I have mixed feelings about the announcement that XM and Sirius plan to merge their operations. As a certified sports nut, I'm excited about the opportunity to get all the programming I'm currently missing because I'm not a Sirius subscriber. But at the same time, I'm afraid that some of my favorite XM channels - or worst, their hosts - might go away.
I've been a regular 60's on 6 listener from day one. Phlash Phelps is easily my favorite XM personality and it'd be a real shame if the 60's on 6 doesn't make the cut. The Motormouth is fun to listen to as well, and I'd really miss his Friday shows that feature Top 40 AM stations from days gone by. Although I enjoy several other XM channels, I suppose that over time adjusting to a similar selection from Sirius wouldn't be so bad.
The main area of concern will be how the whole deal affects subscription prices. With only player in the satellite market, pricing will have to be regulated by the government - but that doesn't exactly mean prices won't go high enough to scare people like me away. Especially if the predictions are true and a tiered pricing structure is rolled out. I wonder too how much of the great content that both have assembled will remain with only one company to deal with.
In making this announcement, you can bet the execs at XM and Sirius did their homework and feel that they will be able to get this through the FCC and the anti-trust folks in Congress. But you can also bet there will be an enormous amount of lobbying to try and stop the merger from happening. I'm hoping that the companies will be forced to reveal some exact details on how a merged company would operate before a decision is made to allow it to happen. It'd be nice for current subscribers to know what we're really in store for so we can decide if we should support this agreement or rally against it.
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