XM, Sirius: Settling Enforcement Issues; FCC OK Nears

In what could be one of the final steps before the Federal Communications Commission approves their pending merger, XM Satellite Radio (XMSR) and Sirius Satellite Radio (SIRI) announced this morning that they are in talks with the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau to settle outstanding “enforcement matters.”

The Wall Street Journal reports that Republican FCC member Deborah Taylor Tate has agreed to vote to approve the deal after winning several concessions from the companies involving enforcement issues. She would break a deadlock among the commissioners, who would then have voted to approve the deal by a 3-2 margin. According to the Journal, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin disclosed the news this morning. “I think it’s fair to say an agreement in principle has been reached,” he said. “We’re still trying to work out the language.”

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