Screw the NAB, while we're at it.

[acroyear]

Satellite Radio Firms Plan To Merge - washingtonpost.com:

The proposed XM-Sirius merger will face opposition from the National Association of Broadcasters, the trade group of AM and FM radio stations, and local television stations, which has fought the satellite radio services on various fronts since their inception.

"Given the government's history of opposing monopolies in all forms, NAB would be shocked if federal regulators permitted a merger of XM and Sirius," NAB spokesman Dennis Wharton said in a statement. "In coming weeks, policymakers will have to weigh whether an industry that makes Howard Stern its poster child should be rewarded with a monopoly platform for offensive programming."

The NAB has fought XM's rollout of local traffic and weather channels, now in 21 areas, including the District and Baltimore. The NAB says the move violates the spirit of the FCC's intention to license a national satellite radio service. Radio stations in those areas fear losing advertising to XM, which airs commercials on its traffic and weather reports, unlike its music channels.

Fuck you, Wharton. You of ALL people shouldn't be out there telling anybody (much less trying to be spokesman for the FCC, which you're NOT) what the hell competition is and what it means as you've presided over the most disguisting consolidation of a market into non-competitive commodities since the american auto industry turned into the "big three".

If you shitheads can't maintain a decent profit because you're not offering stuff that people ACTUALLY WANT TO HEAR, then fuck you. Don't go crying to the FCC to take away the one thing that would actually make your companies IMPROVE THEIR SERVICES.

Comments

[thelongshot.livejournal.com]

Man, what an ass.

Fact is, XM's traffic coverage is superior to the local stations, in that I can flip it on and guarantee that they will cover my area, rather than waiting for the report, and hope that they do cover the area and cover it correctly (which often doesn't happen.)

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

or worse still, trying to find a decent traffic report when you're in an area you're unfamiliar with, and at the same time not put up with crap you don't want to hear (like right-wing-radio-ranting) while you wait to see if this station bothers.

the only reason i know NJ 101 works for central Jersey is 'cause of faireraven. Without her, I'd still probably be stuck in the tollbooths of exit 1 of the Turnpike instead of typing this rant now.