Post-merger, Sirius XM faces tricky landscape

Sirius XM Radio will face a host of challenges in navigating the new digital landscape. Over the long haul, the prospect of widespread broadband availability threatens to consign satellite carriers to technological redundancy, as it becomes easier for cell phones and other hand-held devices to stream music over the Internet. And in the near term, new rivals continue to emerge, the most recent being Apple's iPhone and its App Store, which offers a slew of free downloadable music applications, including one from streaming music site Pandora that's already a big hit. For the moment, Sirius XM can expect to retain a strong position in the all-important automotive market. But here, too, challenges await.