XM-Sirius Merger Nears Completion, Pending FCC Decision

One year after announcing a plan to join forces, former satellite radio competitors XM and Sirius moved one step closer to merging companies after getting approval from the U.S. Justice Department. The Dept. of Justice decided in a ruling that the merger was not "anti-competitive," as the two companies face competition from Clear Channel and Apple's iTunes software. Both companies struggled when competing against each other, with Sirius acquiring shock jock Howard Stern and the NFL while XM boasted Oprah Winfrey and Major League Baseball. Both companies plan to bump up their monthly price following the merge, but will likely also offer an "a la carte" option, allowing consumers to choose specific combinations of channels for a discounted rate. The final step in the merger, and perhaps the most difficult, is getting the approval from Howard Stern's old nemesis, the FCC.

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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