the early-evening news

XM and Sirius: Hooray for Monopolies!

Courtesy of Hasbro


NOTE: Today’s Early Evening News is dedicated to our Daily Intelligencer sistren and their praise-worthy decision to begin appending the Law & Order “chung-chung†to random posts.


The satellite-radio system used to be made up of two separate yet equally important groups — XM and Sirius. Now, thank God, Americans will be able to listen to both out-of-market baseball and out-of-market football on the same gadget. This is their story. [NYT]


The Breeders are hosting a listening “party†for their new album on their Website tonight. It consists of a video taken several days ago at an actual listening party. Was this the plan all along … or did their listening-party planner listen in on the wrong party’s plans? [Breeder’s Digest]


The Smashing Pumpkins are suing former record label Virgin over use of their music in a Pepsi promotion. For Virgin, this news must seem like a Siamese … nightmare. [Pitchfork]


Fox’s Parker Posey vehicle, The Return of Jezebel James, gets yanked from the air owing to low ratings. We guess that’s one Parker that won’t be posing anymore. [PopWatch]


Defamer is attempting to lure John Hughes out of seclusion by collecting questions from avid fans. Our question: Is “Blaine†actually, in fact, a major appliance? Here’s hoping that the John Hughes Challenge works, and that Hughes hasn’t disappeared … without a trace! [Defamer]


Wait, we did that wrong.