Sirius XM merger complete

Against all odds, Sirius XM Radio, Inc. is now a reality. Now, we should find out if anyone cares.

Yes, some people are hooked on their satellite radios, but only some. Guess the FCC finally realized that a monopoly isn’t really a monopoly if no one else is trying to corner the (nonexistent?) market.

Here’s more, from AFP:

• The combined company has more than 18.5 million subscribers, making it the second-largest radio company, based upon revenue, in the country.
• But the company has “significant” growth prospects because it currently has cornered less than 10 percent of the home and car market, it said.[...]
• The Federal Communications Commission approved in a 3-2 vote Friday all-stock buyout of XM, ending some 16 months of regulatory limbo for the nation’s only satellite radio companies.
• Company executives have long argued that the merger would lead to major cost savings and the first-ever profits in the fledgling industry.[...]
• The FCC approval marked the final regulatory hurdle needed for the merger, which passed antitrust scrutiny by the Justice Department in March.
• When the companies first began publicly discussing the merger, in February 2007, the deal was valued at 13 billion dollars.

Read the rest of the story here.

Howard Stern and Oprah, finally united.