# Antitrust Lawsuit: Sirius XM Merger Created Abusive Monopoly



## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20091207-714212.html


> A subscriber filed an antitrust lawsuit against Sirius XM Radio Inc. (SIRI) on Monday, alleging the merger of Sirius and XM last year created an abusive monopoly that has raised prices "above competitive levels."
> 
> The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan on Monday, alleges the combined company has raised its prices and failed to increase consumer program choices despite its commitments to regulators before the merger was approved.
> 
> ...


More....

Of course, the problem is that they didn't raise prices on their "basic" package. I don't think this goes anywhere other than feeding a few lawyers for a while.


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## Lee L (Aug 15, 2002)

As usual, they made all the promises in the world and carefully worded everythign so they cannot be held accountable. Manwhile, the programming is much worse than since the merger, they are losing subs and giving discounted subscriptions left and right while charging extra to those not smart enough to realize it.


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## tcusta00 (Dec 31, 2007)

Well this was only a matter of time.


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## Herdfan (Mar 18, 2006)

Richard King said:


> I don't think this goes anywhere other than feeding a few lawyers for a while.


I hope it forces them to merge accounting fuctions so I can add Sirius radios to my XM account.


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## MitchUW (Sep 6, 2006)

I think we should all realize that, even with the merger, Sirius-XM is struggling to remain a viable business. Their stock trades in the area of 60 cents. I will be very depressed if they don't succeed, because I don't think anyone else will step into this business model. And less you think the problems are because of the merger, neither company would have survived independently.


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## 408SJC (Sep 4, 2006)

I cancelled my XM when D* added them instead of music choice. I had both a home and car XM radio and didn't see a need if I was able to get the channels I listened to with my D* sub. Too much money just for extra access to my car. Hooked up my Ipod, the the next day I canceled. If they kept it exclusive to their own service and radio's I would probably still have a sub today.


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## lwilli201 (Dec 22, 2006)

This merger was doomed from the beginning. It would have only worked if they went to just one technology. It still operates as two companies that are competing with each other.


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## Lord Vader (Sep 20, 2004)

Add to that the fact that their customer service sucks, their web site for subscribers sucks...need I say more?


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## reddice (Feb 18, 2003)

Also after the raises the service got much more repeative. After my five months are up I am canceling one of my XM radios. It is a disgrace what they did to the 80's channel.


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## Lord Vader (Sep 20, 2004)

Tell me about it! They ought to rename it the Prince channel, because he is clearly the most [over]played artist on that channel, and it drives me nuts. Seriously, there's a Prince song at least once every 60 minutes.


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## cth68 (Dec 15, 2009)

that is why i canceled both of my radios after being a sub since 2003. i subscribed to xm because i had heard sirius and couldn't stand it. if i didn't want to pay for it then, why would i want to pay for it now. xm service turned into sirius overnight. no thanks i found slacker and haven't even thought twice about my decision. oh and by the way, they offered me 6 months free and i told them no thanks i won't change my mind and didn't think it was right for me to take the service that i would never pay for again unless it was changed back to xm pre-merger.


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## Lord Vader (Sep 20, 2004)

OK, so I'm driving home from work today, a 10 mile, 25-minute drive, and what do I hear? A Prince song. I get home, change clothes to go to a Christmas party, and exactly 65 minutes after arriving home I get back into the car to go to the party. I'm driving to the party and I'm in the car maybe 5 minutes, and what do I hear? That [email protected]#$%^& Prince again! :beatdeadhorse:

I didn't like him in the 80s, I hate him even more now.

Enough! He is THE most played artist on that channel. WTF is going on?!?

XM 80s channel, among others, was the bomb. They had a much deeper playlist, too. Sirius's? Sucks. :barf:


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## Reggie3 (Feb 20, 2006)

Lord Vader said:


> OK, so I'm driving home from work today, a 10 mile, 25-minute drive, and what do I hear? A Prince song. I get home, change clothes to go to a Christmas party, and exactly 65 minutes after arriving home I get back into the car to go to the party. I'm driving to the party and I'm in the car maybe 5 minutes, and what do I hear? That [email protected]#$%^& Prince again! :beatdeadhorse:
> 
> I didn't like him in the 80s, I hate him even more now.
> 
> ...


