POLL FINDS SATCASTER A LA CARTE APPETIZING...

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Satellite radio has returned the anti-merger PR volleys lobbed by the NAB by publicizing a study that showed over 70% of those polled endorsing the a la carte offerings proposed by Sirius and XM. The satcasters commissioned the phone survey, conducted by the Virginia-based Public Opinion Strategies, LLC.

Among the results:

• 77% endorsed the $6.99-priced "a la carte" offering, where listeners choose the individual channels they want to receive. Voters were told that these a la carte offerings would be available on newly equipped radios.

• 72% also liked a $14.99 a la carte package, where consumers would select channels from a pool that includes the channels on one service plus popular selections from other.

• 70% reacted positively to a fixed "best of both" package, featuring channels on one service plus the most popular channels on the other, for $16.99 per month.

• 62% gave the thumbs-up to mostly music and separate mostly news, sport and talk packages at $9.99 per month.

• 56% percent thought the $11.99 and $14.99 "family-friendly" packages were a good thing, compared to 29% who didn't.

Furthermore, the approval was similar, if not equal, between Democratic voters and Republicans. That translated into a 57%-28% approval for the proposed Sirius to XM merger, with a 58%-31% plurality stating that AM and FM stations oppose the merger because the combined satcaster will be a stronger competitor to terrestrial radio.

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