Justice Dept. OKs merger of XM, Sirius; now it's up to FCC

The Justice Department gave its OK on Monday to a deal that would put Howard Stern and Oprah Winfrey under the same satellite radio company roof. Antitrust officials said that they saw no reason to block or put conditions on Sirius' acquisition of XM, leaving consumers with a single satellite radio provider. "We determined that we did not have evidence to support a challenge," says Thomas Barnett, who heads the antitrust division. (AP, Financial Times, PR)

XM Satellite resolves lawsuit with Sony BMG

XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc said on Friday it has resolved a lawsuit brought by Sony BMG over Pioneer Inno, a portable satellite radio with advanced recording features. In a statement, XM said Sony BMG Music Entertainment has withdrawn as a party to the complaint filed by major record companies against XM in May 2006. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. (Reuters)