Minnesota comedian Tou Ger Xiong, 50, has been found dead after a kidnapping in Medellín, Colombia.
According to his roommate in Colombia, he was kidnapped and was held for a $2,000 ransom. He was later found dead in a wooded area.
Xiong was in Colombia meeting a woman he was chatting with online. However, it is unknown if the woman is linked to the murder.
According to family members, Xiong has been in contact with the woman prior to the trip, and made multiple trips to Colombia, never feeling unsafe and had several friends.
Born in Laos, Xiong immigrated to the United States when he was young. A resident of the Twin Cities, he helped found Hmong Minnesota Day at the Minnesota State Fair.
On Saturday, hundreds of mourners attended a memorial service for Xiong in Minneapolis. “He was someone who was just this bright, incredible light,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) said at the service.
According to his roommate in Colombia, he was kidnapped and was held for a $2,000 ransom. He was later found dead in a wooded area.
Xiong was in Colombia meeting a woman he was chatting with online. However, it is unknown if the woman is linked to the murder.
According to family members, Xiong has been in contact with the woman prior to the trip, and made multiple trips to Colombia, never feeling unsafe and had several friends.
Born in Laos, Xiong immigrated to the United States when he was young. A resident of the Twin Cities, he helped found Hmong Minnesota Day at the Minnesota State Fair.
On Saturday, hundreds of mourners attended a memorial service for Xiong in Minneapolis. “He was someone who was just this bright, incredible light,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) said at the service.
- 12/25/2023
- by Zach Ament
- Uinterview
Even as the issue of protecting performers from the misuse of artificial intelligence continues to vex the labor negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, a second front has just opened.
On Oct. 12, four U.S. Senators presented a bipartisan “discussion draft” of legislation intended to protect actors, singers and others from having AI programs generate their likenesses and voices without their informed written consent. The “Nurture Originals, Foster Art and Keep Entertainment Safe” (No Fakes) Act would allow people, companies and platforms to be sued for producing or hosting so-called “digital replicas.”
The No Fakes Act is being sponsored by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-tn), Chris Coons (D-de), Amy Klobuchar (D-mn) and Thom Tillis (R-nc). It represents the federal government’s first attempt to prevent the misappropriation of voice and likeness performances in audiovisual works and sound recordings. The rights created under this prospective legislation...
On Oct. 12, four U.S. Senators presented a bipartisan “discussion draft” of legislation intended to protect actors, singers and others from having AI programs generate their likenesses and voices without their informed written consent. The “Nurture Originals, Foster Art and Keep Entertainment Safe” (No Fakes) Act would allow people, companies and platforms to be sued for producing or hosting so-called “digital replicas.”
The No Fakes Act is being sponsored by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-tn), Chris Coons (D-de), Amy Klobuchar (D-mn) and Thom Tillis (R-nc). It represents the federal government’s first attempt to prevent the misappropriation of voice and likeness performances in audiovisual works and sound recordings. The rights created under this prospective legislation...
- 10/26/2023
- by Douglas Mirell
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This is Day 92 of the SAG-AFTRA strike.
At the first actors to picket after Wednesday night’s breakdown of their talks with the studios and streamers, SAG-AFTRA members in New York City said that they were disappointed by the setback but “holding strong” to their demands.
Striking actors who gathered Thursday outside Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery offices also cheered the announcement of bipartisan legislation in the U.S. Senate to protect them from artificial intelligence.
Writers joining them on the picket line after ratifying their own contract this week urged the actors to stay strong.
“It’s tactics,” The Wire creator David Simon told Deadline, speaking of the studios’ decision to suspend the talks and criticize SAG-AFTRA for demanding a share of studio profits. “They say you can’t have something and you’ll never get something, and ‘DGA settled for this and you don’t understand our industry.
At the first actors to picket after Wednesday night’s breakdown of their talks with the studios and streamers, SAG-AFTRA members in New York City said that they were disappointed by the setback but “holding strong” to their demands.
Striking actors who gathered Thursday outside Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery offices also cheered the announcement of bipartisan legislation in the U.S. Senate to protect them from artificial intelligence.
Writers joining them on the picket line after ratifying their own contract this week urged the actors to stay strong.
“It’s tactics,” The Wire creator David Simon told Deadline, speaking of the studios’ decision to suspend the talks and criticize SAG-AFTRA for demanding a share of studio profits. “They say you can’t have something and you’ll never get something, and ‘DGA settled for this and you don’t understand our industry.
- 10/12/2023
- by Sean Piccoli
- Deadline Film + TV
A newly proposed bipartisan senate bill seeks to bring greater legal protection to actors and recording artists by discouraging the use of AI-generated deepfakes without their permission.
If passed, the “Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe Act — or No Fakes Act — would hold those who produce AI deepfakes liable in civil claims if the original artist were to pursue legal action over the unauthorized use of their likeness.
The bill was sponsored by senators Chris Coons, Marsha Blackburn, Amy Klobuchar and Thom Tillis.
AI has been a hot-button topic across the music,...
If passed, the “Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe Act — or No Fakes Act — would hold those who produce AI deepfakes liable in civil claims if the original artist were to pursue legal action over the unauthorized use of their likeness.
The bill was sponsored by senators Chris Coons, Marsha Blackburn, Amy Klobuchar and Thom Tillis.
AI has been a hot-button topic across the music,...
