COULD IT BE MICHAEL JACKSON
CNN: LONDON, ENGLAND JUNE 26, 09
MJHOAXLIVE: CNN: LONDON, ENGLAND JUNE 26, 09
FANS PROMOTERS COUNT COST
OF CANCELED JACKSON CONCERTS
By Hilary Whiteman
(midway though article)
Back in March, tickets for an initial run of ten concerts
sold out at the astonishing rate of 11 tickets per second,
a feat Chris Edmonds, the Managing Director of Ticketmaster
UK called a "live entertainment phenomenon."
Demand for the tickets prompted organizers to add another
40 dates to the schedule. The London shows were to be the
first step in a multi-phase package with Jackson, including
plans for a 3-D live concert film and a 3-D movie based on
Jackson's "Thriller" music video.
It's not known at this stage how much of the cost of
Jackson's canceled concerts will be shouldered by
promoters AEG Live. The company is yet to issue
a statement on the matter. It is thought only part
of Jackson's 50-date London engagement was covered
by insurers. One of those was Lloyds of London, whose
spokesman Louise Shields told CNN "any losses are not
likely to be significant."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I feel this is important to go back and take a look at certain
events so we can clearly see some of the recent developments
that are now taking place and better understand them.
IRVING AZOFF/RANDY PHILLIPS
A RELATIONSHIP THAT GOES BACK
A RELATIONSHIP THAT GOES BACK
WAY BACK TO THE EARLY DAYS OF MCA
HOWARD WEITZMAN WOULD EVEN
GRACE HIS PRESENCE THERE...
THE INFAMOUS DAYS OF MCA
Hollywood is a small town folks
This business of music will chew you up
Spit you out and sell you down the river...
Hollywood is a small town folks
This business of music will chew you up
Spit you out and sell you down the river...
Even if they like you ...
But you’ve got to look back further...to AEG.
Irving Azoff built AEG. By resuscitating ConcertsWest.
Eventually Irving sold his interest to Anschutz,
Randy Phillips was handed the keys, took the
MICHAEL JACKSON WENT TO BED
THINKING HE WAS DOING 10 SHOWS
WAKING UP HAVING TO DO 50.
WAKING UP HAVING TO DO 50.
But you’ve got to look back further...to AEG.
Irving Azoff built AEG. By resuscitating ConcertsWest.
Eventually Irving sold his interest to Anschutz,
Randy Phillips was handed the keys, took the
day to day reins, and Irving’s got a special place in
their board room..
LOS ANGELES -- Two days before the Grammy
Awards, Randy Phillips sits in his office and fields
phone calls. The awards show is taking place in the
Staples Center, owned by his parent company, AEG
Worldwide, and Phillips is putting out last minute fires.
The biggest challenge is yet to come.
THE GIANTS ARE ALL LINING UP AGAINST HIMAwards, Randy Phillips sits in his office and fields
phone calls. The awards show is taking place in the
Staples Center, owned by his parent company, AEG
Worldwide, and Phillips is putting out last minute fires.
The biggest challenge is yet to come.
If the rumored merger between competitor Live Nation
(nyse: LYV - news - people ) and Ticketmaster takes
place, Phillips will have to compete in a markedly different
environment.
(nyse: LYV - news - people ) and Ticketmaster takes
place, Phillips will have to compete in a markedly different
environment.
As the head of AEG Live, Phillips manages a division that
grossed over $1 billion last year by putting on acts from Bon
Jovi to the Jonas Brothers. Ticketmaster, which could soon
be a competitor, sold most of the tickets to those shows.
Understand Ticketmaster UK was the one to sell
Tickets in the UK for Michael Jackson O2 LONDON
Tickets in the UK for Michael Jackson O2 LONDON
until things took a sudden turn June 25.
One of the last things Michael Jackson stated to Randy
Phillips there at rehersals June 24th, 2009 according to
One of the last things Michael Jackson stated to Randy
Phillips there at rehersals June 24th, 2009 according to
Randy was :
" Thank you for getting me this far I can take it from here"
AND THAT WAS IT...MICHAEL JACKSON WAS GONE...
“The most powerful and influential entity the music
business has ever known.”
AND THAT WAS IT...MICHAEL JACKSON WAS GONE...
“The most powerful and influential entity the music
business has ever known.”
