Sirius And XM Are Bestest Of Buddies, DOJ Agrees

Remember that merger offer between Sirius and XM, like, awhile ago? Yeah, I didn't either until I saw this story, but in any case, it seems that the Department Of Justice is completely cool with the two former rivals joining teams. It's not the final step though, as the FCC still has to give its thumbs up before the two can officially become one, but if the DOJ has already conceded, it seems likely that the FCC will give the green light as well.

Some groups are still worried about price gouging once the services are officially merged, as they are the only two entities in the satellite radio market, which should be a legitimate concern. I don't agree with that concern though, mainly because the market penetration of satellite radio is still pretty small. They have to concern themselves more with making their services compatible first and foremost, then finding ways of getting new customers. Because of that, I don't think rising subscription costs should be a major concern, not while people can still listen to free over-the-air radio (regardless of whether or not those channels suck or not, they are free).

Personally, I've avoided the satellite world because it's just not as easy as my radio or MP3 player to use. For the longest time, you had one transmitter that you could basically only use in the car, and I need to be able to transfer it to my house or listen on the go. That may have changed recently, but I've never really looked back. Here's to hoping for innovation in the satellite radio world with this merger though, as it is a great idea, and anything that is able to skirt FCC decency regulations does in fact make me a happy boy.

Sirius, XM radio merger passes DOJ hurdle, FCC next [Ars Technica]