From satellite to Internet?

Last year at about this time, we opined that the Federal Communications Commission decision to give the green light for an XM and Sirius satellite radio merger was a “Sirius” mistake.

We’ve seen nothing to change that opinion – and we’ve observed anything but the “lower prices and more choice” that Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin claimed the merger would bring. He called it a “no-brainer."

“Hair-brained” is more like it.

As I attempted yesterday to access XM on-line, which had been available in the past as a bonus to XM subscribers, I was told that it is, indeed, still available, but as a $2.99 per month add-on to the satellite fee.

Even more disappointing than the growing fees is the collective amnesia that has swept XM and Sirius officials regarding “a la carte services,” where customers would pay only for those channels they want. It’s a service that’s long overdue for both satellite radio and cable television. The technology is there, but the corporate will to offer it seems to have vanished – if it was really ever there in the first place.

Corporate desire to maximize profits is not a bad thing. The real culprits here are the mutton-headed bureaucrats at the FCC – and in Congress – who don’t seem to have a clue about how a monopoly preys on consumers, but eventually comes home to roost. We had hoped that Liberty Media's bailout of Sirius-XM last winter might provide some impetus for business practices that would revitalize satellite radio. It appears we were wrong.

Look for continuing problems in the satellite radio business.

In the meantime, I’ll continue to spend more time with a few good local broadcasters – and their advertisers.

Oh, yes, today I also test drove a couple of Internet Radios – interesting gizmos that may have a real impact on all broadcasters, but especially the Sirius-XM monopoly.

Like I said, look for more tough times for the satellite radio folks.

Have we forgotten V-J Day?

V-J Day came and went this year with little fanfare. Perhaps our expectation of finding a story about it tucked below the fold in the world news section of the newspaper – or included as a feature on the evening news – was unrealistic. Time has a way of blurring our memories, and media preoccupation with celebrities and reliving Woodstock only contributes to our collective amnesia about things that really matter.

Too, most people simply don’t remember anything about Victory over Japan Day. Either they were not yet born or too young to recall that historic day, August 14, 1945. It marked the end to one of the bloodiest wars the world has ever known. More than 405,000 Americans were killed and another 671,000 were wounded.

The country rejoiced at the ending of the war. Famed photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt captured a spontaneous eruption of joy when a sailor kissed a young nurse in Times Square. That famous full-page photograph, which appeared in Life magazine the following week, was the inspiration for a huge sculpture (shown here) near the USS Midway Museum in San Diego.

It’s appropriate that we pay homage to those who served in World War II.

We were particularly pleased earlier this year to learn about Honor Flight, a non-profit organization created solely to honor America’s veterans for all their sacrifices. They transport veterans to Washington, D.C. to “visit and reflect at their memorials.” We’re proud of these war veterans, and proud, too, of those who’ve led the charge to honor the veterans.

Friend and former colleague Larry Rohrer at South Dakota Public Broadcasting in Vermillion is among the South Dakotans leading this effort. We thank them all for what they do.

Started in Ohio in 2005, Honor Flight has transported more than 17,000 veterans from all over the country to Washington, D.C. to see their memorials; for 2009, Honor Flight has a lofty goal of transporting some 25,000 men and women on that pilgrimage. With more than one thousand World War II veterans dying each day, it is a priority to fly survivors of that war to the District of Columbia so they can visit the WW II Memorial. It is a fitting tribute for veterans who served their country during a very dangerous and difficult time for our country.

The World War Two Memorial was dedicated in May of 2004. We were living in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, on the outskirts of Harrisburg. It was just three months later -- in August of 2004 -- that we had the great honor of escorting one of our heroes, Guy Davidson, and his wife Marion, down to D.C. to visit the newly-opened memorial.

Good friends Bill and Joan Smith accompanied us on the day trip, and it was a truly moving experience. How fortunate that we have a few photo memories of that special outing!

We first came to know Guy and Marion through workshops at our church in Hummelstown. A retired Pennsylvania rural mail carrier, Guy Davidson is like so many WWII veterans: he seldom ever talks about his wartime experiences as a gunner on a half-track that landed in France after D-Day. His 2nd Armored “Hell on Wheels” division eventually ended up in Berlin via the Battle of Bulge. Guy would sometimes talk about it – but only if asked. He has never considered himself a hero, just a soldier doing his job. Such was the demeanor of so many veterans who were fortunate enough to come home from World War Two.

Now well along in years and afflicted with several health issues, Guy and Marion continue to live quietly and humbly in their small neighborhood on the south edge of Hummelstown. Clearly, they are no longer able to travel, so it gives us pleasure to know that we had a small part in helping Guy visit the memorial that paid tribute to him and other of the “Greatest Generation.”

Thank you, Guy Davidson, and all your fellow veterans for your sacrifices for the United States of America.

More bad news for Lee

This has not been a good year for Lee Enterprises. That’s the company that owns the Rapid City Journal, Chadron (NE) Record, and the Hot Springs (SD) Star, among many others. Their most visible property is the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Lee this week (7/30/09) reported a loss of $24.5 million during the last fiscal quarter. Its advertising is off more than 24% from last year, and circulation is down by more than six percent.

The company is based in Davenport, Iowa.

In earlier postings about Lee, we noted that they were going through many of the same kinds of problems being encountered by virtually all of the newspaper industry. There were layoffs at many of their properties in Wyoming, South Dakota and Montana.

We paid $2.00 for a Wall Street Journal yesterday and observed that USA Today, the Gannett property started by South Dakotan Al Neuharth, now goes for $1.00 a copy. These hefty newsstand prices do little to offset the record losses being endured by papers across the country.

Leveraging new acquisitions on the backs of papers that are doing well has been a common woe among several big newspaper chains – including Lee Enterprises. It’s something of a “local” chain, and we’re sorry they’ve fallen victim to this trend.

We love newspapers and hope Lee is able to fend off its own demise. But the prognosis is not good.