Yesterday on CNET News.com, my colleague Richard Derfendorf wrote about the impending decision on the part of the FCC to either allow or deny the merger between XM radio and Sirius Satellite radio.
According to Derfendorf, the FCC is "inching closer" to making a decision on the deal and does not look "as daunting" as it once did. He went on to explain that some analysts believe the long wait (a little over 400 days) is actually working in the satellite companies' favor.
And while all that may be true, there's something going on behind the scenes that shouldn't be overlooked. The fact that XM and Sirius were forced to wait this long to finally receive a decision is both ridiculous and just plain wrong.
Unfortunately, you can bet ClearChannel Radio and other terrestrial monsters have something do with it.
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Dear Jerry,
Whew, things aren't going so well lately, huh? First, the company you founded and love was being pushed into turmoil by some executives, like your old buddy Semel, who had no idea how to run an organization. And then, to add insult to injury, you found a company that was marked with issues, like over-spending and too many acquisitions that caused your beloved organization to become a bloated mess.
But then, you took over and promised your shareholders and employees a new culture and a new Yahoo that would change the Internet and adapt far better to the changing needs of your customer base.
And while you succeeded in reducing expenditures and changed the culture of Yahoo by putting it on the right track with an open source initiative with your mobile products and a vastly improved home page, something much larger than even you came along and spoiled your party. And it's that organization -- Microsoft -- that will lead to your downfall unless you realize that not even you can save the company you founded.
It's time to move over, buddy.
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In a move that came as a surprise to no one expect those living under a rock, Microsoft bid $44.6 billion for Yahoo.
According to Steve Ballmer, "Today, the market is increasingly dominated by one player who is consolidating its dominance through acquisition. Together, Microsoft and Yahoo! can offer a credible alternative for consumers, advertisers, and publishers."
And while Ballmer stopped short of mentioning Google by name, this one statement highlights an important element of Microsoft's strategy. As I've mentioned before, Ballmer and company are focused on Google more than any other company and this deal with Yahoo may finally give it the leverage the company needs to capture greater influence online.
But I digress. Today, the real story surrounding the possible Yahoo acquisition has nothing to do with Google at all. Instead, today's announcement surrounds the absolute need for Yahoo to accept this acquisition to save itself.
Of course, the only problem is, nobody knows if it will.
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