MISC

After nearly a year and a half of regulatory debate, the Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio merger was finally approved. Sirius XM says the new company will embrace an “a la carte” programming strategy, (Kevin Martin’s long enduring dream for the cable industry), allowing consumers to mix and match which channels they like instead of forcing them to pay for shows they’re not interested in. The company will be based in New York with Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin serving as CEO and XM Chairman Gary Parsons taking the role of Chairman. (Cynopsis 7/30)