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Broadcasters continued to push for strict conditions on the pending merger between XM and Sirius, a deal still waiting for regulatory approval at the Federal Communications Commission.
For starters, groups representing public broadcasters asked the FCC to require any merged satellite radio entity to devote 25 percent of satellite radio capacity to non-commercial public service channels, minority broadcasters and emergency services. Also, the groups said the public interest programming set-aside should be "open access," or free to the public and content producers.
The groups pressing for the conditions were American Public Media, Public Radio International and National Public Radio.
Also, Clear Channel Communications wrote the FCC on the XM/Sirius merger, suggesting conditions for a combined satellite radio entity such as terrestrial HD radio reception capability in all satellite receivers and leasing spectrum capacity to third parties.
Clear Channel took the push one step further, saying that the FCC should create a mechanism to allow for the merger only when there is fulfillment of any conditions. The proposed mechanism, referred to as "fix-it first," could be "essentially self-executing and do not require a regulatory apparatus for enforcement," the company said in its letter on the merger.
For starters, groups representing public broadcasters asked the FCC to require any merged satellite radio entity to devote 25 percent of satellite radio capacity to non-commercial public service channels, minority broadcasters and emergency services. Also, the groups said the public interest programming set-aside should be "open access," or free to the public and content producers.
The groups pressing for the conditions were American Public Media, Public Radio International and National Public Radio.
Also, Clear Channel Communications wrote the FCC on the XM/Sirius merger, suggesting conditions for a combined satellite radio entity such as terrestrial HD radio reception capability in all satellite receivers and leasing spectrum capacity to third parties.
Clear Channel took the push one step further, saying that the FCC should create a mechanism to allow for the merger only when there is fulfillment of any conditions. The proposed mechanism, referred to as "fix-it first," could be "essentially self-executing and do not require a regulatory apparatus for enforcement," the company said in its letter on the merger.