- 10/12/2023
- by Ethan Millman
- Rollingstone.com
Senate Legislation Would Outlaw Unauthorized AI-Generated Likenesses; SAG-AFTRA Lauds “No Fakes Act”
Four U.S. senators today announced a discussion draft bill aimed at protecting actors, singers and others from having their voice and likeness generated by artificial intelligence. The bipartisan Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe Act, or No Fakes Act (read it here), would hold people, companies and platforms liable for producing or hosting such digital replicas.
SAG-AFTRA applauded the announcement today, with President Fran Drescher saying: “A performer’s voice and their appearance are all part of their unique essence, and it’s not ok when those are used without their permission. Consent is key.”
The No Fakes Act would prevent a person from producing or distributing an unauthorized AI-generated replica of an individual to perform in an audiovisual or sound recording without the consent of the individual being replicated. The person creating or sharing the unauthorized replication would be liable for the damages caused by the AI-generated fake.
SAG-AFTRA applauded the announcement today, with President Fran Drescher saying: “A performer’s voice and their appearance are all part of their unique essence, and it’s not ok when those are used without their permission. Consent is key.”
The No Fakes Act would prevent a person from producing or distributing an unauthorized AI-generated replica of an individual to perform in an audiovisual or sound recording without the consent of the individual being replicated. The person creating or sharing the unauthorized replication would be liable for the damages caused by the AI-generated fake.
- 10/12/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has proposed a new rule that would ban “junk fees” across a number of industries, including hidden charges for online concert tickets.
The proposed rule would require businesses to disclose all mandatory fees on price listings and allow the FTC to “seek monetary penalties” from companies that don’t comply.
In addition to concert ticket fees, these undisclosed charges impact paying utility bills, renting an apartment, and booking hotels. According to the FTC’s press release, these “hidden and bogus fees” can cost consumers “tens of billions of dollars per year in unexpected costs.”
Back in June, Live Nation and Ticketmaster announced they would be implementing an all-in pricing model in response to complaints of surprise fees while purchasing tickets.
Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, shared a statement about the ban:
“From buying...
The proposed rule would require businesses to disclose all mandatory fees on price listings and allow the FTC to “seek monetary penalties” from companies that don’t comply.
In addition to concert ticket fees, these undisclosed charges impact paying utility bills, renting an apartment, and booking hotels. According to the FTC’s press release, these “hidden and bogus fees” can cost consumers “tens of billions of dollars per year in unexpected costs.”
Back in June, Live Nation and Ticketmaster announced they would be implementing an all-in pricing model in response to complaints of surprise fees while purchasing tickets.
Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, shared a statement about the ban:
“From buying...
- 10/11/2023
- by Eddie Fu
- Consequence - Music
The Federal Trade Commission has proposed a new rule that would ban companies from hiding fees until the end of a purchase — a move that could bring more transparency to the buying process across several industries, including the concert business.
For years, music fans have taken issue with ticketing companies, like Ticketmaster and StubHub, for initially listing tickets at one price only to reveal the actual price, including fees just before checkout, hiding costs that sometimes amount to hundreds of dollars. This so-called “drip-pricing” — which is also common when booking...
For years, music fans have taken issue with ticketing companies, like Ticketmaster and StubHub, for initially listing tickets at one price only to reveal the actual price, including fees just before checkout, hiding costs that sometimes amount to hundreds of dollars. This so-called “drip-pricing” — which is also common when booking...
- 10/11/2023
- by Ethan Millman
- Rollingstone.com
California’s Dianne Feinstein, the longest-serving female senator in U.S. history and three-time mayor of San Francisco, died Thursday at the age of 90. An icon of Democratic politics who was planning to step down at the end of her term amid a series of health issues, she is being remembered by the many colleagues she had over her decadeslong career in public service.
A tearful Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-n.Y.) led the Senate in a moment of silence on Friday and addressed the chamber, where flowers had...
A tearful Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-n.Y.) led the Senate in a moment of silence on Friday and addressed the chamber, where flowers had...
- 9/29/2023
- by Nikki McCann Ramirez
- Rollingstone.com
New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez is facing a rapidly growing number of calls from his Democratic colleagues to resign from office following a damning indictment on charges of corruption and bribery.
On Wednesday, Menendez pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment in Manhattan court.
The indictment, which was made public on Friday, was initially met with widespread silence from Senate Democrats, save for Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman, who on Saturday called for Menendez’s resignation. “Senator Menendez should resign,” he wrote. “He’s entitled to the presumption of innocence,...
On Wednesday, Menendez pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment in Manhattan court.
The indictment, which was made public on Friday, was initially met with widespread silence from Senate Democrats, save for Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman, who on Saturday called for Menendez’s resignation. “Senator Menendez should resign,” he wrote. “He’s entitled to the presumption of innocence,...
- 9/27/2023
- by Nikki McCann Ramirez
- Rollingstone.com
When buying concert tickets, fans of A-list artists like Swifties, the BTS Army, the Beyhive, and others really can't catch a break. Fans have fought tooth and nail to land tickets to the hottest tours of 2023, from Swift's The Eras Tour and Beyonce's "Renaissance" Tour to Drake's It's All a Blur tour. And despite the headline-making, disastrous Ticketmaster presale of Swift's Eras Tour in November 2022 that ended in a literal congressional hearing, fans are still frustrated by the system.
While fans are always willing to pay a premium to see their favorite artist live, exploitative business practices like inflating costs based on demand and slapping nonsensical service fees on top of the ticket cost have sent prices soaring to an unreasonable high for even nosebleed seats.
Ticketmaster has been at the forefront of ticket sales controversy as the platform continues to dominate the industry. Since the return of live music post-lockdown,...
While fans are always willing to pay a premium to see their favorite artist live, exploitative business practices like inflating costs based on demand and slapping nonsensical service fees on top of the ticket cost have sent prices soaring to an unreasonable high for even nosebleed seats.
