FCC Nixes Satellite Radio Merger

a_nonamiss writes "Doesn't look like Sirius and XM are going to merge any time soon. I'm not sure how I feel about this one. Logically, I know that competition is a good thing for consumers, and monopolies are generally only good for companies. Still, I don't like having to choose a car based on which satellite radio service comes pre-installed, or considering whether I'd rather have Howard Stern or Oprah, because there is no practical way to get both. Frankly, it's probably all this exclusivity that has caused me not to purchase either system." From the article: "Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin told reporters after an FCC meeting that the Commission would not approve a merger between satellite radio rivals Sirius and XM Radio... When the FCC initially licensed the two satellite radio companies in 1997, there was language in the licensing barring one from acquiring control of the other... Even if the FCC were to have a change of heart..., it would still have to pass antitrust scrutiny by the Department of Justice."

Comments

Monopolies are none of government's business

[kmweber]

Whether or not monopolies are "good for consumers" is irrelevant.

It's not government's place to care.

It's government's place to stay the hell out of the way. All government needs to do is enforce contracts that any given set of individuals choose to make among themselves and arrest and punish those who initiate, attempt to initiate, or threaten to initiate physical force or fraud against the person or property of another without his consent.

Re:Monopolies are none of government's business

[kmweber]

Actually anti-trust is one of the few legitimate places for the government to care. Fixing the fundamentally broken corner-cases of capitalism is a fine use of government power.
No, it's not--desirable end results are none of government's concern.

Okay, maybe your idea of utopia is where all food manufacturers are bought by wal-mart and the contract you "choose" to sign with them is whatever the hell they want because your choice is to sign or starve to death, but for the rest of us sane people, I'd like to prevent that kind of thing even in its less extreme forms.
Then you are pure evil and have no moral right to exist, because you are willing to endorse the wholesale violation of individual rights.

Shame on you.

Re:I got your logic, hanging right here...

[PopeRatzo]

First off, most of the major media consolidation during the 90's was during Clinton's term

First off, people who start sentences with "first off" are usually jackoffs.

Secondly, I didn't say anything about it NOT being Clinton's fault that we saw such media consolidation. But right now, the FCC is run by a bunch of plaid pants GOP who suck at the corporate teat. They won't let any ruling come down that hurts anybody with big money.