Jesse Jackson is Against XM/Sirius Merger…
Jesse Jackson thinks that the XM/Sirius Merger will among other things, “eliminate opportunities for minorities to have a partnership in media ownership”. There are many reasons to want to oppose the XM/Sirius merger, claiming that it will eliminate opportunities for minorities is not a reason. I personally think most minorities would find his argument offensive. Jesse Jackson seems to be saying that if the government doesn’t step in and stop the merger, that minorities wont be innovative or successful enough on their own to compete with the new monopoly. I can think of two minorities right of the top of my head that are successful in the media world. Dick Parsons, (CEO of Time Warner) and Nate Davis (President of XM). XM and Sirius are not out to destroy minorities, they are trying to make money. You make money by providing a great service and if XM and Sirius believe that they can provide a better service as one company, then I think they should go for it. This would be a monopoly in the Satellite broadcasting space for cars and portable devices, but DirectTV, DISH, CellPhone, Shoutcast, iPod, and various other mediums, including AM, FM and HD radio that consumers can choose from. I think it is appropriate for the government to provide some oversight on the deal to ensure that the companies are interested in doing whats best for the consumer. In the end, this deal is about trying to make more money for Sirius and XM and providing a better experience for the consumer. It has nothing to do with trying to screw minorities.
Just look at the executive leadership at XM:
Nate Davis, President and Interim CEO
From Radio Ink Article:Jackson continued, “I urge this commission to view this proposed transaction — as it is currently structured — not in the public interest. It will eliminate diversity of content and meaningful opportunities for minority partnership in media ownership. This cannot happen. This commission must uphold the statutes and regulations that promote content diversity and opportunities for media ownership by minorities.”