MAKING IT IN AMERICA: The growing orbit of influence.

The potential merger between US radio's two satellite giants could revolutionise the sector in the States, and offer UK acts new inroads across the whole of America in one fell swoop

by Jim Larkin

Radio in the US has always been a sector of great complexity, particularly to those looking in from outside and with ambitions to break into the market which was the birthplace of rock'n'roll.

The past decade has also seen radical changes, driven not least by the payola investigations driven by Elliott Spitzer. Another significant shift has been the rise of satellite radio - a sector which itself moved to the edge of revolution last week.

The US is dominated by just two satellite radio operators, XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio - and last week they announced an agreement to merge.

In a country where almost all media operates locally, XM and Sirius together run more than 300 radio stations broadcast right across the country and playing a range of music far greater than that found on traditional analogue services.

A merger would, arguably, make the combined company the most important commercial radio business on earth.