Congress Looks At Live Nation Ticketmaster Merger

IRVING AZOFF, MICHAEL RAPINO & JERRY MICKELSON TO TESTIFY

Scrutiny of the proposed merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster takes center stage this week as both the House and Senate hold Congressional hearings. 

The Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights begins hearings on Tuesday. Uber-manager and Ticketmaster CEO Irving Azoff, Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino, Jerry Mickelson, the Chairman of Chicago based indie promoter 
JAM and David Bellow, a Senior Fellow at The Center for American Progress will all testify.  The House hearings follow on Thursday.

The U.S. Justice Department says also says it will look at possible anti-trust violations and Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) has asked the Federal Trade Commission to scrutinize the merger.  A group of Ticketmaster shareholders have also filed suit claiming that the merger carries too low a price.

Absent from the hearing witness lists so far are Bruce Springsteen and the few other artists that have publically opposed the merrger or any competing ticketers who fear being crushed by a combined Ticketmaster Live Nation.