Ticketmaster has been at the forefront of ticket sales controversy as the platform continues to dominate the industry. Since the return of live music post-lockdown,...
- 9/16/2023
- by Athena Sobhan
- Popsugar.com
Live Nation president and CFO Joe Berchtold provided an update on the Department of Justice’s investigation into the company and its affiliated ticketing service, Ticketmaster, saying that he believes the DOJ is investigating certain business practices at the company, rather than the merged company itself.
“Our fundamental business model is not really being questioned,” Berchtold said Tuesday, adding that this is his opinion based on what he’s heard.
Speaking at Goldman Sach’s Communacopia and Technology Conference, Berchtold said he believes the DOJ is looking into certain components that make up the business, such as exclusivity on venues, all-in pricing and selling tickets on the secondary market. This came amid media reports that the DOJ is conducting an antitrust investigation into whether Live Nation, with its acquisition of Ticketmaster, had a monopoly over the industry.
The investigation came on the heels of technical issues and long wait times...
“Our fundamental business model is not really being questioned,” Berchtold said Tuesday, adding that this is his opinion based on what he’s heard.
Speaking at Goldman Sach’s Communacopia and Technology Conference, Berchtold said he believes the DOJ is looking into certain components that make up the business, such as exclusivity on venues, all-in pricing and selling tickets on the secondary market. This came amid media reports that the DOJ is conducting an antitrust investigation into whether Live Nation, with its acquisition of Ticketmaster, had a monopoly over the industry.
The investigation came on the heels of technical issues and long wait times...
- 9/6/2023
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Scalpers are gouging buyers for the Toronto International Film Festival tickets — with screening prices rising by the minute, according to a review of online prices Tuesday.
On Monday, some of the premiere films were sold out on Ticketmaster, with scalpers demanding 10 times face value for some tickets — a bargain compared to the latest prices.
By Tuesday, tickets for The Boy and the Heron had topped $527 — more than a $200 increase. Meanwhile, tickets for “Dumb Money” were going for nearly $900.
Writer and filmmaker Siddhant Adlakha put a spotlight on the gouging, calling it “genuinely insane.”
“Ticketmaster is a scourge and using it as an official ticketing platform for a film festival is incredibly bizarre. It’s genuinely insane that people are allowed to buy and re-sell TIFF tickets pretty much the day they go on sale. The new Miyazaki (film) is going for over $300 US.” Adlakha wrote.
He was referring to Hayao Miyazaki...
On Monday, some of the premiere films were sold out on Ticketmaster, with scalpers demanding 10 times face value for some tickets — a bargain compared to the latest prices.
By Tuesday, tickets for The Boy and the Heron had topped $527 — more than a $200 increase. Meanwhile, tickets for “Dumb Money” were going for nearly $900.
Writer and filmmaker Siddhant Adlakha put a spotlight on the gouging, calling it “genuinely insane.”
“Ticketmaster is a scourge and using it as an official ticketing platform for a film festival is incredibly bizarre. It’s genuinely insane that people are allowed to buy and re-sell TIFF tickets pretty much the day they go on sale. The new Miyazaki (film) is going for over $300 US.” Adlakha wrote.
He was referring to Hayao Miyazaki...
- 8/29/2023
- by Tina Daunt
- The Wrap
Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster may face an antitrust lawsuit from the Department of Justice as early as this fall, Politico reports.
According to three people familiar with the matter, the lawsuit would claim that Ticketmaster is abusing its power in the entertainment industry by squashing other ticketing competition. Based on past comments from antitrust head Jonathan Kanter, if the lawsuit is successful, Live Nation and Ticketmaster may be forced to separate lines of business.
Kanter has made clear his preference to litigate antitrust violators rather than settle, and would also rather impart structural remedies — like breaking up the entertainment giants — rather than behavioral fixes, like asking the companies to promise not to engage in certain behaviors.
In a statement to Politico, Live Nation executive VP for corporate and regulatory affairs Dan Wall said, “We’re in regular contact with the DOJ and they haven’t told us they...
According to three people familiar with the matter, the lawsuit would claim that Ticketmaster is abusing its power in the entertainment industry by squashing other ticketing competition. Based on past comments from antitrust head Jonathan Kanter, if the lawsuit is successful, Live Nation and Ticketmaster may be forced to separate lines of business.
Kanter has made clear his preference to litigate antitrust violators rather than settle, and would also rather impart structural remedies — like breaking up the entertainment giants — rather than behavioral fixes, like asking the companies to promise not to engage in certain behaviors.
In a statement to Politico, Live Nation executive VP for corporate and regulatory affairs Dan Wall said, “We’re in regular contact with the DOJ and they haven’t told us they...
- 7/29/2023
- by Carys Anderson
- Consequence - Music
Molly Gordon and Ben Platt in Theater Camp.Photo: Searchlight Pictures
We’ve got one week before Barbenheimer arrives to suck up all the oxygen in the room and all the spare theaters at the multiplex. So, in this calm before the pop-culture storm, let’s talk about a smaller...
We’ve got one week before Barbenheimer arrives to suck up all the oxygen in the room and all the spare theaters at the multiplex. So, in this calm before the pop-culture storm, let’s talk about a smaller...
- 7/14/2023
- by Cindy White
- avclub.com
Nothing goes better with the new Taylor Swift album than a little bit of snitching. At least, that’s what the FBI Washington Field wants you to think, based on a recent tweet the organization put out.