Never liked the playlist with Sirius - when it ran out on my RS4 I did the mod to add XM to it. Was sad t see the merger as the playlists now are terrible


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## Kansas Zephyr (Jun 30, 2007)

Great.

Just what subs need...a lawsuit to drain more money from S/XM.

What else can be done to help render our sat radio receivers useless?

Geez.


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## rudeney (May 28, 2007)

Kansas Zephyr said:


> Great.
> 
> Just what subs need...a lawsuit to drain more money from S/XM.
> 
> ...


Don't worry, they will just end up filing bankruptcy, then they'll get a government bailout, and be back in business two seconds later.


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## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

Lord Vader said:


> OK, so I'm driving home from work today, a 10 mile, 25-minute drive, and what do I hear? A Prince song. I get home, change clothes to go to a Christmas party, and exactly 65 minutes after arriving home I get back into the car to go to the party. I'm driving to the party and I'm in the car maybe 5 minutes, and what do I hear? That [email protected]#$%^& Prince again! :beatdeadhorse:
> 
> I didn't like him in the 80s, I hate him even more now.
> 
> ...


HEY!!! Quit making fun of my old customer.  He is a very talented and very strange person. I liked most of his stuff from about the Little Red Corvette era onward, although some certainly was over the top. I had dealt with him and his manager since right after he signed his contract for the first time. What songs did they play?


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## Lord Vader (Sep 20, 2004)

So I get in my car this morning, turn on my XM radio, and what do I hear? Prince! Argh!!!

This afternoon I get in my car, turn on the XM again, and what do I hear? *Prince!!! Double argh!!!*

Can I go back in time and just shoot his mother before he was even born?

Does Sirius XM play ANYthing else besides Prince??? God! I'm sick of this.


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## reddice (Feb 18, 2003)

And not even his deeper stuff just Red Corvet 10 times a day.


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## RobertE (Jun 10, 2006)

I'm pretty sure that they have other channels you could try.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

When they go bankrupt, Charlie will buy them for next to nothing.


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## Lord Vader (Sep 20, 2004)

RobertE said:


> I'm pretty sure that they have other channels you could try.


I do. In fact, the 80s channels is but one of my 10 saved favorites. I just get sick of tuning to it and always hearing the same crap, particularly Prince.


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## rudeney (May 28, 2007)

Lord Vader said:


> So I get in my car this morning, turn on my XM radio, and what do I hear? Prince! Argh!!!
> 
> This afternoon I get in my car, turn on the XM again, and what do I hear? *Prince!!! Double argh!!!*


Hmm, I've been listening to Christmas music and the occasional channel surf to Hits 1 and I have not heard the first Prince song!


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## Lord Vader (Sep 20, 2004)

Stay away from the 80s channel and you'll be just fine.


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## zman977 (Nov 9, 2003)

Lord Vader said:


> Stay away from the 80s channel and you'll be just fine.


\

I must be an odd ball. I love the 80's channel. and Prince too.


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## Lord Vader (Sep 20, 2004)

I, too, love the 80s channel, but not after what they've done with it. It's a shell of its former self. The playlist is so limited now that I can name many of the songs that I hear over and over and over and...


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## Dolly (Jan 30, 2007)

408SJC said:


> I cancelled my XM when D* added them instead of music choice. I had both a home and car XM radio and didn't see a need if I was able to get the channels I listened to with my D* sub. Too much money just for extra access to my car. Hooked up my Ipod, the the next day I canceled. If they kept it exclusive to their own service and radio's I would probably still have a sub today.


Well since in 02/2010 D* will be dropping Sirius XM and changing to SonicTap Music you won't have Sirius XM on D* any more.


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