I have been a subscriber of Sirius Satellite Radio for 3 1/2 years now, and personally, I love it. My choice between Sirius and XM was basically made for me since the radio in my car came capable of receiving Sirius. Even when I compared the two later, I felt I had ended up with the right one. From what I could tell, both had the same basic selection when it came to music genre specific stations. For sports, both the NFL and the NBA chose Sirius leaving MLB and NHL for XM. Also, where XM became the first mover in satellite radio, Sirius went after more name talent. XM remained bigger, but Sirius was fast in catching up.

Recently, though, I have seen additional features associated with XM Satellite Radio, such as updates to GPS devices showing traffic conditions and weather. I thought these were very useful, and I saw no indication from Sirius to add the same type of features. I started wondering if I would consider changing for some of these new features, or if I would remain with Sirius if this question ever came up.

Well, it appears my decision has once again been made for me, this time without the situation even presenting itself. It has just been announced today that the Justice Department has approved Sirius’s $5 million buyout of XM. This has been under review for over a year now. This does not mean it will happen. The FCC still has to make their decision, but this is a big step towards the two becoming one. There is still no indication of what this means for the consumer. For that, we will just have to wait and see.