Taking timely cues from Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), the FBI shared an image Monday that appears to riff on Miss Swift’s latest release, boasting a faux tracklist in shades of purple reminiscent of the album art. But these so-called “tracks” have some interesting titles: “Terrorism (FBI’s Version),” “Cybercrime (FBI’s Version),” and “Weapons of Mass Destruction (FBI’s Version),” to name a few.
“Justice is better than revenge. You may not be Superman, but you can help the #FBI protect the country,” the caption baited, telling readers to “speak now” if they have information about a crime before closing with the organization’s contact information.
This is just the latest...
Taking timely cues from Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), the FBI shared an image Monday that appears to riff on Miss Swift’s latest release, boasting a faux tracklist in shades of purple reminiscent of the album art. But these so-called “tracks” have some interesting titles: “Terrorism (FBI’s Version),” “Cybercrime (FBI’s Version),” and “Weapons of Mass Destruction (FBI’s Version),” to name a few.
“Justice is better than revenge. You may not be Superman, but you can help the #FBI protect the country,” the caption baited, telling readers to “speak now” if they have information about a crime before closing with the organization’s contact information.
This is just the latest...
- 7/11/2023
- by Cervanté Pope
- Consequence - Music
Lawmakers in Brasil have proposed a new bill that would increase penalties for ticket scalping. Nicknamed the “Taylor Swift Law,” the proposal comes after the pop star recently announced that she’d be bringing “The Eras Tour” to the country, which led to reports of violent scalpers in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro once tickets went on sale.
Scalping is already recognized as a crime in Brasil, but Congresswoman Simone Marquetto wants to reinforce the existing penalties. As translated from Portuguese by The Brazilian Report, the bill suggests increasing the maximum jail sentence for scalping from one year to four years, and sets fines of up to 100 times the price scalpers were asking for tickets. That means for Swift’s concerts, fines could reach the equivalent of $125,500.
“The exploitation of the Brasilian population by so-called ‘scalpers’ at any paid events expected to see a big public influx is public and notorious,...
Scalping is already recognized as a crime in Brasil, but Congresswoman Simone Marquetto wants to reinforce the existing penalties. As translated from Portuguese by The Brazilian Report, the bill suggests increasing the maximum jail sentence for scalping from one year to four years, and sets fines of up to 100 times the price scalpers were asking for tickets. That means for Swift’s concerts, fines could reach the equivalent of $125,500.
“The exploitation of the Brasilian population by so-called ‘scalpers’ at any paid events expected to see a big public influx is public and notorious,...
- 6/21/2023
- by Abby Jones
- Consequence - Music
The Senate Judiciary Committee revived the prospects for a long-proposed bill that would bolster print and broadcast news outlets in their negotiations with tech giants.
The Journalism Competition and Preservation Act cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday in a 14-7 vote.
The bill would create a “safe harbor” from antitrust laws for a period of six years years for newspapers, broadcast stations and digital journalism outlets, giving them more market power in the face of competition for advertising from Google and Facebook. If publishers are unable to come to terms with platforms on a deal for their content, an arbitrator would ultimately determine the rates.
Lawmakers who champion the legislation, led by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-mn) and Sen. John Kennedy (R-la), say that it is needed in the face of the decline of local journalism, which has seen the scaling back of newsroom coverage and severe cuts in staffing.
The Journalism Competition and Preservation Act cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday in a 14-7 vote.
The bill would create a “safe harbor” from antitrust laws for a period of six years years for newspapers, broadcast stations and digital journalism outlets, giving them more market power in the face of competition for advertising from Google and Facebook. If publishers are unable to come to terms with platforms on a deal for their content, an arbitrator would ultimately determine the rates.
Lawmakers who champion the legislation, led by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-mn) and Sen. John Kennedy (R-la), say that it is needed in the face of the decline of local journalism, which has seen the scaling back of newsroom coverage and severe cuts in staffing.
- 6/15/2023
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told lawmakers on Tuesday that the “right thing to do” is to make sure that content owners “get significant upside benefit” from artificial intelligence technology that has raised new concerns over copyright and compensation.
At a Senate subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, Altman was questioned by some lawmakers over the use of copyrighted material to train OpenAI’s ChatGPT to generate new works. The use of AI is an issue in the Writers Guild of America strike against the studios, but content creators in general have raised concerns over what the technology means for protection of their intellectual property.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tn) said that the music artists in her state “should be able to decide if their copyrighted songs and images are going to be used to train these models.” She cited OpenAI’s Jukebox, which generates music in “a variety of genres and artist styles.
At a Senate subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, Altman was questioned by some lawmakers over the use of copyrighted material to train OpenAI’s ChatGPT to generate new works. The use of AI is an issue in the Writers Guild of America strike against the studios, but content creators in general have raised concerns over what the technology means for protection of their intellectual property.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tn) said that the music artists in her state “should be able to decide if their copyrighted songs and images are going to be used to train these models.” She cited OpenAI’s Jukebox, which generates music in “a variety of genres and artist styles.
- 5/16/2023
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Demand for concerts continues rising and bolstering the revenue of ticket seller and concert promoter and operator Live Nation.
The company reported total first-quarter revenue of $3.1 billion, up from $1.8 billion a year earlier and above analyst expectations. Concerts brought in $2.3 billion of that revenue, up from $1.2 billion, while ticketing increased to $678 million, from $480 million. Live Nation reported a loss of 25 cents per share, compared to a loss of 39 cents per share the prior year.
This comes as the company was able to operate in all of its markets worldwide for the first time in three years (Asia was the last market to reopen). The company sold more than 145 million tickets in its first quarter.
