spacetoday.net: Justice Department approves XM-Sirius merger

Posted: Mon, Mar 24, 2008, 8:27 PM ET (0027 GMT)
The US Justice Department announced Monday that it would approve the merge of Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio without any conditions on the deal. In a statement, the Justice Department concluded that the merger of the only two satellite radio companies that serve the US would not "substantially lessen competition", in part because of technical incompatibilities between the two companies' receivers as well as a number of competing alternatives, including the Internet. Terrestrial radio companies had sought to block the merger, claiming it was anticompetitive, but the Justice Department rejected those arguments and concluded no conditions were required to ensure no harm was done to consumers. The merger, announced in February 2007, still required the approval of the FCC, which has not set a timetable for its decision.