RBC Capital analyst David Bank has told clients to expect a decision from the Department of Justice within 30 days and that the deal is more
likely to receive their approval than not. This isn’t the final decision as the FCC will also need to rule, but given the announcement of tiered pricing plans which the current FCC chairman favors, it is unlikely they will vote contrary to the DOJ’s decision.
The Stock is reacting positively to this breaking news:
Posted by Manco on
Thursday, September 6th, 2007 at 9:36 am.
Filed in Merger, Sirius Business, Stocks, Stock.
You can leave a trackback from your own site.
while your predicting the future can you tell me next weeks lotto numbers! by mercury
since your predicting the future can you tell me next weeks lotto numbers! by mercury
Your opinion is just that, an opinion. Your proclamation is meaningless.
If the NAB thought a merger would actually make things worse, they would be SUPPORTING it, instead of spending millions of dollars and thousands of manhours trying to defeat it.
Sirius/XM management, the NAB, a former chairman of the FCC, and the significant majority of Siri/XM subscribers who've studied the issue---are all convinced the merger is a good and mutually beneficial thing. And I agree with them.
By virtually all indications, the DOJ and FCC will make their decisions this year. They're moving surprisingly fast for government entities. Sometimes these types of decisions can take a couple years or more to be decided. by Serious_Sirius
Your opinion is just that, an opinion. Your proclamation is meaningless.
If the NAB thought a merger would actually make things worse, they would be SUPPORTING it, instead of spending millions of dollars and thousands of manhours trying to defeat it.
Sirius/XM management, the NAB, a former chairman of the FCC, and the significant majority of Siri/XM subscribers who've studied the issue---are all convinced the merger is a good and mutually beneficial thing. And I agree with them.
By virtually all indications, the DOJ and FCC will make their decisions this year. They're moving surprisingly fast for government entities. Sometimes these types of decisions can take a couple years or more to be decided.
They aren't combining the bandwidth and the two current sets of radios can't receive the other signal. The ala carte options that they have released do not give you a chance to pick and chose between the two services.
Give me details on what is so great and how I as a dual sub will benefit from this merger Go ahead and convince me. by Fergz99
They aren't combining the bandwidth and the two current sets of radios can't receive the other signal. The ala carte options that they have released do not give you a chance to pick and chose between the two services.
Give me details on what is so great and how I as a dual sub will benefit from this merger Go ahead and convince me.
I fully expect there to be changes, and change isn't always good, but I think for the long run we will see innovative hardware and much more programming selection for the money. by Manco
I fully expect there to be changes, and change isn't always good, but I think for the long run we will see innovative hardware and much more programming selection for the money.
I already get the best that both services have to offer and they aren't giving me any option to get all of the same channels I do now at a reduce price then what's the point ? So Mel, Howard, and the board members can cash in their stock at higher prices ? No thanks. Leave the services as they are. by Fergz99
Of course, this is just one guy's opinion. by SISO
Of course, this is just one guy's opinion.
It is just like American's voting, we have less folks in this country vote than just about anywhere else in the free world. Getting folks to agree on something is hard enough, but then getting them into action to do something about it is next to impossible.
I certainly did indeed write my letter of support for the merger! I wonder how many of you folks that are against it really let those that will vote on this even know. I bet it was no more than a hand-full from this forum that did so. by DAB
I am curious as to why you say "the goverment acted as it should." I know you own stock, so I would guess you are probably just for it for that reason. Surely you can't be for it if the reason is for the good of the consumer. by SISO
I am curious as to why you say "the goverment acted as it should." I know you own stock, so I would guess you are probably just for it for that reason. Surely you can't be for it if the reason is for the good of the consumer.
Being selfish, I look forward to the merger so my dual subscription will cost less, the new company providing potentially more and better content, better hardware and with the increased competition; terrestrial radio will have to improve their content.
