FCC chief says will act soon on XM-Sirius deal w Video

The U.S. Federal Communications will act soon on Sirius Satellite
Radio’s proposed purchase of rival XM Satellite Radio, the chairman of
the FCC said on Thursday.

In an interview on CNBC television, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said
the XM-Sirius deal raised difficult regulatory issues. But he noted the
companies had agreed to concessions and said the agency “will hopefully
be able to do something on it soon.”

The merger would bring entertainers such as Oprah Winfrey and shock
jock Howard Stern under the same banner. It has been criticized as
anti-competitive by the traditional radio industry, and by some U.S.
lawmakers.

Antitrust authorities at the Justice Department approved the
combination in March after concluding it would not harm consumers. The
department said satellite radio companies face stiff competition from
traditional AM/FM radio, high-definition radio, MP3 players and audio
delivered by mobile phones.

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I’m sure soon means 3-4 months to the FCC. It would be nice to hear the news by the end of the month.