Both companies have defended the possible merger as a venture that will benefit consumers, promising compatibility with existing radios and more flexible pricing and programming choices, including a delicious a la carte option. We break down the post-merger choices for you after the break.

Though XM and Sirius both proudly announced that current equipment will be compatible with both services, they’ve never explicitly said they were capable of receiving all programming from both services. As it turns out, Sirius subscribers will be able to add-on approximately 10 “select” XM channels for a total $16.99 per month (up from the current $12.95 monthly), and vice-versa for current XM subscribers. There will be a number of new packages offered, themed for Family, Sports, Talk, etc. In addition, a la carte packages where subscribers can choose 50 or 100 stations from either service will be offered for as little as $6.99 monthly. Here’s the full list of post-merger:

- View the XM channel lineup after the merger.
- View the Sirius channel lineup after the merger.

The major bum-out for current subscribers: those alluring a la carte packages will only work with a new line of radio units sold after the merger. If current subscribers want to get additional programming on their existing radios, they will be limited to the “Everything plus Select” 10-more-channels option.

Click here to view the embedded video.

You can listen to the entire performance here.

Daytrotter has worked itself into being a required stop for bands to get into their studios and record live music sessions. Artists ranging from Death Cab For Cutie to Vampire Weekend have all stopped by the site’s studios and recorded tracks for the site to give out to its wide audience.

Like Daytrotter, XPN has built up a solid reputation as one of the best AAA-formated radio stations in the country. The Philly-based station is known for taking risks (see their merger with y-rock a few years back) and “Daytrotter Radio” will probably be no different.

“Daytrotter Radio” will debut on Wednesday, May 7th at 10:30pm on WXPN. The half-hour show will be hosted by the ‘Trotter’s founder Sean Moeller. The show will feature music from the website’s vast recording sessions and be transmitted on XPN’s terrestrial airwaves as well as their three websites – www.xpn.org, www.yrockonxpn.org, and www.xponentialmusic.org. The show will also be available for download at www.daytrotter.com.

You can read the official press release after the jump.

PHILADELPHIA Pa., May 6, 2008- WXPN (http://www.xpn.org), the nationally-recognized leader in Triple A (Album Adult Alternative) music and a noncommercial radio service of the University of Pennsylvania today announced a partnership to create a weekly radio show with Daytrotter, a critically acclaimed art and music website based in Rock Island, Illinois. The new show, “Daytrotter Radio,” will premier May 7th at 10:30pm on WXPN and will be hosted by Daytrotter founder Sean Moeller.

“Daytrotter Radio” is a weekly 30 minute program featuring the unique recording sessions that have made Daytrotter.com one of the most popular online music destinations. In addition to broadcasting on WXPN throughout the Delaware Valley and Central PA, the radio show will be available via online streaming at the station’s three websites (XPN.org, YRockOnXPN.org, and XPoNentialMusic.org) and will also be available for download at Daytrotter.com.

“Daytrotter has an excellent reputation for providing music fans with these very cool and unique performances by some of the best well-known and up and coming indie bands,” stated Bruce Warren, WXPN Assistant GM for Programming. “We’re excited to be able to make these Daytrotter sessions easily accessible to the XPN and Y-Rock On XPN listeners on some new media platforms.”

“All of us — that’s read as all four of us — here at Daytrotter headquarters spend considerable time listening to David Dye’s World Cafe program, remarking on how our adopted friends in White Rabbits or Langhorne Slim sound as they’re getting interviewed by the man,” said Sean Moeller, founder of Daytrotter. “We’ve got tremendous respect for what WXPN does for musicians and we’re thrilled to be able to share some of their air, bringing our unique analog recordings to a bigger audience.”

ABOUT Daytrotter
Daytrotter was launched in 2006 by music critic Sean Moeller as a music website based in Rock Island, Illinois. Moeller’s idea was simple and unique in that he planned to post “Daytrotter Sessions,” which are bands coming into the studio, recording original songs and then posting them on the website for free. Moeller shared this idea with music engineer Patrick Stolley, web developer Mark Hurty, and a few of his favorite illustrators. On March 23, 2006, Moeller posted the first Daytrotter Session with the indie band Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin.

