Live Nation-Ticketmaster deal will hurt fans
Unbelievable. The Obama administration has approved the merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster by demanding a couple minor concessions. Ticketmaster has to sell off a unit that helps entertainment venues issue their own tickets. The company, Paciolan, will never be a big player, even with ownership by Comcast. And Ticketmaster has to license some other minor technology to Phil Anschutz.
This is bad for fans, venues and artists. And to think that Ticketmaster boss Irv Azoff and his wife were John Edwards supporters! Fortunately, Live Nation boss Michael Rapino ponied up for Obama.
UPDATE: A commenter calls our attention to this relevant information, from Billboard.biz last year. Uuugghh. I'm feelin' a little queasy.
Live Nation board member Ariel Emanuel, is a powerful Hollywood manager who is also brother of Rahm Emanuel, the White House Chief of Staff. Ariel Emanuel was also a major Hollywood fund-raiser for Obama's election campaign.Julius Genachowski, nominated by Obama earlier this month to be the new chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, was on Ticketmaster's board until March 10.
Comments
Write the real story and tell everyone about the Obama high ranking official(chief of Staff) and his "live Nation" brother
Posted by: Concert Fan | January 25, 2010 4:21 PM
I can't recall purchasing a ticket to a concert that wasn't through either ticketmaster or livenation - they effectively already had a monopoly on the ticketing industry. This merger is just ridiculous, and suggestive of some kind of shady politics behind the scenes.
Posted by: Drew | January 25, 2010 4:50 PM
Merger is like Greyhound Trailways, but worse. At least buses have trains and planes for competition. Anybody got $1000 for last row seats to Springsteen?
Posted by: SXS | January 25, 2010 5:43 PM
So nice to have a populist administration now that is for the little guy against the big bad corporations...
Posted by: brstevens | January 26, 2010 8:45 AM