Autoblog

On February 19th, 2007, rival satellite radio providers Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio announced a merger worth $5 billion. It was approved by shareholders last November, but many weren't confident the Justic Department would approve the merger of satellite radio's only two providers. Today it has done just that, removing one of the last obstacles to the holy union of these two companies. The feds' main justification for its approval is that the companies compete as much with other forms of radio (terrestial, HD, etc.) and entertainment as they do with each other, therefore, consumers will likely not be harmed satellite radio will still face stiff competition. If satellite radio is to survive the onslaught of in-car entertainment options, which will soon include the web itself, this merger is a must. Howard Stern (Sirisu), meet Oprah (XM).

[Source: Engadget]

It looks like Bob Dylan's favorite sound these days is the clink-clink-clink of pennies in his retirement piggybank. Why else would one of the world's preeminent songwriters and stewards of music go all commercial on us? Cadillac announced recently that it has teamed up with XM Radio and the magnificent Mr. Zimmerman to move its Detroit-branded luxury iron. Dylan's "Theme Time Radio Hour" show on XM satellite radio is excellent listening, and since XM is now a standard feature in the Cadillac Escalade, the brand was able to get Mr. Dylan in a TV spot for the luxury SUV, as well as create a Cadillac themed episode of his XM show. The Cadillac brand has inspired many a song, and some of those will be featured on the specially-themed edition of Dylan's XM show. We can certainly understand Dylan's desire to cruise around in the lap of luxury, and the Escalade is nothing if not luxurious. And when you've paid your dues, you deserve at least a few nice things. Don't bother wasting your breath with jeers either, Dylan heard it all in '64 when he picked up an electric.

Follow the jump to see the 30-second version.

[Source: Automotive Design Line]

General Motors is serious about satellite radio, and the amount of nameplates that offer standard XM is growing all the time. Previously, GM made XM standard on all Cadillacs, and now the subscription radio service will also be available for all new Buick, HUMMER, and Saab models as well. The move enlarges XM's customer base while also giving new-car drivers a chance to test the technology for three months free of charge. Of course, after the gratis period runs out, those drivers are free to become former XM customers, but by then, the hope would be that they're so in love with the service that they simply renew and keep it going. There are now 50 GM products with standard XM, and six million XM-equipped vehicles have been built by the General since 2001.

[Source: GM]

When it signed Howard Stern last year, Sirius radio picked up a lot of subscribers, but the satellite radio provider still couldn't catch rival XM which sits atop of the subscriber satellite radio heap. Sirius' new six million subscribers represented a huge jump, but XM is closing out 2006 with 7.9 million. The New York Times is now reporting that Sirius might follow the old adage: "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

Sirius has apparently supported the idea of a merger for a while, but XM has refused to comment thus far. Because there is a lot of overlap in their offerings and because they have similar organizations, merging would lower costs and help boost the stock price, presumably. And that's where these decisions tend to be made, in the accountants' ledgers.

More info after the jump.

[Source: New York Times via Kicking Tires]