What Condition Is Your Condition In???

Tuesday, July, 29, 2008 by Mel Phillips.

Most of the conditions implemented in the XM-Sirius merger were predictable and had been written about for the almost year and a half of the proposal’s life but there were a couple of pleasant surprises also…

Cap prices for a minimum of 36 months, a la carte programming choices, room for noncommercial educational channels and “certain qualified entities” were not surprises.  Interoperable receivers for automobiles or homes (within 9 months) fall into the same category, ditto the barring of exclusive agreements with equipment manufacturers.  Now for the surprises…

Being a sports fan, I love this one:  “The Commission prohibits the merged entity (XM-Sirius) from entering into agreements that would bar any terrestrial radio station from broadcasting live sporting events.  XM-Sirius may have exclusive rights to MLB and the NFL but if your friendly, local station wants to carry your friendly, local team - Hallefreakinluyah - they can.  Love it!!!

Here’s another surprise - “providing Sirius satellite service to Puerto Rico via terrestrial repeaters within 3 months of the consummation of the merger.”  The FCC just mentions “Sirius” in that proviso.  I wonder why?  And why Puerto Rico?  Why not Guam or some other island?  Maybe the consenting commissioners like Sirius programming and have a home there.  You can get all the FCC conditions attached to the merger by clicking:  www.fcc.gov …

10 Timeline Memories: 

1. 1957] Paar for the course: Jack Paar becomes the new host of the “Tonight Show“. Paar will host until 1962 and the arrival of Johnny Carson…
2. 1966] Rock and Roll Wreck: Bob Dylan crashes his motorcycle near his home in Woodstock, breaking his neck. He remains in critical condition for a week. When he recovers he becomes a recluse for months…
3. 1974] “Happy Trails“: Mama Cass Elliot dies from heart failure in London at the age of 32 (reports that circulated for years about her choking on a ham sandwich were bogus according to the coroner).  2007]  Former late night TV host Tom Snyder  dies at 71 from complications of leukemia…
4. 1981] Royal Wedding Bells: England’s Prince Charles, 32 and Lady Diana Spencer, 20, tie the royal knot at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London (the royals will divorce in 1996)…
5. 1987] Life is just a bowl of cherries: Ben & Jerry  introduce a new flavor in honor of the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia: “Cherry Garcia“, still their #1 best-selling flavor. Many assume that they created the flavor after Garcia died…not true…
6. 1989] “Worst Trade“: Texas Rangers’ owner George W. Bush  makes what he describes as his “worst trade“: Sammy Sosa  and 2 lesser players for Harold Baines (a pretty good hitter) and the immortal Fred Manrique. Sosa will only hit about 400 home runs after the trade. (Best butchering of Sosa’s name was made by Teddy Kennedy who called him “Sammy Sowsa” and then corrected it to “Sammy Soosa“)…
7. 1993] Ivan the Free: The Israeli Supreme Court acquits retired Ohio autoworker John (”Ivan the terrible”) Demjanjuk as a Nazi death camp guard…
8. 1998] Right you are: Miramax buys the rights to the Beatles film, “A Hard Day’s Night“…
9. 1999] Blood Bath: Day trader Mark Barton opens fire in 2 Atlanta brokerage offices, killing 9 and wounding 13. He then turns the gun on himself. Earlier in the day he had killed his wife and 2 children…
10. 2003] Two Salami’s, no waiting: Bill Mueller of the Red Sox becomes the 1st player in major league history to hit grand slams from both sides of the plate in a single game which the Sawx win 14-7 over Texas…

Music Memories:

• 1959] Recorded on this date: “Shout” - Isley Brothers…
• 1961] On the road again: Dick Clark premieres his “Dick Clark Caravan of Stars” at Atlantic City’s Steel Pier. The show goes on the road with Chubby Checker, Duane Eddy, Bo Diddley and others and becomes a summer staple…
• 1978] Released on this date: 1978] “Whenever I Call You Friend” -Kenny Loggins/Stevie Nicks…

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday“:

Martina McBride (42),Patti Scialfa Springsteen (52), Ken Burns (55), Gary Busey (64), Sen. Elizabeth Dole (72) and Robert Horton (84)…

Timeline Countdown: 4 days until NFL HOF induction and 10 days until the Summer Olympics…

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