It is none of your business what stock I own and you guess wrongly, but I will tell you I own a little WFT, SII, IBM, MSFT, WHQ, SIRI, AAPL, BAC, BHI, LSTR, MDR, MCD, XMSR, SLB, DEIX, SLB, MRK, PFE, APC, XOM, WMT and a few other equities and mutual funds. Which none have anything to do with what is best for the consumer.
Now, why are you against the merger besides being afraid of change? by Sirius_Rich
1. Confusion, one of their "goals" of the merger is to reduce consumer confusion. If you've seen all the plans (especially the al a carte) you know this is not gonna happen.
2. What they'll do to get the merger. They want this REALLY bad. It wouldn't surprise me to see them make agreements with the government that would actually hurt the product.
3. Slowdown of innovation. They say they'll innovate, I call bs...Sirius could hardly innovate with the Stiletto 2, what makes you think they'll innovate when they aren't competing with each other.
4. It is a monopoly. It is NOT a monopoly in the music industry, but it would be a monopoly in the satellite radio industry. Direct competition is important.
5. The ala-carte is a rip-off if you want Stern. by SISO
1. Confusion, one of their "goals" of the merger is to reduce consumer confusion. If you've seen all the plans (especially the al a carte) you know this is not gonna happen.
I think my reasons speak for themselves. Too bad you believe what Mel and co. says...you should know companies lie like lawyers. by SISO
2. I became a Sirius stock holder, after having the product for a year.
3. I'm a finance manager for an auto dealership.
As a consumer I want the merger to be approved because I think hardware will be better quality and have more features. I think there will be room for more channels, more channels means more variety. As a stock holder I like the idea because it's going to send the stock soaring. Working in the car business I think car companies were holding out doing more factory installs to see which company would make it. Once the dust settles from the merger I think just about every company will have pre-installed sat rad on almost every model. Then we'll see things like presets, rewind, and record options in cars. Caddillac is putting this feature in the CTS this year and I think it will spread quickly to other models once sat rad becomes a standard feature. by River_King
I think my reasons speak for themselves. Too bad you believe what Mel and co. says...you should know companies lie like lawyers.
I feel bad for you if you really think you are stupid. Perhaps a few sessions with a professional on self esteem are in order.
You did know that "companies" and "lawyers" go to jail for lying, correct? Both are held to strict standards. I suggest to read up on the Sarbanes-Oxley Act just to see what standards publicly traded "companies" are held. by Sirius_Rich
2. I became a Sirius stock holder, after having the product for a year.
3. I'm a finance manager for an auto dealership.
As a consumer I want the merger to be approved because I think hardware will be better quality and have more features. I think there will be room for more channels, more channels means more variety. As a stock holder I like the idea because it's going to send the stock soaring. Working in the car business I think car companies were holding out doing more factory installs to see which company would make it. Once the dust settles from the merger I think just about every company will have pre-installed sat rad on almost every model. Then we'll see things like presets, rewind, and record options in cars. Caddillac is putting this feature in the CTS this year and I think it will spread quickly to other models once sat rad becomes a standard feature.
I feel bad for you if you really think you are stupid. Perhaps a few sessions with a professional on self esteem are in order.
You did know that "companies" and "lawyers" go to jail for lying, correct? Both are held to strict standards. I suggest to read up on the Sarbanes-Oxley Act just to see what standards publicly traded "companies" are held.
Maybe lying wasn't the correct term, perhaps misleading is better...sort of like hidden fees. We won't raise prices*
*for atleast a month (for example) by SISO
If the merger passes, and the winds in Washington are definitely blowing in that direction, the good from the merger will far outweigh the bad.
Instead of having to engage in expensive content/advertising/hardware wars with each other, they will join forces to take on their far more powerful opponents like the Apple iPod, MP3 players, cellphone providers etc.
Redundant channels will be combined, thus opening the door for the addition of channels for niche music that many people have been screaming for.
How many times have we heard the mantra "I only have Sirius for Stern" or "I only have XM for baseball"?
In the event of a merger, thousands of dual subscribers who are having to pay full price for both services, will be able to drop the regular monthly service of the company they don't prefer.
