The deal-that-never-wants-to-go-through is finally through: Late today, the FCC finally approved Sirius' (SIRI) $3.6 billion merger with rival satellite radio operator XM (XMSR).
An embarrassment for the FCC, which took way too long to give the deal the thumbs-up. And no guarantee for success: Not only is subscriber growth slowing, but the vast majority of new satellite radio "subscribers" just happen to be buying a new car -- and get stuck with a built-in radio and free service. There's no guarantee they'll keep it once it starts costing money, and they're getting more competing services every day -- like the awesome, free radio apps on Apple's (AAPL) iPhone.
See Also:
What Happens To XM And Sirius After A Merger? Not Much, And That's A Problem
XM Still Growing Ahead Of Sirius Merger, But Slower
FCC Staff Signs Off On XM, Sirius; Satellite Still Screwed
