Sirius XM Holdings Inc (SIRI)

[John266]

Sirius is more star than dog
There was a double shot of positive news from Sirius XM Radio (Nasdaq: SIRI) this week. The first piece of good news is that the company was able to swap equity for $6 million in debt due to be repaid next month. That may not seem like much, but the fact that Sirius keeps paying down its massive debt load, and talking creditors into becoming investors, will go a long way toward battling bankruptcy concerns.

The other upbeat item is that the company finally introduced its first interoperable radio yesterday. Putting out a radio that can receive both Sirius and XM is an original concession that regulators required for winning merger approval, but the move will also help the satellite radio operator.

When the receivers hit retailers early in the springtime, consumer electronics chains and department stores will be able to promote something truly new -- a product that doesn't involve educating the buyer until a decision is made between the competing platforms. It should also work wonders for the conversion rates at the auto-dealer level, once interoperable car receivers give drivers a seamless choice.