So far, Live Nation, which owns Ticketmaster, has sold close to 90 million tickets for concerts this year, which is up 20 percent from this time last year. The early sales numbers have included tickets to concerts from Beyoncé,...
The company reported total first-quarter revenue of $3.1 billion, up from $1.8 billion a year earlier and above analyst expectations. Concerts brought in $2.3 billion of that revenue, up from $1.2 billion, while ticketing increased to $678 million, from $480 million. Live Nation reported a loss of 25 cents per share, compared to a loss of 39 cents per share the prior year.
This comes as the company was able to operate in all of its markets worldwide for the first time in three years (Asia was the last market to reopen). The company sold more than 145 million tickets in its first quarter.
So far, Live Nation, which owns Ticketmaster, has sold close to 90 million tickets for concerts this year, which is up 20 percent from this time last year. The early sales numbers have included tickets to concerts from Beyoncé,...
- 5/4/2023
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A group of over 20 of the most powerful companies in the live music business announced their support of Live Nation Entertainment’s Fair Ticketing reforms on Wednesday, calling for lawmakers to pass ticketing legislation that could give more power to artists regarding their ticket sales while limiting practices on the resale market.
Live Nation announced the Fair Ticketing initiative during the company’s earnings call in February as it looked to expand the conversation about fixing the ticketing marketplace beyond its Ticketmaster subsidiary, which has attracted the scorn and scrutiny...
Live Nation announced the Fair Ticketing initiative during the company’s earnings call in February as it looked to expand the conversation about fixing the ticketing marketplace beyond its Ticketmaster subsidiary, which has attracted the scorn and scrutiny...
- 3/8/2023
- by Ethan Millman
- Rollingstone.com
When Joni Mitchell finally took the stage near the end of an all-star tribute concert honouring her as this year’s recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, she opted to perform a cover rather than one of her own songs.
The 79-year-old music legend, who is the first Canadian and only the third woman to be honoured with the accolade, leaned against the piano Wednesday as she crooned a sultry version of “Summertime”, the popular tune from George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess”, an appropriate choice since the award was named after the composer.
But she wasn’t done. The evening’s other performers came to the stage and surrounded Mitchell as she launched into one of her more popular tunes, “The Circle Game”. Graham Nash, James Taylor, Ledisi, Cyndi Lauper, Herbie Hancock, Marcus Mumford, Brandi Carlile and others brought the crowd to their feet...
The 79-year-old music legend, who is the first Canadian and only the third woman to be honoured with the accolade, leaned against the piano Wednesday as she crooned a sultry version of “Summertime”, the popular tune from George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess”, an appropriate choice since the award was named after the composer.
But she wasn’t done. The evening’s other performers came to the stage and surrounded Mitchell as she launched into one of her more popular tunes, “The Circle Game”. Graham Nash, James Taylor, Ledisi, Cyndi Lauper, Herbie Hancock, Marcus Mumford, Brandi Carlile and others brought the crowd to their feet...
- 3/2/2023
- by Becca Longmire
- ET Canada
As Live Nation Entertainment faces continued criticism from fans and lawmakers over its place in the ticketing marketplace, on Thursday the company called on Congress to pass legislation to crack down on scalpers and ticket resale. The company is looking to broaden the conversation regarding ticketing reform beyond potential issues with Ticketmaster itself toward the secondary market.
Pushing for a “Fair Ticketing act,” Live Nation — owner of both the eponymous live music promoter as well as ticketing giant Ticketmaster — is advocating for federal laws that could weaken scalpers’ ability to...
Pushing for a “Fair Ticketing act,” Live Nation — owner of both the eponymous live music promoter as well as ticketing giant Ticketmaster — is advocating for federal laws that could weaken scalpers’ ability to...
- 2/24/2023
- by Ethan Millman
- Rollingstone.com
Jaipur, Feb 19 (Ians) A delegation of US Senators, headed by its Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and accompanied by US Charge d’Affaires Elizabeth Jones, inspected the making of the world-famous Jaipur Foot on Sunday.
The delegation visited the Jaipur Foot centre in Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (Bmvss) where they were received by founder and chief patron D.R. Mehta, Executive Presidents S.S. Bhandari and Satish Mehta, Secretaries Bhupendra Mehta and Dr Deependra Mehta and the Chief Executive Officer R.K. Agarwal.
The Senators, apart from inspecting the making of the Foot, gathered information about its cost, efficiency level, and durability.
D.R. Mehta said: “The US delegation’s visit to the Bmvss was initiated by the US Embassy in Delhi that wanted to show to the Senators the work of the Bmvss which has become the world’s leading organisation for the rehabilitation of the handicapped with over two...
The delegation visited the Jaipur Foot centre in Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (Bmvss) where they were received by founder and chief patron D.R. Mehta, Executive Presidents S.S. Bhandari and Satish Mehta, Secretaries Bhupendra Mehta and Dr Deependra Mehta and the Chief Executive Officer R.K. Agarwal.
The Senators, apart from inspecting the making of the Foot, gathered information about its cost, efficiency level, and durability.
D.R. Mehta said: “The US delegation’s visit to the Bmvss was initiated by the US Embassy in Delhi that wanted to show to the Senators the work of the Bmvss which has become the world’s leading organisation for the rehabilitation of the handicapped with over two...
- 2/19/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
As Beyoncé fans anxiously waited online looking to secure tickets to Queen Bey’s upcoming Renaissance tour, the high price of ticket fees is once again a groan-inducing discussion among ticket-buyers as they have no choice but to swallow the hefty added costs if they want to see her show.
