Washington - Jan 17, 2007 - Kevin Martin, the chairman of the FCC, commented that the two satellite radio companies, Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio, would not be approved for a merger within the current regulatory rules. Martin noted that a ban on a single owner for both satellite services was written into the regulations that authorized the two nationwide licenses in the first place.

The top execs of the two companies, Mel Karmazin of Sirius and Gary Parsons of XM, have speculated about a possible merger of the two rivals. Stock prices for the two companies jumped when that announcement was made. The stock prices have since declined.