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It is getting tough to tell who’s side is whose in the terrestrial vs extra terrestrial battle going on as all consider the merger of XM and Sirius radio.  Some, like the Department of Justice, see no problems.  Others like two lawmakers who on Friday announced we should take a good, long, hard look at the damage a satellite radio merger might reap and how they should protect us.

The FCC will make the final call and it is expected that ruling won’t come until the summer.  Lawmakers seized the opportunity to run up the fear flag:

“It would be contrary to the public interest, for example, to permit the merged company to bar HD radio chips or iPod compatibility from inclusion in a manufacturer’s satellite radio device,” they wrote. -Reps. John Dingell (Mich.) and Ed Markey (Mass.)

As you can probably tell, I am against the government mandating an HD chip or iPod compatibility.  Those are great ideas and I’d love to see them in products, but not at the hands of Washington requiring it.  The market should be willing to pay for these options and we should rely on the market calling the shots; not the fear mongers in DC.

They think they have a touch choice here huh?  Wait till internet radio gets into my car.  HA!

Read [InternetNews]