The House Judiciary Committee's new antitrust task force has scheduled a hearing on the XM/Sirius merger as its first order of business.
Headed by
media consolidation critic John Conyers (D-Mich),
the task force has scheduled a Feb. 28 hearing. Sirius CEo Mel Karmazin is scheduled to be a witness.
“XM and Sirius provide unique programming options for millions of customers nationwide," said Conyers. "Consumer’s interests should remain our priority. This hearing will help determine whether customers will get higher or lower prices and more or fewer programming options with the proposed merger. In particular, the Committee will examine whether satellite radio competes against terrestrial radio, the Internet, or other emerging technologies.”
Ranking Republican Lamar Smith said one of the committees focuses will be on whether satellite radio competes against terrestrial radio, the Internet or other "emerging technologies," which might include cable radio or wireless devices.
