who would want their healthcare to be run by these people.
Oh wait don't give him a heart surgery, let's discuss and see if it is good. Nurse - "Doctor, patient is dying over here"
Sirius and XM are very popular, as wittnessed by the rapid sales growth of both cos. year over year. There is absolutely nothing preventing a competeing satrad co. (worldspace) or any other from getting into the bussiness. The "monopoly" argument was pure bunk from the start. Satellite radio is really a new industry, costing many billions of dollars to develop, much like cable TV was, 40 years ago. As to the management, I would put Karmazin up against any CEO today, especially in the media bussiness.
As to John Kerry. He is simply using this issue to get his beautiful face out there, on terrestrial stations, I might add, to draw attention to himself... As he goes around the country stumping for presidential candidate Obama. I don't think he knows a wink about the issue, if he did , I'm sure both he, and obama would be for the swift passage of the Sirius- XM alliance.
As to John Kerry. He is simply using this issue to get his beautiful face out there, on terrestrial stations, I might add, to draw attention to himself... As he goes around the country stumping for presidential candidate Obama. I don't think he knows a wink about the issue, if he did , I'm sure both he, and Obama would be for the swift passage of the Sirius- XM alliance.
This thing should have been approved last week.
I can’t understand why all of these people who oppose the merger think that the American public is too stupid to just cancel their subscription and switch back to free radio if the combined company raises the price to high.
Hello, you can get the same thing for free!
Everyone and I do mean everyone, who opposes this merger under the guise of doing “what’s best for the consumer” should be ashamed of themselves. Grow some ethics and stop trying to crush free enterprise during a down economy; what are you trying to do, put all of these employees out work?
Let them merge!
Maybe because that solution is not a solution. Right now if one company raises its prices I can cancel & go to the other service. Canceling and returning to FM is not an option. How will I obtain national coverage with FM? If you can get the same thing for free why do you pay for it in the first place? There is obviously something much more compelling about SDARS that you're all willing to pay for it.
As for people losing their jobs, first, tough shit. It happens all the time. I've been laid off twice and am sure I will be again. Second, if/when the merger passes the FCC, lots of people are going to lose their jobs.
Free enterprise is letting companies fail and go out of business if they are not performing, it is not the government getting involved and helping bail them out.
Kerry needs to get with the 70's.... this dude is so out of touch I have little doubt that his preference is a 1960 Toshiba AM hand held that he takes to the beach.
John.. you may be a war hero and up to your ass in free ketchup, but you don't know shit about this topic and making comments like this just shows how old and out of touch you are.
Fucking Liberals anyhow.
@pfreak
We're probably pretty similar, but I take issue with a couple of things.
First, this is by no means a "bailout". You're implying that the government is giving them money. They are not. They are going to let two failing businesses combine to try to succeed. Yes, governments should allow businesses to fail, but not because of antiquated law and procedure.
Second, you're right in that you won't get the opportunity to buy the other SatRad of the two; you'll either have to deal with slacker, iphone/ipods, FM radio (which is national), or a bevy of other options.
Agree on the jobs though. Tough titties on them. Been there, done it 3 times, and fuck that I'm working for myself from now on.
Lastly, the serious lack of people that were switching was part of the DoJ decision. While the argument may hold true for you, it wasn't anywhere near popular.
And no, Mr Ketchup is in a timewarp. It's crazy -- 2004 really was Giant Douche vs. Turd Sandwich. Hopefully the FSM blesses the new President from his wise, noodly appendage, and gets us through this mess!
FCC - you're lazy SOBs.
I am so ashamed to have voted for this unbelievable tool. I even campaigned for him. Now, look at his campaign contributors. What a total whore. I am sickened by our government right now. This merger should have been approved months ago. The DOJ has stated no monopoly. Already the longest merger in corporate history, Kerry says not to rush. Please, please, please throw this p.o.s. out of the Senate.
Everything I have read about the merger is that it will be beneficial to the consumer. Is this not America? Are you forced to pay for Satellite service. If the rates increase, subscribers would simply cancel their service.
Where was the consideration when Exxon Mobile merged? Are we paying less for gas? SICK! SICK! WHORES!
I am so ashamed to have voted for this unbelievable tool. I even campaigned for him. Now, look at his campaign contributors. What a total whore. I am sickened by our government right now. This merger should have been approved months ago. The DOJ has stated no monopoly. Already the longest merger in corporate history, Kerry says not to rush. Please, please, please throw this p.o.s. out of the Senate.
Everything I have read about the merger is that it will be beneficial to the consumer. Is this not America? Are you forced to pay for Satellite service. If the rates increase, subscribers would simply cancel their service.
Where was the consideration when Exxon Mobile merged? Are we paying less for gas? SICK! SICK! WHORES!
"For the corporation, by the corporation"
He's an even bigger idiot than the one I voted for!