That’s Billboard’s Ray Waddell, who knows what he’s
talking about, describing the merger.
THE MERGER: TICKETMASTER AND LIVE NATION
DOES THIS LEAVE AEG OUT ON IT'S OWN
The two biggest names in the concert business are
about to become one gigantic one. The U.S. Justice
Department on Monday approved the merger of
ticketing giant
creating a live entertainment conglomerate the likes of
which has never been seen before in the music industry.
hypebot: Live & Touring
There’s been conflicting reports about who will ultimately
be in charge; says Waddell, who, again, may be speaking
with authority: Most reports say this would be a merger
of equals, but the New York Post reports that Ticketmaster
investors would receive about 18% more shares since Live
Nation has a larger shareholder base.
Sources tell Billboard that Front Line founder/Ticketmaster
Entertainment CEO Irving Azoff would be in charge, with
Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino reporting to him.
With the proposed $2.5 billion merger between TicketMaster
and Live Nation looming large, many venue owners and prom
others are up in arms, deeming the deal anti-competitive and
monopolistic (they may be right - the deal is being examined
for possible anti-trust violations).
———–
The head of AEG, Live Nation’s main competitor,
blasts the merger in a chat with Billboard’s Ray Waddell:
[Anschutz Entertainment Group president/CEO Tim]
Leiweke pointed out that Live Nation produces two-thirds
of concerts held at the country’s top 50 arenas and top 50
amphitheaters, and that Ticketmaster accounts for 94% of
the ticketing. “This merger won’t create a new idea on how
to sell more tickets,” he said. “It’s all about the bottom line.”
Sources tell Billboard that Front Line founder/Ticketmaster
Entertainment CEO Irving Azoff would be in charge, with
Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino reporting to him.
With the proposed $2.5 billion merger between TicketMaster
and Live Nation looming large, many venue owners and prom
others are up in arms, deeming the deal anti-competitive and
monopolistic (they may be right - the deal is being examined
for possible anti-trust violations).
———–
The head of AEG, Live Nation’s main competitor,
blasts the merger in a chat with Billboard’s Ray Waddell:
[Anschutz Entertainment Group president/CEO Tim]
Leiweke pointed out that Live Nation produces two-thirds
of concerts held at the country’s top 50 arenas and top 50
amphitheaters, and that Ticketmaster accounts for 94% of
the ticketing. “This merger won’t create a new idea on how
to sell more tickets,” he said. “It’s all about the bottom line.”
And Front Line Has it...
Forbes: Live Nation spent over $200 million signing
artists like Jay-Z and Madonna to so-called 360 deals.
artists like Jay-Z and Madonna to so-called 360 deals.
A single entity running the entire process – from signing up
the talent, to staging of the concerts and selling the tickets –
would stifle competition. This would work against the fans
in the longer term, no matter what innovations were on
offer initially. Asked if there was a potential conflict of
interest when the management company is trying to get
the best concert deal out of the promoter and both are
under one corporate umbrella, both Azoff and Rapino
said no.
“We run a very decentralized operation [at Front Line],
our managers make those decisions with their artists, the
artist has the final decision. And every artist has an
individual manager at Front Line, plus their agent, plus
their business manager, plus their lawyer,” Azoff said.
Rapino concurs that Front Line would put the artist’s
interests first, citing the credibility and track record of
Front Line managers such as Azoff, Simon Renshaw
and Howard Kaufman.
" This merger will create a pipeline for all rights holders
to reach their consumers, whether it is our team, an artist
or a record company.It is time that our business delivered
forward thinking marketing solutions and we intend to do
just that."- from Tuesday's investor conference call.
" This merger will create a pipeline for all rights holders
to reach their consumers, whether it is our team, an artist
or a record company.It is time that our business delivered
forward thinking marketing solutions and we intend to do
just that."- from Tuesday's investor conference call.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
We are, at heart, a real estate company. Staples Center
was a real estate play. We realized early on that we can’t
have a third party like a Live Nation holding a gun to our
'head in terms of programming our buildings. That was the
genesis of AEG Live, so that we could have control over the
programming of our buildings.- Randy Phillips
The merger could also explain rumors that Randy Phillips
may be leaving his post as head of concert rival AEG since
the giants are all lining up against him.
Read Comments from Carmen
NOTES TAKEN FROM
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