If they manage to convince the FTC, FCC, DOJ and the rest of the feds that they can proceed with such a merger and if they can manage to convince the same folks years later that it was not anticompetitive and if they can protect themselves from the trial lawyers who will inevitably sue claiming a la Microsoft that anticompetitive behavior harmed their customers, then it might proceed successfully.
What will kill them is if satellite radio follows the mistakes of the original HBO. HBO first advertised as commercial free and later added commercials to enhance their revenue stream. It became the same as regular TV programming but had more adult content. That is, largely worthless.
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If they manage to convince the FTC, FCC, DOJ and the rest of the feds that they can proceed with such a merger and if they can manage to convince the same folks years later that it was not anticompetitive and if they can protect themselves from the trial lawyers who will inevitably sue claiming a la Microsoft that anticompetitive behavior harmed their customers, then it might proceed successfully. What will kill them is if satellite radio follows the mistakes of the original HBO. HBO first advertised as commercial free and later added commercials to enhance their revenue stream. It became the same as regular TV programming but had more adult content. That is, largely worthless.