The National Association of Broadcasters and the Consumers Union plan to issue a formal statement to the FCC urging that the agency reject the proposed satellite radio company merger. The groups say the merger would lead to higher prices, contrary to the companies' claims.

The National Association of Broadcasters and the Consumers Union plan to issue a formal statement to the FCC urging that the agency reject the proposed satellite radio company merger. The groups say the merger would lead to higher prices, contrary to the companies' claims.

The Federal Communications Commission is expected to hold a public hearing to discuss the pros and cons of the deal.

"Nothing would make the broadcast industry happier than to see this merger fail," Gigi Sohn, president of public interest advocacy group Public Knowledge told The Washington Post.

The marriage would pose a big problem for traditional broadcasters who have dominated local programming. Considering its pricing, tiered programming packages and channels dedicated to public interest the proposed satellite radio giant would provide much-needed competition to local stations, Sohn says.

"I do believe XM and Sirius do compete with over-the-air broadcasters, and that's only going to get more true as they roll out HD radio," Sohn says.

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