Opinion: But where does the Holy See stand?

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I wrote an Opinion Daily column last month about the lobbying surrounding the proposed XM-Sirius merger, and what motivates some interest groups that are, well, less than household names to weigh in -- mainly on the pro-merger side. In a nutshell, many groups throw in their 2 cents because they want to be seen as having influence, both by their constituents and by the Washington establishment.

The lobbying on this issue took a bizarre twist today, when none other than the Catholic Archbishop of New York, His Eminence Edward Cardinal Egan, threw his support behind the merger in an op-ed in the New York Post. The church is an interested observer here; it has channel on Sirius called, innovatively, ‘The Catholic Channel.’ According to Egan, the merger is ‘an unmatched opportunity to strengthen this new medium and position satellite radio to compete with the ever-growing list of audio entertainment providers.’ In addition, he wrote, the companies have promised to offer ‘more choice at lower prices’ post-merger, along with the ability to block and not pay for channels with offensive content.

Say what you will about Cardinal Egan’s grasp of communications regulation or antitrust law, but he certainly knows how to deliver the talking points.