Washington - The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday announced its intention to investigate the proposed $2.5 billion merger of concert promoter Live Nation and Ticketmaster Entertainment, the Associated Press reports. [more..]

Washington - Unlikely to find a way to repay its looming debts, satellite radio provider Sirius XM has hired advisors to help it prepare for a possible bankruptcy filing, The New York Times reported. [more..]

San Francisco - Apple is expected to introduce a $99 iPhone this summer, in addition to an upgraded iPhone 3G model, according to a report from RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky, CNET News.com reported. [more..]

Washington - Nearly 500 U.S. TV stations plan to turn off their analog signals and begin broadcasting exclusively in digital on Feb. 17, rather than wait until the delayed June 12 date that was approved by Congress, according to a notice from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). [more..]

Los Angeles - Dallas Mavericks owner and entrepreneur Mark Cuban has launched an "Open Source Funding" experiment via his blog, billing it as an economic stimulus plan that "hopefully could inspire people to create businesses that could quickly become self funding." [more..]

New York - Mobile TV viewership will rise to over 500 million by 2013, fueled by the switchover to digital TV broadcasting in the U.S. and other major markets, according to a report from market research firm ABI Research. [more..]

Dallas - Video rental giant Blockbuster announced on Wednesday that it will introduce online video game rentals through the mail, making them part of its Blockbuster Total Access online DVD subscription service. [more..]

Amsterdam - Worldwide mobile phone connections have topped 4 billion, and are expected to reach 6 billion by 2013, according to a report from the GSMA, a mobile industry trade group. [more..]

New York - Outbrain, a provider of personalized recommendations of blogs and other published online content, announced on Wednesday that it has raised $12 million in its second round of funding, led by Carmel Ventures. [more..]

Los Angeles - A bill drafted by disbarred Florida attorney Jack Thompson, that would make retailers who sell M-rated video games to minors punishable under the state's truth in advertising statute, has been introduced into the Utah legislature, GamePolitics reported. [more..]

New York - Author John Grisham is close to signing a deal with publisher Random House that would make all 22 of his novels available in all current e-book formats, The Wall Street Journal reported. [more..]

Seattle - RealNetworks announced on Wednesday that it Verizon Wireless has chosen the company's technology to power its V CAST Video service. [more..]

Redwood City, Calif. - Electronic Arts announced on Wednesday that it will release a range of video games based on the forthcoming Paramount Pictures film, "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra." [more..]

Los Angeles - FirstString on Wednesday announced the launch of its online social network for high school athletes. [more..]