Lee Tabor is the man...great letter (thanks for posting it) and every word of it could not have been put better. I have been keeping an open mind on the whole merger thing of late (I know I was dead against it but we learn, we grow) and the one thing that has been annoying me is that NAB had been attacking Satrad while saying that it's not even competition to FM/AM radio. Well my boy Mr. Tabor put everything into perspective. F.U. NAB and look out cuz Lee "the Terror" Tabor is gunning for ya.

Way to go Lee! Ok now XMSirius need take the ball and run with it. If regular subs can call out the NAB on what liers they are then surely the combined companies can!
C'mon guys....you got a dog in this fight....make it bite!

The wool has sucsessfully been pulled over everyones eyes and the NAB has subcsessfully been exposed for what they are.

Now we can drop the merger Idea and get back to the biz of sat radio. (Both companies by them selves will be profitable within 1 full year of this date)

I still don't understand the non-stop daily "lovefest" here over the proposed merger. I am still opposed to the merger, and YES, I AM a satellite subscriber and fan who has had both XM and Sirius since the beginning. I simply believe that a merger will indeed reduce the number of choices and channels available, period! It's simple math. They will certainly combine certain channels (such as music channels) and that equals fewer choices. Sorry, but I like having two 80s channels, two 70s channels, etc., etc. I could care less if the combined company will cost me less money subscription-wise. What I DO care about is losing choices and channels; and that WILL happen if this goes through. Therefore, I would prefer to take my chances and keep two seperate companies. If one fails, then I don't see that being the end anyway. I think someone would certainly step in and buy the system if one company goes under. Granted, it might be someone like Clear Channel, but I really wouldn't care as long as they keep a second system up with more choices. (I tend to prefer the "hit" based formats anyway, so I don't view terrestrial broadcasters as being that horrible or the "great evil monster" as you do.)
I have satellite radio because I like having more choices; not because I have some great "hate" for terrestrial broadcasters. I listen to both satellite and traditional FM/AM radio and enjoy both. I think the whole "us versus them" thing is quite silly and boring. As I said, I have both Sirius and XM, and yes, I also listen to terrestrial radio, internet radio, my IPOD, and (GASP!!), I'm also planning on buying an HD radio receiver soon as well.
Sorry, but to me, it's all about the most choices, and not about choosing one and calling the other names. I just don't see the point in the whole "taking sides", and "us against them" mentality. Anyway you break it down; it's radio and it's for enjoyment. Who ultimately cares what media form it comes from. I don't.

I'm Paul R. Nelson, and I approve this message

I think someone here has to put together a letter or email campaign to the FCC decision makers supporting a merger, pointing out the NAB bias(not that they dont know it but special interest groups do rule washington)
Then we can all send out and flood them

Sorry to all you dual subscribers but, as a Sirius-Only subscriber, I'm not too concerned about the channels that I already have and may double up on. The channels that I DON'T have that XMers do are what I really want(MLB, O&A channel, etc etc).

Sirius has 3 hip hop channels(1 old school, 2 all of the above). I don't need 6. 6 would be nice, but its very not necessary. I'm certainly not paying MORE for 6. I'm sure the same goes for XM-Only subs. he reason I don't have both is because, to me, paying 2 SATRAD companies 3 times over(I have 3 sirius subs) doesn't make sense to me.

I can pretend like I'm the coolest kid on the block and buy up every gadget that comes around the corner but, being the cool kid I am, I don't give a shit and I'll just by the best. However, if you're going to give me more choices for the same coin(or even less if I can unsubscribe to the other 70% of channels I'd never listen to), I'd be a fucking moron not to take it and like it.

Anonymous Coward,

I am with you. I am not wild about this merger.

I am still on the fence on the merger issue. There are upsides (all sports broadcasts, extended talk program offerings), and there are downsides (will O&A and R&F be screwed?, which music format will be followed?).

But there is a reason why I have been an XM subscriber for 4 years now and only a sirius subscriber for 6 months (pre-Howard).
I am a firm believer in XM's music programming philosophy, which I believe it is hand-over-fist better than sirius with its depth and range in music offerings, that is something sirius just doesn't have.

If Lee Abrams is gone due to this merger, one may as well count me out as a sub as well.
I don't want the music programming going the way of sirius.

I agree w/ espnjason re: lee abrams
As far as music XM is the ONLY choice for me....so if the merge resulted in less XM music choice then obviously I would be against it.

Now here is my problem...I absolutly despise the NAB and all it stands for! So I tend to be FOR the merger simply because the NAB is against it. Oh man I need an asprin...this is all to confusing*#%!

i'm sure there's a pleathora of reasons to not do this, but i really wish xm and sirius would figure out what their post-merger model is going to look like and at least give us subscribers an idea of what we can expect. i think more people would be behind it if they knew what was coming, instead of relying on rampant message board speculation and armchair CEOs. i mean, i love XM, but i can only take so much on faith. i got my letter from hugh yesterday assuring me that my inno would still work post merger, and that "great things are on the horizon". yeah, ok. give me some details, and maybe i'll get off the fence and get behind this merger.

Why does anyone give a fuck about the NAB? Make up your own mind whether you are for or against the merger based on the information provided. Not that there's a lot of info out there about how it will effect the consumer, that should concern all of us much more than a PR battle between Satellite & NAB. While you hear tons of bullshit about the NAB, consumers aren't getting any solid details about how any of this will effect us. While we're all distracted by the PR battle, XM/Sirius are making plans to take away our channels saying we don't need 2 of everything. Really? I'd love at least 2 of everything. In the genre of music I like, they could have 20 channels and to me it wouldn't be too much.