KEVIN MARTIN, CHAIRMAN OF THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION, is recommending that the commission approve the proposed merger between the XM and Sirius satellite radio services.  The chairman’s recommendations carry a lot of influence with the commission members, but it is nonetheless uncertain whether they will go along.  The full commission will vote on it very quickly after they have had time to receive and study the recommendations.

The Dept. of Justice Anti-trust division approved the merger in March.  In order to achieve the approval, the two firms voluntarily agreed to several concessions including a new pricing plan that will allow subscribers to purchase a la carte groupings of their preferred channels instead of the entire spectrum.  They also agreed to open the radio instrument manufacture to competition so that anybody could build and sell the receivers.

For a more complete review of the terms and the status of the merger, read the Assoc. Press story HERE.

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