In response to the Carmel Group study released today, Sirius and XM have both issued the following statements.
This one comes from Sirius (via FMQB):
"The NAB and its members say one thing when they try to block the Sirius-XM merger but something entirely different when David Rehr speaks to the National Press Club, Clear Channel speaks to its investors, or the HD Radio Alliance boasts about its advantages on its Web site.
Broadcasters will do and say anything to block the merger because it will increase competition to terrestrial radio and all one needs to do to see the proof of that is to look at what broadcasters said about competition before the merger was announced."
Separately, I received the following statement on behalf of both XM and Sirius:
"NAB opposed the creation of satellite radio fearing that it would compete with terrestrial radio, so it’s no surprise that it's producing biased 'studies' hostile to the SIRIUS-XM merger by NAB-paid consultants."
...I think it's time to go on the offensive.
I concur. All SIRI n XMSR subs and shareholders should take on a Sanjayaesque campaign and call, email, write to the FCC and DOJ to express REAL attitudes on this merger.
Luddites are funny. First it was "I refuse to pay for radio" or "satellite radio has no local news". Now all of the sudden they're complaining about monopoly power! Over something they rejected and poo pooed!!! And this study uses hackish, outdated, old-school economic theory that no longer applies to argue its point! Someone send those idiots an iPod!