Fred Harteis News Articles - Hoping to persuade skeptical regulators to approve their proposed merger, the nation’s two satellite radio companies today announced detailed plans to let consumers choose the programs that make up their subscription package.
The companies, Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio, said they would offer two so-called “à la carte” pricing plans — one of which would enable consumers to purchase the best of the premium services now offered by each company, like professional football, baseball and basketball — for a monthly fee of $14.99. To subscribe to the “à la carte” plans, consumers would have to buy new radios.
The companies said they would also let listeners select rate plans that would give them credit for adult stations that they decide not to get as part of their packages. The two companies now each offer their services for $12.95 a month, with lower rates for longer-term contracts. They have 14 million subscribers.
The announcement, coming the day before the record closes in the proceeding at the Federal Communications Commission, was an effort to persuade the agency that the merger was in the public interest. Several of the five commissioners, including Chairman Kevin J. Martin, have raised significant concerns about the deal because it would result in the creation of only one satellite radio service.
When the deal was announced earlier this year, Mr. Martin said that the companies would have a high hurdle to conquer in persuading the commission that it was in the public interest.
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Source: Nytimes.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
