The American Antitrust Institute, a D.C. non-profit advocacy organization, filed comments today with the FCC opposing the proposed satellite radio merger between Sirius and XM.

In the filing, the organization said, "With respect to the rule, the Applicants have not demonstrated that competition in satellite DARS is no longer in the public interest. On the contrary, competition between the Applicants has provided, and will continue to provide, significant benefits to consumers, whereas the public interest benefits of the merger are dubious. As long as the firms are likely to be viable without the merger, and satellite radio is not a natural monopoly, there is no good reason for the Commission to abandon its policy of ensuring competition in the delivery of spectrum-based services in satellite DARS," said the cover letter to AAI's filing."

Yesterday, it was revealed that the two satcasters had hired PR firm Quinn Gillespie & Associates LLC to lobby on their behalf in Washington in favor of the merger.