Sidak and Singer Comment on XM-Sirius Merger in Washington Times Op-Ed

August 24, 2007

Criterion founder J. Gregory Sidak and President Hal J. Singer published an op-ed in the Washington Times today entitled "Misunderstanding the XM-Sirius merger." Sidak and Singer argue against taking two unregulated competitors and creating in their place a brand-new regulated monopoly through the merger approval process.

Sidak and Singer note that there is an established framework used by antitrust authorities to analyze mergers, which involves defining the relevant market and assessing the power to raise prices within that market. They explain that XM and Sirius have rejected this framework: instead of offering credible evidence that terrestrial radio (or any other audio service) constrains the price of satellite radio, XM and Sirius have approached the government's merger review proceeding “as though it were a media blitz for a political campaign.” Sidak and Singer conclude that free-market types should oppose this merger to monopoly.

To read their op-ed in full, click here.

Professor Sidak has published three declarations on the likely competitive effects of XM-Sirius merger:

To read the original declaration, click here.
To read the supplemental declaration, click here.
To read the second supplemental declaration, click here.