Sirius (SIRI) Merger With XM Satellite (XMSR): A Little Sleaze From The NAB

Investing

Published: November 25, 2007 1:37 pm

The National Association of Broadcasters and all of its radio station members are against a merger of Sirius (SIRI) and XM Satellite (XMSR). They don’t want the satellite radio business to be any stronger than it is today.

But, has the NAB crossed the line in terms of the way it is lobbying to keep the deal undone? Probably.

According to The Washington Post, the NAB got thousands of e-mails sent to the FCC with messages opposing the merger. But, when the newspaper checked with some of the people who had sent the notes, a number of them could not remember being involved. According to a piece in the Post "the lobby group said it inspired the sending of 8,500 e-mails to the agency by buying pop-up ads on consumer-oriented Web sites such as CarMax.com, Staples.com and PriceGrabber.com in August and September." (CarMax has written us saying that they do not have pop-ups at their site.)

Was the move by the NAB legal? Perhaps. Was it sleazy? Definitely.

Douglas A. McIntyre

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