Concert ticket giant Ticketmaster and the world’s largest concert promoter, Live Nation have proposed a merger that would see many music industry services — ticketing, promotion, venues and artist representation — combined in one company. On February 24, 2009, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the matter that included representatives from both Ticketmaster and Live Nation, as well as the independent promotions/ticketing and public interest sectors. The House Judiciary Committee took up the issue on February 26, 2009. In the interest of providing a balanced look at the possible pros and cons of the proposal, FMC solicited statements from experts on both sides of the debate, which are included here.

Concert ticket giant Ticketmaster and the world’s largest concert promoter, Live Nation have proposed a merger that would see many music industry services — ticketing, promotion, venues and artist representation — combined in one company. On February 24, 2009, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the matter that included representatives from both Ticketmaster and Live Nation, as well as the independent promotions/ticketing and public interest sectors. The House Judiciary Committee took up the issue on February 26, 2009.

In the interest of providing a balanced look at the possible pros and cons of the proposal, FMC solicited statements from experts on both sides of the debate, which are archived below.

A more detailed explanation of this project can be found on the FMC blog.