Some customers who bought VIP packages for the tour — already among the priciest and highest-quality experiences at the venue — saw service fees as high as 550 (about a 15 service fee) atop the 3,757 the customer already spent on their seat. The most expensive tickets,...
Some customers who bought VIP packages for the tour — already among the priciest and highest-quality experiences at the venue — saw service fees as high as 550 (about a 15 service fee) atop the 3,757 the customer already spent on their seat. The most expensive tickets,...
- 2/10/2023
- by Ethan Millman
- Rollingstone.com
Tickets for Beyoncé’s upcoming Renaissance tour, one of the most in-demand concerts in recent memory, won’t hit the market until next week. But that hasn’t stopped ticket scalpers from posting listings for as much as 3,000 a ticket — even if they don’t actually have them yet.
Such a practice isn’t new, nor is it in any way unique to Queen Bey. Tickets for Fall Out Boy’s “So Much For (Tour) Dust” Tour, for instance, don’t hit pre-sale until Thursday, but tickets were already listed...
Such a practice isn’t new, nor is it in any way unique to Queen Bey. Tickets for Fall Out Boy’s “So Much For (Tour) Dust” Tour, for instance, don’t hit pre-sale until Thursday, but tickets were already listed...
- 2/2/2023
- by Ethan Millman
- Rollingstone.com
Multiple senators chose their words wisely during Monday’s congressional hearing addressing Ticketmaster parent company Live Nation’s November fiasco regarding Taylor Swift ticket sales.
None of it was accidental as the “Mastermind” senators quoted several of Swift’s lyrics while grilling the ticket-selling company on Capital Hill.
Read More: Taylor Swift And Ticketmaster Offer Verified Fans A Second Chance At ‘Eras Tour’ Tickets
“You can’t have too much consolidation. Something that unfortunately for this country, as a ode to Taylor Swift, I will say we know ‘all too well’,” Senior United States Senator from Minnesota, Amy Klobuchar said, naming the singer’s 2012 song to address the incident that gained mass attention as it was scolded by thousands of fans online.
Ready for the Taylor Swift Ticketmaster hearing pic.twitter.com/S5ojxJg37X
— Germ (@anthonygermano) January 24, 2023
“A lot of people seem to think that’s somehow a solution,...
None of it was accidental as the “Mastermind” senators quoted several of Swift’s lyrics while grilling the ticket-selling company on Capital Hill.
Read More: Taylor Swift And Ticketmaster Offer Verified Fans A Second Chance At ‘Eras Tour’ Tickets
“You can’t have too much consolidation. Something that unfortunately for this country, as a ode to Taylor Swift, I will say we know ‘all too well’,” Senior United States Senator from Minnesota, Amy Klobuchar said, naming the singer’s 2012 song to address the incident that gained mass attention as it was scolded by thousands of fans online.
Ready for the Taylor Swift Ticketmaster hearing pic.twitter.com/S5ojxJg37X
— Germ (@anthonygermano) January 24, 2023
“A lot of people seem to think that’s somehow a solution,...
- 1/25/2023
- by Melissa Romualdi
- ET Canada
We knew she was trouble when she walked in…Ticketmaster, Live Nation, and Taylor Swift are now at the center of a senate hearing due to the singer’s latest tour proving to be an absolute nightmare to get tickets to, as hours-plus-long queues and system outages locked out even her most die-hard fans–like, the ones who sat through Cats.
Hearings began this week, with the debacle over Taylor Swift and her Eras tour–the U.S. leg launches in March–serving as a major catalyst. However, it’s obviously not Swift coming under fire but rather the practices allegedly promoted by Live Nation and Ticketmaster. Due to the extremely high demand–Swift reportedly sold more tickets in one day than anyone else in music history (although we’re not expecting her directorial debut to smash many records)–the Ticketmaster public sale was canceled, an unprecedented move that left...
Hearings began this week, with the debacle over Taylor Swift and her Eras tour–the U.S. leg launches in March–serving as a major catalyst. However, it’s obviously not Swift coming under fire but rather the practices allegedly promoted by Live Nation and Ticketmaster. Due to the extremely high demand–Swift reportedly sold more tickets in one day than anyone else in music history (although we’re not expecting her directorial debut to smash many records)–the Ticketmaster public sale was canceled, an unprecedented move that left...
- 1/25/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Ticketmaster has apologised after its site crashed and left thousands of Taylor Swift fans without tickets.
Ticketmaster’s parent company Live Nation said that they should have done a “better job” by staggering sales over a longer time period, during a congressional hearing addressing its handling of the singer’s ticket sales.
“We apologise to the fans. We apologise to Ms Swift. We need to do better, and we will do better, said Live Nation president Joe Berchtold.
The ticket company published a statement ahead of a US Senate hearing, which blamed a bot attack for the issues with the site.
According to the statement, Ticketmaster usually controls bot issues by using the pre-registration service to ensure fans are legitimate.
However, bots were still able to overwhelm the system, so Ticketmaster apparently slowed the site down to ensure they were unable to get access.
In a statement submitted by Ticketmaster ahead of the senate,...
Ticketmaster’s parent company Live Nation said that they should have done a “better job” by staggering sales over a longer time period, during a congressional hearing addressing its handling of the singer’s ticket sales.
“We apologise to the fans. We apologise to Ms Swift. We need to do better, and we will do better, said Live Nation president Joe Berchtold.
The ticket company published a statement ahead of a US Senate hearing, which blamed a bot attack for the issues with the site.
According to the statement, Ticketmaster usually controls bot issues by using the pre-registration service to ensure fans are legitimate.
