Remember that letter earlier this week from Reps. Conyers and Chabot? Sure you do, many folks almost had a coronary when the stocks dipped because of it.
Well, it turns out that it all likely was just political posturing, and had little to do with merger afterall. Hidden in an article yesterday, the New York Post's own sources say exactly that:
One Washington, DC, source said the letter probably had less to do with the Sirius-XM merger itself and was more an attempt to put Mukasey, who replaced Alberto Gonzalez as attorney general, on notice that the Democrats were prepared to fight a Republican-controlled attorney general's office on issues such as big business deals.
Great, politics as usual. So that letter was really just a shot across the bow. And the further this drags on, the more and more politics will come into play as we go full steam into election season.
Janco Partners analyst April Horace gave CNN Money some thoughts about what could be going on over at the Justice Department:
“I would assume the DOJ is going back and making sure that the review process has crossed all their Ts and dotted all their Is. So a decision may get delayed."
Wonderful.
It is like we are all being slowly tortured. I don't see a resolution any time soon, in fact both companies will be bankrupt and gone before they decide.
whatever.................zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Logic would say next week as its the last week before Xmas and the companies have been saying 2007 in the press all year long, since the merger was announced in February.
But of course you can't always rely on logic.
Too bad pests. Look like your last hope of the boys turning into podcast willie was nothing more than posturing. So 'long bitches.
Yeah, pests.
>> Great, politics as usual.
It is -- but the REAL "politics as usual" is occurring elsewhere -- when the opinions rendered by staffers (who have fully researched the subject) are ignored in favor of unexplained acquiescence with the administration view, THAT's where the politics as usual is getting in the way.
Were it not for the politics, the merger would have been shot down months ago, as existing antitrust law quite obviously prohibits it.
Too bad pests. Looks like your last hope of the boys not turning into podcast willie was nothing more than posturing. So 'long bitches.
April Horace Has been A+ with no BS like you know who comes up with.
http://www.oapedia.com/images/2/24/Xm_ad.gif
I can't figure out you Orbitcast guys at all. Cheerleading the merger of the only two companies you cover isn't such a bright idea, really. Have you ever considered the effect of a merger on your site traffic? Not much to report when there's only one player in the game. Gone will be the days of tracking advances in one company's technology and programming offerings over the other. No more reporting the newest signing by Sirius or the latest radio from XM. They must have given you guys a pile of stock.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. I know the stockholders want more money but the result of a merger between the only two competitors in any market is always the same: the consumer pays more for lower quality goods. In this case, technological advances will slow to a trickle, the prices will inevitably go up and it won't be long until you'll be hearing commercials on the music channels. The cost savings they claim they'll realize after a merger are unbelievably inflated. And when they don't materialize on schedule Mel will have to find another way to cut costs. Guess where the savings will come from? Programming staff will be slashed, advertising will crop up everywhere and your subscription fee will go up, up and away!
I wish I could say it ain't so. The shareholders (predictable creatures they are) will keep clamoring for profits and a high stock price and it just won't happen. Then it's all downhill from there, people, and it's a damn shame. What's really amazing is that so many of you can't see the forest for the friggin' trees. You want a merger so bad you can't even see how much it's going to hurt this product.
Internet radio is our last, best hope for decent programming in the US of A if this merger goes through.
Hoo Hoo, Reset. Stop giving away the game plan. Me and Mel are gonna make a bundle on this merger. Hoo Hoo.
Too bad pests. Looks like your last hope of the boys not turning into podcast willie was nothing more than posturing. So 'long bitches.
My my, such anger, and over a radio show that's supposed to be so bad? Makes you wonder.
only Sirius needs a merger. Doesn't really hurt XM if it falls through.
NO TO MONOPOLY!!!
and over a radio show that's supposed to be so bad
Oh wait... you mean the Obie & Lobsterboy Morning Zo.o is SUPPOSED to be that boring, lame and hacky?
*shrug* Oh well, call me "doesn't get the bit guy" then. Guess I'll stick with a show that is "supposed to be" excellent, and delivers - Howard Stern.
For the rest of you... enjoy your Rawk Screem Thursday! *honk honk*
only Sirius needs a merger. Doesn't really hurt XM if it falls through.
And you believe this... why?
Both comapnies need the merger your dumb if you think otherwise. Sirius has now about the same supscribers as XM, so explain why XM would be ok????? Do you know anything aobut this stuff Anonymous Coward or are you just an idiot on a comment board.
>> Sirius has now about the same supscribers as XM, so explain why XM would be ok???
Are you deducting the 11% of Sirius subscribers who aren't, and the 50% of almost all OEM subscribers who will churn after their one year free promo is up (and would have churned already if they could)?
There is, of course, the fact that XM doesn't have a Howard Stern to drag down the financials, and XM isn't faced with replacing two satellites in the next two years.
Hoo Hoo, Stackpointer. I told you before. Knock it off!!! You're going to blow our (me and Mel) whole gig. We need the merger to fuck all of the listeners, not just the Sirius listeners.
Hoo Hoo
XM doesn't have a Howard Stern to drag down the financials
Oooo, wouldn't that be terrible?
Because if XM did have Howard Stern, there would be no Sirius Satellite Radio to compete with, and they would have perhaps 8 million more subscribers to have to take money from.
~ shudder! ~
Didn't XM pay 650million for Baseball? So few people even listen, according to the ratings , that I'd say that was far worse than Sirius paying for Howard. At least he brought subs. I'm sure he brought far more than baseball ever will. I think we should just face it, satellite may not survive. Maybe there just aren't enough people who care to pay for it.
>> Didn't XM pay 650million for Baseball?
Yes, that was 59 Million/year versus Stern's 150 Million/year.
At the time it seemed necessary, as SIRI had just signed with NFL. In looking back, both the NFL and MLB deals (as well as Stern) were huge mistakes. These deals sucked about 1.6 Billion out of the satellite radio industry, and brought it to this point where neither company's management believes the business can survive without this ill-conceived merger.
(as well as Stern) were huge mistakes
Sorry StackPointer, but your kung fu is weak. Do you think Sirius could have even survived (let alone become the market leader that they are) without Stern on board? Stern has clearly paid for himself, in many ways.