Public Knowledge Clarifies Stance On Georgetown Partners
Gigi Sohn of Public Knowledge met again with the FCC and reiterated her now familiar stance on the proposed merger of Sirius and XM. Miss Sohn in simple terms outlines four conditions that she feels should be made if the merger is allowed to proceed.
1. The new company should make pricing choices such as a-la-carte or tiered pricing.
2. The company should make 5% of the channel capacity available for non-commercial and informational programming over which it has no editorial control
3. The company should agree to a price freeze for a period of three years on combined prices.
4. The company should make technical specifications of its devices and network open.
In the meeting, Gigi Sohn was asked again her stance on the Georgetown Partners proposal. Miss Sohn answered by stating:
1. The 5% set aside in her proposal was likely to create greater program diversity.
2. She would be open to a 20% set-aside proposal if entities other than Georgetown were able to compete for access to the capacity.
By the happenings at the FCC, it seems evident that consideration for the Georgetown Partners proposal is happening, and that some sort of spectrum control and/or surrender is a concession that is on the table for at least some of the FCC commissioners.
Position – Long Sirius, Long XM
Yawn!
How many times is the FCC going waster there time listening to the same stipulations over and over. Just approve this once and for all!
How is this affecting the DOJ? These issues logically are holding up the FCC,(whom wont rule til after the DOJ anyway) but what are the issues holding up the DOJ? I’m starting to think odds are starting to sway in the wrong direction over at DOJ. Are they split on a decision?
Georgetown Partners is just a greedy minority buisness wanting to get spectrum for free… And then they will turn around and sell it to the highest bidder… No different than the HD radio folks trying to force their overpriced tuners into sat gear (gee… if they werent charging 50$ US or so for the *license* per unit)…. Its competitive buisness… they should both be playing on their own merits and pay just like any other competitor to the market.
Public Knowledge 4 proposals seem vary reasonable to me. I do wonder how open Gigi would be to the 20% if the FCC wanted to use the 5% she wants set aside, to make up the 20% Georgetown Partners wants.
yes, the public knowledge proposals seem to be very fair and doable–I hope that whatever the fcc mandates sirius to set aside–that they state that sirius can lease or sell those–it shouldnt be a handout but a sale that still benefits sirius as they paid to get those
gary, I have a feeling the 5% that Public Knowledge wants would be a give away. The 20%(10 to 15 %) Georgetown wants would be sold to the highest bidder. Just my opinion, it just sounds like the fair thing to do.
john,
The public knowledge proposal still has Sirius and XM in full control of their spectrum. They simply have no editorial control of the content. This represents about 15 channels of commercial free informational and educational programming and would be available on all subscription plans.
the Georgetown Partners proposal is a creation of a new business. They want 20% (60 channels). They will offer typical radio programming which will be available for free to all satellite radio’s (even unactivated radios). Georgetown will “support” their business with advertising. In theory they will lease infrastructure (satellites, research and development, customer service, etc) from Sirius and XM. The problem is that we have no idea how much they are willing to pay for the lease, and this takes away the ability for Sirius and XM to take this path in the future (something they have already been exploring).
Tyler, I said what Pupic Knowledge wants would be a give away. It is basically what they did in Canada which was basically a giveaway. They control the spectrum but dont control what is put on it. They would not have done it to be charitable. They did it as you know to get it through. We can split hairs here but the fact of the matter is they wouldn’t advertise that 5% of programing and it doesn’t get them subcribers. I think it is safe to say they would consider that 5% wasted space as far as SIRI and XMSR are concerned.
In reference to what Georgetown wants, I did not want to sound like I thought it was fare, SIRI/XMSR had to sell/lease any of their spectrum. Instead I was saying that, if it had to be done to get FCC approval (to create competition in satilite). It would only be fare to sell/lease it to the highest bidder or for that matter any company SIRI and XMSR wanted. Not to let Georgetown just come in with whatever and that be that. I also dont think (just my opinion) they or anybody would get the 20% (unless SIRI/XMSR is willing) they are asking for. I think it would be some kind of compromise. If Goergetown really wanted 20% they would have asked for 25% or 30% to start with, that is why I put the (10 to 15 %) in.