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Fritts Decries XM Wireless Acquisition

Fritts Decries XM Wireless Acquisition

The news that XM plans to acquire a wireless company – one that has 10 MHz spectrum licenses in the top markets in the country – doesn’t sit well with NAB.
In a letter to lawmakers, association President/CEO Eddie Fritts said the satellite radio companies have consistently tried to expand into localized programming using a “longstanding pattern of deception.”
As reported here earlier, XM plans to acquire the assets of WCS Wireless in exchange for 5.5 million shares of XM stock.
Fritts urged lawmakers to support a bill previously introduced by Reps. Chip Pickering, R-Miss. and Gene Green, D-Texas, that would spell out that satellite radio is licensed to provide national programming only and preclude the companies from inserting local content onto terrestrial repeaters, or using future technologies such as the wireless spectrum for localized content.
Sixty-five members of Congress have signed onto H.R. 998, Fritts stated.

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