Georgetown Partners Meets With Media Access And Public Knowledge

May 14, 2008 (10:53 am) By Spencer Osborne

In a new twist in the proposed merger between Sirius and XM, Georgetown Partners seems to have shifted a bit from their stance that has remained steadfastly the same through over thirty meetings with the FCC. For the first time, Georgetown has stepped into an arena of defining at least some of the type of programming they will offer. Up until this point Georgetown has only promised that their programming would be “Family Friendly Programming That Meets FCC Decency Standards”. While that sounds noble, it is actually quite broad. The fact of the matter is that every program on terrestrial radio today is “Family Friendly Programming That Meets FCC Decency Standards”.

Georgetown Partners (GP) has committed to Media Access Project (MAP) and Public Knowledge (PK) that if the (Georgetown Partners), were to become an independent lessee, and the proposals of MAP and PK were also accepted that GP would work with the two organizations to achieve their stated goals.

Further, Georgetown Partners has committed to the expenses for getting the qualified programming encoded and transmitted to the merged company for broadcast.

Georgetown is still standing fast that they want 20% of the spectrum to be theirs to control. Anything concession dealing with the goals of MAP and PK would be above and beyond what they are seeking. Basically, what we have is an identical demand to what has transpired in the past, but now that GP is willing to work with and facilitate concessions that MAP of PK are able to obtain. It would appear that this may be an effort to gain support for their proposal by absorbing some public access type programming that is commercial free. The question is why MAP and PK would add a step to the process rather than working directly with Sirius and XM.

Clearly, the filings being received by the FCC now are getting down to the nitty gritty. In my opinion, Georgetown would not have brought this to the table if they felt they would get what they are seeking. Perhaps there has been push-back from some of the FCC commissioners on the GP proposal.

We have tried to contact Georgetown Partners dozens of times to discuss their proposals and stances. Company spokesman have never taken a call, and never returned a call.

Georgetown Partners FCC Filing

Position – Long Sirius, XM.

regan says:

May 14, 2008 at 11:04 am

Getting down to the nitty gritty?

I don’t think so. From the “merger is imminent” 6 months ago…to now “getting down to the nitty gritty”….

I DONT BELIEVE ONE WORD OR RUMOR OR ANYTHING about this merger. I refuse to for ONE SECOND let myself have ANY hope.

In my mind this thing will go on INDEFINITELY. It’s what the NAB and FCC want. To delay forever…or until sirius and xm either give up or go out of business.

Mark my words. If sirius and xm don’t walk away…this could go till the end of the year.

Sounds absurd? Well…so is the fact that after 15 months and countless predictions that the “MERGER IS IMMINENT”…NOTHING HAS HAPPENED!!!!

Newman says:

May 14, 2008 at 11:26 am

Tyler, I don’t think I am seeing what you are seeing.

I see that GP wants their own 20%, in addition to MAP/PK getting their 5%, so now GP is asking for 25%, and in exchange, GP is willing to translate and encode the MAP/PK portion and submit it to Sirius/XM, along with their own broadcasting.

But I do agree with you that it sounds like GP is perhaps feeling a little desperate. As you said, perhaps he is getting some resistance from the commission, and he is using this to show how good of a guy he is to absorb all of that cost for the non-profits. How sweet of him.

This is the first time he has waivered, and he sounds scared. This is a good sign for anyone who is NOT a race-card playing millionaire.