However, bots were still able to overwhelm the system, so Ticketmaster apparently slowed the site down to ensure they were unable to get access.
In a statement submitted by Ticketmaster ahead of the senate,...
- 1/25/2023
- by Megan Graye
- The Independent - Music
Update: Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-mn) told reporters that she that she believes that the three-hour Senate hearing focusing on Ticketmaster’s business practices helped educate some members “so we can move forward on some consumer legislation when it comes to ticket prices.”
The criticism of Ticketmaster and parent Live Nation Entertainment came from both sides of the aisle, as lawmakers blasted the company not just for the Taylor Swift ticket debacle but for its market power in three sectors of live entertainment: ticketing, promotion and venues.
“You wouldn’t know sometimes who was speaking, a Democrat or Republican. They want to help consumers. There are concert fans that are in red states and blue states.” She said that by making the hearing public, “I think you are going to see some changes immediately — small changes, but some changes, it sounds like.” She also pointed to reports that the Justice Department is investigating the company.
The criticism of Ticketmaster and parent Live Nation Entertainment came from both sides of the aisle, as lawmakers blasted the company not just for the Taylor Swift ticket debacle but for its market power in three sectors of live entertainment: ticketing, promotion and venues.
“You wouldn’t know sometimes who was speaking, a Democrat or Republican. They want to help consumers. There are concert fans that are in red states and blue states.” She said that by making the hearing public, “I think you are going to see some changes immediately — small changes, but some changes, it sounds like.” She also pointed to reports that the Justice Department is investigating the company.
- 1/24/2023
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Over an hour into Tuesday’s Senate judiciary hearing on competition in the music industry, Sen. Richard Blumenthal sardonically “congratulated and thanked” Live Nation Entertainment president and CFO Joe Berchtold for the “absolutely stunning achievement” of unifying Republicans and Democrats over a policy matter. The glue for such cooperation? The vitriol and concern they all have over the ticketing industry and with Live Nation Entertainment, the parent company of the eponymous concert promoter and of ticketing giant Ticketmaster.
It was Live Nation against virtually everyone else during the hearing, with...
It was Live Nation against virtually everyone else during the hearing, with...
- 1/24/2023
- by Ethan Millman
- Rollingstone.com
In the wake of the Taylor Swift ticketing debacle, U.S. Senators took aim at Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation, with many arguing that it’s a monopoly that should be broken up.
Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) led the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday, entitled “That’s the Ticket: Promoting Competition and Protecting Consumers in Live Entertainment.” Klobuchar and Lee were specifically focused on whether Live Nation had violated its consent decree, a set of conditions and divestitures Live Nation and Ticketmaster agreed to when they merged in order to ensure competition.
The hearing follows the Taylor Swift ticket presale on Ticketmaster on Nov. 15, in which fans experienced long wait times and site outages during the Verified Fan presale and the Capital One pre-sale the next day.
During the hearing, Live Nation President and CFO Joe Berchtold blamed bots and cyber attacks for the problems during the ticket sale,...
Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) led the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday, entitled “That’s the Ticket: Promoting Competition and Protecting Consumers in Live Entertainment.” Klobuchar and Lee were specifically focused on whether Live Nation had violated its consent decree, a set of conditions and divestitures Live Nation and Ticketmaster agreed to when they merged in order to ensure competition.
The hearing follows the Taylor Swift ticket presale on Ticketmaster on Nov. 15, in which fans experienced long wait times and site outages during the Verified Fan presale and the Capital One pre-sale the next day.
During the hearing, Live Nation President and CFO Joe Berchtold blamed bots and cyber attacks for the problems during the ticket sale,...
- 1/24/2023
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
At the height of Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s latest controversy over the disastrous ticket on-sale for Taylor Swift’s upcoming “Eras” tour — a kerfuffle that once again brought into question what some have called the anticompetitive nature of tickets and the live music business — few politicians were as vocal or critical of the live events giant as Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn). Last November, Klobuchar, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, penned a letter to Live Nation Entertainment CEO Michael Rapino, demanding Rapino...
- 1/23/2023
- by Ethan Millman
- Rollingstone.com
The crash of Ticketmaster’s website amid an overload of demand for Taylor Swift tickets has led to a Senate hearing, as lawmakers seize on the incident to scrutinize a host of business practices in the ticketing industry.
The full Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing for next Tuesday — That’s The Ticket: Promoting Competition and Protecting Consumers in Live Entertainment — following the November debacle in which Swift fans were locked out of presales and a public sale was canceled.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Mn), who chairs the antitrust subcommittee, said in a statement that “the issues within America’s ticketing industry were made painfully obvious when Ticketmaster’s website failed hundreds of thousands of fans hoping to purchase tickets for Taylor Swift’s new tour, but these problems are not new. For too long consumers have faced high fees, long waits and website failures, and Ticketmaster’s dominant...
The full Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing for next Tuesday — That’s The Ticket: Promoting Competition and Protecting Consumers in Live Entertainment — following the November debacle in which Swift fans were locked out of presales and a public sale was canceled.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Mn), who chairs the antitrust subcommittee, said in a statement that “the issues within America’s ticketing industry were made painfully obvious when Ticketmaster’s website failed hundreds of thousands of fans hoping to purchase tickets for Taylor Swift’s new tour, but these problems are not new. For too long consumers have faced high fees, long waits and website failures, and Ticketmaster’s dominant...
- 1/18/2023
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Zach Bryan is the latest artist to rage against the Ticketmaster as the country star — frustrated by skyrocketing ticket prices — pledged Saturday that he’ll embark on a summer tour with “prices as cheap as possible.” Doubling down on his disdain for the concert giant, Bryan also released a surprise new album titled, fittingly, All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster (Live From Red Rocks).
