Santa row, Alaska-Virgin a go, and Pandora might get Sirius dough

Actor George Takei, not exactly amused by a racist backlash after the mall in suburban Minneapolis hired an African American man, Larry Jefferson, to play Santa Claus.

The Department of Justice approved the deal with the condition that Alaska scale back a marketing agreement with American Airlines.

Alaska is paying $57 a share for Virgin, or $4 billion after accounting for debt and aircraft leases.

Sirius XM Holdings, the satellite radio service controlled by pay-TV billionaire John Malone, has considered deals for Pandora Media and rapper Jay Z’s Tidal as a way to expand into music streaming.

“Pandora’s advertising model in addition to the streaming and ticketing is certainly an interesting angle,” Mark Carleton, chief financial officer of Sirius XM parent Liberty Media Corp., said Tuesday at an investor conference in New York.