Key House Reps Ask FCC for Openness in XM-Sirius Merger
Ars technica, May 2, 2008
By Matthew Lasar
The plot continues to thicken regarding the proposed merger of Sirius and XM satellite radio. Two top Democrats on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce have written to the Federal Communications Commission asking for what amounts to an open platform requirement if the agency approves the union.
Energy and Commerce Chair John Dingell (D-MI) and Internet subcommittee Chair Edward J. Markey (D-MA) told the FCC yesterday that if the Commission okays the deal, it should require the merged entity to let any firm that wants to develop radio satellite receiver equipment do so. Satellite radio manufacturers should also be able to integrate other audio technologies into their equipment. Dingell and Markey mention HD radio, iPod ports, and Internet access. "This principle of openness would serve to promote competition, protect consumers, and spur technological innovation," they write.
The two reps also want the FCC to stipulate that a joined XM/Sirius cannot block this kind of innovation on receivers. "It would be contrary to the public interest," they contend, "to permit the merged company to bar HD radio chips or iPod compatibility from inclusion in a manufacturer's satellite radio device, whether that device is freestanding or installed in an automobile."
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