Radio Plan: A Price Shift for Satellite
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Hoping to win approval for their merger, Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio announced plans to let consumers choose the programs in their subscription package.
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By Seth Sutel  XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. and Sirius Satellite Radio Inc., rivals in the fledgling satellite radio industry, have agreed to combine in a deal that investors hope will result in lower costs, assuming it overcomes significant regulatory hurdles.
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By Charles Babington, Washington Post Staff Writer  The nation's two satellite-radio companies promised yesterday to refrain from raising prices, for a time at least, if they are allowed to merge. But some lawmakers and consumer groups appeared dubious.
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(InfoWorld) - The U.S.'s two satellite radio operators, Sirius Satellite RadioÂ and XM Satellite Radio Holdings announced Monday they plan to merge, pending a potentially difficult approval process. The all-stock deal will see XM shareholders receiving 4.6 shares of Sirius stock for each XM share they own. The new company would be worth $13 billion, based on the companies' estimates, although neither company has ever turned a profit. Sirius and XM combined lost over a billion dollars last year on total revenues of about $1.5 billion. Because the two are the only companies licensed by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to offer satellite radio services, the merger may face regulatory opposition over creating an industry giant that would be hinder competition. Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin will become the new company's CEO, with Gary Parsons, currently XM's chairman, set to become its new chairman. Executives from both companies will continue in their present roles until the deal closes, expected by the end of 2007. The two companies pioneered the concept of subscription-based radio services, delivered nationwide via satellite. Both Sirius and XM charge subscribers $12.95 per month for their services. Sirius surprised the radio world in 2004 when it signed shock-jock Howard Stern to a five-year, $100 million contract. Stern remains the network's chief draw of over 130 channels, which includes NFL game broadcasts and related talk shows. XM has about 160 channels and counts talk-show and entertainment titan Oprah Winfrey among its celebrities. XM claims 7.6 million subscribers, and Sirius 6 million.
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â¢ 2004-12-02 â¢ Accessing satellite radio on mobile phones would be possibile in the next five years. Hugh Panero, chief executive officer, XM Satellite Radio Holdings, has confirmed that his company is
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Shares of Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. (SIRI.O: Quote, Profile, Research) look pricey despite the company&#39;s new five-year, $500 million pact with shock jock Howard Stern to air his program
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If you want to hear Howard Stern, starting in January 2006, you will need to shell out $12.95 a month for satellite radio. Sirius, the No.
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Why Sirius is getting static from the markets.
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The upcoming FCC auction of 700-MHz spectrum is one of the biggest sell-offs of radio spectrum in years, and it's expected to raise at least $10 billion. Wired News explains what's at stake with this list of questions and answers.
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XM Radio, which offers a subscription to commercial-free radio via satellite, is set to expand its services to online music. Dubbed XM Radio Online, the new offering will launch in early October and cost $7.99 USD per month for unlimited listening. Current XM subscribers can sign up to the online service for only $3.99 USD per month. XM has partnered with Dell to offer 30 days of free XM Radio Online to purchasers of new computers.
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Digital switchover is freeing up the airwaves for other services meaning the battle for spectrum is on.
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Wireless broadband and satellite TV -- together at last.
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Winning approval for a proposed merger of the nation's two satellite-radio companies turns on whether regulators buy their argument that iPods, Internet radio and other new technologies have expanded so dramatically that a monopoly would not harm consumers' choices or purses.
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Shares of Sirius Satellite Radio Inc.  SIRI.O look pricey despite the company's new five-year, $500  million pact with shock jock Howard Stern to air his program  starting in 2006, according to the latest edition of Barron's,  the weekly financial newspaper.
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When companies start talking about a âmerger of equals,â someone is usually getting the better deal. It is especially true in the proposed merger of XM and Sirius.
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Rivals in the satellite radio industry merge and investors hope for lower costs -- but significant regulatory hurdles lie ahead. By the Associated Press.
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DirecTV and EchoStar make a deal to sell wireless broadband. Will it be enough?