Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) has written to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, saying, "I wish to disassociate myself from a letter to [Martin], dated May 5, 2008 and signed by Congressman [Edolphus] Towns and me, which stated that I fully supported 'Xm's and Sirius' voluntary commitments, [that] the combined company will agree to provide under long-term leases eight channels on the combined system (four on each system) to minority owners."

Rush is on record as a supporter of the XM-Sirius merger and says in the letter that he continues to believe the merger "will create new opportunities for diverse programming that has been overlooked by terrestrial-radio broadcasters."

But Rush doesn't think the XM-Sirius plan he cites goes nearly far enough. He writes, "While I certainly believe it's important to dedicate channels for minority ownership, I do not believe a mere eight channels out of 300 total in the combined entity represents an 'important and realistic effort to address the dearth of minority ownership'."

Rush blames a miscommunication between his office and Towns' for the error and says, "In reality, I firmly believe that XM and Sirius can designate far more channels than eight for minority ownership." He points out that "people of color" make up 35 percent of the American population and says, "I see no reason why a combined XM-Sirius satellite radio company should not dedicate a number of channels for minority ownership that is more reflective of the general population."

Rush goes on to say that this "voluntary agreement reached by XM and Sirius" does not satisfy his "advocacy for a more aggressive policy that emulates the real diversity of the American public."