News

WorldSpace satellite radio attracts the attention of Liberty Media, part owner of Sirius XM

Published on Wednesday, November 04, 2009

John Malone’s Liberty Media is also a creditor of Sirius XM, thanks to a $530 million deal earlier this year that came at a critical time for Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin. It’s also a critical time for international satellite radio operator WorldSpace, which is in Chapter 11 and is struggling to pay its own bankruptcy advisors. Malone’s company is offering debtor-in-possession financing as “a potential bridge to a strategic transaction.” It’s hoping a Delaware bankruptcy judge will give his permission to enter into such an agreement, which might give it effective control of the company. WorldSpace has a functioning satellite system that covers many countries, but it has had difficulty generating cash from a subscription radio business model. RapidTVNews reports the interest by Malone, who hasn’t discussed his strategy or motivation.

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