Was there ever a more obvious instance of a monopoly than the merger of XM and Sirius, the two providers of satellite radio services? It's no surprise, of course, that yesterday the Bush administration Justice Department approved the deal, which will affect 17 million listeners. The upside will be that consumers won't have to purchase two separate subscription services to listen to their favorite shows; currently, for example, if you want to listen to Snoop Dogg, you have to buy XM, while NPR is available only on Sirius. The downside is that the merger runs the risk of fostering the same homogenization in satellite radio that Clear Channel has brought to FM radio, though admittedly, XM and Sirius are much more committed to musical diversity and independence than Clear Channel ever was, as a company with deep ties to conservative politics. The FCC could still block the deal, and commissioners have said they're undecided. So stay tuned. --Dana Goldstein
