Senator Brownback Seeks Letter on XM-Sirius Deal

The proposed merger of Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio Holdings is getting more static from Washington. Sen Sam Brownback (R-KS) sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee this week asking for an unredacted copy of a May 27 letter to the Federal Communications Commission from a group of subscribers who oppose the merger. A redacted version of the letter hints that XM and Sirius haven't complied with FCC requirements that their receivers be interoperable. Both companies have promised that if they are allowed to merge, subscribers will be able to use any manufacturer's device to receive their signal. Sirius spokesman Patrick Reilly said his company demonstrated to the FCC last week that all its testimony has been accurate. XM and Sirius said in a June 6 letter to the FCC that they have gone "well beyond the FCC's mandate simply to design an interoperable radio." The unredacted portions of the letter Sen. Brownback seeks access to contain confidential data that are under FCC protection.
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