They can then get Stern or baseball via an a la carte package that will cost less than half of what they're currently paying for the extra service. So a merger will actually save them money, because they won't be paying for 100+ channels they don't want.
The fears that a single SatRadio provider will have an "absolute monopoly" that will enable them to drastically raise prices and get rid of numerous channels/genres---is a virtual paranoid delusion.
A combined Sirius/XM will still have as much competition as they can handle from Apple, MP3 player manufacturers, online music services, cellphone service providers---etc. etc.
If they jack up the price and cut way back on the music, many current subscribers would simply say "Adios SatRadio, Hello iPod/MP3 player/cellphone". by Serious_Sirius
I agree with you completely that the FCC/government is the problem.
I find it interesting (and hypocritical) that some of the very same people who are vehemently opposed to the FCC using its power to regulate what guys like Howard Stern can say on public radio, are the same ones who are ranting for the FCC to use its power to stop the merger.
They're often also the ones who gripe loudest about Siri's shortcomings. The merger will actually address several of the very problems they're whining about, yet they're still opposed to it.
In a country that is supposed to be a constitutional republic with a free-enterprise economic system, it shouldn't be any of the government's business if two companies decide to unite for mutually beneficial reasons. Just like they don't have any business telling radio talk show hosts what they can or can't say. by Serious_Sirius
In a country that is supposed to be a constitutional republic with a free-enterprise economic system, it shouldn't be any of the government's business if two companies decide to unite for mutually beneficial reasons. Just like they don't have any business telling radio talk show hosts what they can or can't say.
Yea, let any company merge that wants to. Let all the cell phone companies merge, all the computer companies, all the car companies, all the banks. See what happens...it wouldn't be pretty. by SISO
Everyone should want both a profitable company, and one that has real competitors like AM/FM, HD radio, iPod, internet radio etc. by Manco
We live in a high tech world where technology advances occur virtually daily. Those companies that either aren't able or refuse to invest in a good R&D program, will soon become irrelevant or even go completely out of business.
It takes money to make money. I don't think Mel and the upper level management of both companies, are nearly as stupid and greedy as you seem to think they are.
If they put all the money in their back pockets rather than invest some in R&D, they won't turn out high quality devices which attract new customers and keep current customers in the fold.
Fewer customers means less business and very possibly bankruptcy. If the latter occurs, there will be no more money for them to put in their back pockets.
The execs also have to answer to the stockholders, and I assure you they are an entity that will do everything they can to make sure bankruptcy doesn't happen. Thus you can count on the stockholders to press for more money for R&D.
So the tired canard that management will "just put the money saved in their back pockets", is simply not realistic.
Execs and stockholders know the importance of R&D to a successful company. They're not going to shoot themselves in the a$$ and lose their jobs and investments by refusing to spend money on R&D. by Serious_Sirius
The last thing they are concerned with in this merger is if it is in the best interest of the consumer. by Fergz99
There really aren't any relevant counter-arguments to what they've posted, mostly just chicken little arguments ranting about the alleged "threat" of a supposed "monopoly".
Claiming that Sirius and XM would constitute a "threat" to the consumer, is ludicrous.
You've got mass storage iPods selling by the millions, dozens of companies making MP3 players, numerous online companies offering download and/or subscription music, and all the major cellphone providers are offering music services through their networks. Not to mention CD's/CD players, which still sell pretty well, even though they've also taken a hit thanks to online music.
Due to all the competition in the music provider business, even the mighty terrestrial radio industry has been forced to spend big bucks on R&D, in order to develop, improve and market HD Radio.
The terrestrial radio execs and their stooges at the NAB KNOW that the Sirius-XM merger will be a GOOD thing for consumers. That's why they're spending millions of dollars and thousands of manhours fighting it so hard.
If the merger was actually going to hurt the sat radio industry and consumers, the NAB would be SUPPORTING it. Because they know it would drive unsatisfied customers away from sat radio. by Serious_Sirius
There really aren't any relevant counter-arguments to what they've posted, mostly just chicken little arguments ranting about the alleged "threat" of a supposed "monopoly".