Today, the Daytrotter Sessions have become a venerable part of the independent music scene. At Futureappletree Studios, home of the Daytrotter Sessions, the musicians record four exclusive songs on quarter inch tape. Moeller posts the songs twice a week on www.daytrotter.com. The music is complemented with original artwork, interviews, and features with musicians on the vanguard of the music scene.

ABOUT WXPN
WXPN, the nationally recognized leader in Triple A radio and the premier guide for discovering new and significant artists in rock, blues, roots, and folk, is the non-commercial, member-supported radio service of the University of Pennsylvania. WXPN produces World Cafe®, public radio’s most popular program of popular music hosted by David Dye and syndicated by NPR, and the Peabody Award winning Kids Corner hosted by Kathy O’Connell. WXPN also produces the alternative rock service, Y-Rock On XPN (yrockonxpn.org) as its secondary radio channel in HD. WXPN serves the greater Philadelphia area at 88.5 FM, the Lehigh Valley at 104.9, Worton/Baltimore at 90.5 FM, Lancaster/York at 88.7 FM, Harrisburg at 99.7 FM, and the world via online streaming at XPN.org and XPoNentialMusic.org.

But don’t expect to be tuning into a wonderland of XM-Sirius goodness any time soon though, as the FCC still needs to sign off before this is final – and they’ve been the slowest decision makers of all. Hopefully this won’t drag out for another year, but with the National Association of Broadcasters still fighting valiantly against the merger, who knows…

If you’re the type who likes to read big words, here’s what the D to the O to the J had to say:

After a careful and thorough review of the proposed transaction, the Division concluded that the evidence does not demonstrate that the proposed merger of XM and Sirius is likely to substantially lessen competition, and that the transaction therefore is not likely to harm consumers. The Division reached this conclusion because the evidence did not show that the merger would enable the parties to profitably increase prices to satellite radio customers for several reasons, including: a lack of competition between the parties in important segments even without the merger; the competitive alternative services available to consumers; technological change that is expected to make those alternatives increasingly attractive over time; and efficiencies likely to flow from the transaction that could benefit consumers.

You can read the Department’s official release and analysis here.

Considering that the New York rock experience has, for the last decade or so, consisted of Lenny Kravitz, Foo Fighters, Green Day and Nirvana, we weren’t expecting much. However, the station’s website showed their first hour of music, and for the most part, it’s pretty impressive. For a market that’s been a lot more likely to play Velvet Revolver than the Velvet Underground, it was both risky and exhilarating to have heard Lou Reed’s voice emanating out of the Syn stereo. Then to follow up it up with R.E.M.’s “Supernatural Suerserious,” a song that isn’t even out yet, was a nice one-two combo to start off a new station. Here’s the rest of the first hour, which, with the exception of Nickelback, we’re pretty ok with.

The Velvet Underground – Rock And Roll
R.E.M – Supernatural Suerserious
Elvis Costello – Pump It Up
Tom Petty – Mary Jane’s Last Dance
Blondie – Call Me
The Bravery – Believe
Bruce Springsteen – Blinded By The Light
The Flaming Lips – Do You Realize
U2 – Angel Of Harlem
Nickelback – Rockstar
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Zephyr Song
The Black Crowes – Hard To Handle
The Killers – Somebody Told Me

SoundExchage’s push was heavily objected to by many internet radio statons big and small. Now that the higer royalty fees are in place the burdon is getting too big for many to handle, forcing many online entities to shut down shop.

However, no one expected this “death blow” to be as far reaching as two major internet players. Both AOL and YAHOO! have announced that if revenues for their internet stations did not get better, they would be shutting down operation of those areas of their business.

So question…Is SoundExchange, which is intended to operate in the best interest of their artist clients too aggressive to get royalties and not operating in their clients best interest? For if they manage to shut down two of the largest sites out there? Are they cutting off an entire revenue stream for their clients even if at a lower royalty rate?