Washington - Satellite radio providers XM (NASD: XMSR) and Sirius (NASD: SIRI), which are awaiting federal regulators' approval of their proposed $13 merger, on Thursday announced additional support for the deal from Reps. Joe Baca (D-Calif.), Bob Filner (D-Calif.) and Connie Mack (R-Fla.), along with General Motors (NYSE: GM) and several on-air personalities. Among the talent voicing support for the deal were Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions, Wynton Marsalis, Cal Ripken Jr. and Barry Switzer.

Washington - XM Satellite Radio, the provider of satellite radio services now attempting to merge with rival Sirius, said on Thursday that its radios will for the first time become a standard feature on all General Motors 2008 Buick, Hummer and Saab vehicles. The special radios already are standard across many of the most popular vehicles in the Saturn, Chevrolet, GMC and Pontiac lineups. GM was the first automaker to offer satellite radio as a factory-installed feature when it introduced XM on Cadillac models in 2001, and has since produced more than six million vehicles with XM. Each of the new vehicles will offer a free three-month trial subscription.

Washington - XM Satellite Radio has partnered with General Motors on a trial program for used GM, Cadillac and Hummer vehicles, offering three months of free XM service to buyers of certified used models equipped with XM radios. The companies said XM will be available in more than 115,000 of these certified GM vehicles in 2007, and grow to more than 168,000 vehicles in 2008.