Claiming that Sirius and XM would constitute a "threat" to the consumer, is ludicrous.
You've got mass storage iPods selling by the millions, dozens of companies making MP3 players, numerous online companies offering download and/or subscription music, and all the major cellphone providers are offering music services through their networks. Not to mention CD's/CD players, which still sell pretty well, even though they've also taken a hit thanks to online music.
Due to all the competition in the music provider business, even the mighty terrestrial radio industry has been forced to spend big bucks on R&D, in order to develop, improve and market HD Radio.
The terrestrial radio execs and their stooges at the NAB KNOW that the Sirius-XM merger will be a GOOD thing for consumers. That's why they're spending millions of dollars and thousands of manhours fighting it so hard.
If the merger was actually going to hurt the sat radio industry and consumers, the NAB would be SUPPORTING it. Because they know it would drive unsatisfied customers away from sat radio.
If you understood business, you'd know that I'm not talking about them getting fired. I'm talking about BANKRUPTCY, a whole different animal.
If a company goes bankrupt, the government steps in through the courts and takes ultimate control of the money the companies have. So the execs don't get the alleged huge compensation packages you speak of, when a company goes bankrupt.
Also, your previous company going bankrupt under your leadership doesn't look terribly good on your resume. Not to mention the fact that Karmazin and several other execs of both Sirius and XM, own a substantial number of shares in their respective companies. So they stand to lose their large investments if the company goes belly up.
Last but not least, the shareholders have more to lose than anybody if a merged company goes under. So they're going to fight tooth, fang and claw to keep Mel and the other execs honest.
Merger opponents conveniently overlook the fact that the shareholders of BOTH companies have voted overwhelmingly to approve the merger. If they felt that this merger would lead the company to bankruptcy, they'd have voted it down in a quick minute. Many of them have made major investments in their respective companies, and they don't relish the thought of losing those investments to bankruptcy.
Merger opponents try to cook up these paranoid delusions that Mel and the other execs only want this merger so they can screw the customers, and abscond with all the money. However, they overlook the hard fact that the shareholders have given strong support to the merger, even though they have the most to lose financially if the new company doesn't do well or goes bankrupt. by Serious_Sirius
Merger opponents try to cook up these paranoid delusions that Mel and the other execs only want this merger so they can screw the customers, and abscond with all the money. However, they overlook the hard fact that the shareholders have given strong support to the merger, even though they have the most to lose financially if the new company doesn't do well or goes bankrupt.
It's no state secret that both groups of shareholders are in overwhelming support of the merger. Don't take my word for it. Show up at the next stockholder meetings and ask around.
Even IF my info was wrong (it's not), that still doesn't mean I'm "cooking up a paranoid delusion". Unlike the merger opponents, I'm not the one running around spreading a gloom and doom worst case scenario. So there's no paranoia here, pal.
I'm amused that the merger opponents think that the merger would somehow cause the execs to "take the money and run". If they wanted to do that, they could've already done it. The merger has nothing to do with their ability to leave when they wish. by Serious_Sirius
NAB and CCC are primarily responsible for the sad, sorry state of terrestrial radio in this country today. Now they want to keep sat radio weak and ineffective as a competitor, by opposing the merger.
If the merger was a BAD thing for Sat Radio, NAB and CCC would be SUPPORTING it with all the means at their disposal. But they know the merger will make sat radio a streamlined, worthy competitor in the music provider market, which is precisely why they're opposing it. by Serious_Sirius
When that thread was first posted, satrad hadn't spent one million yet. Many millions is quite a stretch. by Capn Ramius
Do not be afraid siso. Monopolies are good for consumers. Being forced to buy new equipment if you want to take advantage of ala carte once its implemented is good for consumers. Don't fear change my son. Come into the light...come into the light
what's that. You're not a stock holder holding onto a popcorn fart that this merger will at the very least break you even? by soxnationonline