The Case of the Mysterious E-mails

When the Washington Post tried to contact 60 people who were listed as having "sent e-mails to the Federal Communications Commission opposing the proposed merger between the satellite radio networks XM and Sirius," the paper found "mostly unanswered phone calls and recordings saying the phones were disconnected." Only ten people "whose names were attached to identical, anti-merger e-mails instigated by the National Association of Broadcasters, a major opponent of the merger," could be reached. Of the ten, "nine said they never sent anything to the FCC, and only one said she remembered filling out something about Sirius but did not recall taking a position on a merger." A National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) spokesperson said his group recorded "the name, date, postal address and numerical Internet address" of the e-mailers, who "had to physically type in their name and address." While online campaigns are common and "it is not unusual for e-mailers to forget what they have -- or have not -- clicked on," one e-mailer told the Post she actually supported the merger. XM and Sirius have called the e-mails "suspicious." The FCC is expected to rule soon on the merger.