“Seems there is a massive issue with fair ticket prices to live shows lately. I have met kids at my shows who have paid upwards of four-hundred...
“Seems there is a massive issue with fair ticket prices to live shows lately. I have met kids at my shows who have paid upwards of four-hundred...
- 12/25/2022
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
A federal class action lawsuit has been filed against Ticketmaster and Live Nation following Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” ticketing debacle. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, alleges that the ticketing company violated federal antitrust laws and unfair competition laws, and that they misled consumers in the sale of tickets for Swift’s tour.
“Ticketmaster intentionally and purposefully misled millions of fans into believing it would prevent bots and scalpers from participating in the presales,” that lawsuit, obtained by Rolling Stone, claims. “However, millions of fans were unable to purchase tickets during...
“Ticketmaster intentionally and purposefully misled millions of fans into believing it would prevent bots and scalpers from participating in the presales,” that lawsuit, obtained by Rolling Stone, claims. “However, millions of fans were unable to purchase tickets during...
- 12/22/2022
- by Althea Legaspi
- Rollingstone.com
A long-in-the-works bill to allow news publishers and broadcast stations to jointly negotiate with tech giants for their content was left out of a massive defense spending bill, diminishing its prospects for passage by the end of this Congress.
The Journalism Competition and Preservation Act would create a “safe harbor” from antitrust laws for a period of eight years for newspapers, broadcast stations and digital journalism outlets. The legislation has been proposed multiple times in recent years, but so far has failed to move forward. It is intended to boost local news outlets, which have withered in the face of online competition.
But the tech industry has amped up its opposition against the legislation. As efforts were underway to include the bill in a massive defense spending bill this week, Facebook on Monday released a statement in which it said that it would be “forced to consider removing news from...
The Journalism Competition and Preservation Act would create a “safe harbor” from antitrust laws for a period of eight years for newspapers, broadcast stations and digital journalism outlets. The legislation has been proposed multiple times in recent years, but so far has failed to move forward. It is intended to boost local news outlets, which have withered in the face of online competition.
But the tech industry has amped up its opposition against the legislation. As efforts were underway to include the bill in a massive defense spending bill this week, Facebook on Monday released a statement in which it said that it would be “forced to consider removing news from...
- 12/7/2022
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Donald Trump is a sore loser, to say the least. On Saturday, the former president called for the termination of the Constitution in order to overturn the 2020 election results. In Trump’s latest rant on Truth Social, he referred to himself wrongly as the “rightful winner” and called for his installation as leader of the free world.
“Do you throw the Presidential Election Results of 2020 Out and declare the Rightful Winner, or do you have a New Election? A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules,...
“Do you throw the Presidential Election Results of 2020 Out and declare the Rightful Winner, or do you have a New Election? A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules,...
- 12/4/2022
- by Althea Legaspi
- Rollingstone.com
Click here to read the full article.
Members of Congress are now turning their gaze to the Federal Trade Commission, following the Taylor Swift ticketing debacle at Ticketmaster.
U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission Tuesday asking the agency how it plans to combat “the use and operation of bots in the online ticket marketplace.” Blackburn and Blumenthal sponsored the Better Online Ticket Sales Act, which was signed into law in 2016, and is meant to prohibit scalpers from using software to purchase high volumes of tickets, but has been rarely used, according to the Senators.
“While bots may not be the only reason for these problems, which Congress is evaluating, fighting bots is an important step in reducing consumer costs in the online ticketing industry,” the letter states.
The letter comes after Ticketmaster claimed that the site encountered...
Members of Congress are now turning their gaze to the Federal Trade Commission, following the Taylor Swift ticketing debacle at Ticketmaster.
U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission Tuesday asking the agency how it plans to combat “the use and operation of bots in the online ticket marketplace.” Blackburn and Blumenthal sponsored the Better Online Ticket Sales Act, which was signed into law in 2016, and is meant to prohibit scalpers from using software to purchase high volumes of tickets, but has been rarely used, according to the Senators.
“While bots may not be the only reason for these problems, which Congress is evaluating, fighting bots is an important step in reducing consumer costs in the online ticketing industry,” the letter states.
The letter comes after Ticketmaster claimed that the site encountered...
- 11/29/2022
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Fans and lawmakers are still demanding answers and accountability after Taylor Swift’s presale meltdown on Ticketmaster earlier this month.
>Get Taylor Swift Concert Tickets Now!
Politicians have started to investigate the reach of Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation, which merged in 2010, while some fans and critics have speculated that Swift should assume some of the blame as well.
Two senators have asked the Federal Trade Commission to reevaluate a 2016 law that was designed to crack down on bots that plague ticketing sites. Meanwhile, some senators plan to hold an antitrust hearing to examine how the merger has affected the ticketing industry.
“The high fees, site disruptions and cancellations that customers experienced show how Ticketmaster’s dominant market position means the company does not face any pressure to continually innovate and improve,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) said.
The senators wrote in a letter that the hearing “may be...
>Get Taylor Swift Concert Tickets Now!
Politicians have started to investigate the reach of Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation, which merged in 2010, while some fans and critics have speculated that Swift should assume some of the blame as well.
Two senators have asked the Federal Trade Commission to reevaluate a 2016 law that was designed to crack down on bots that plague ticketing sites. Meanwhile, some senators plan to hold an antitrust hearing to examine how the merger has affected the ticketing industry.
“The high fees, site disruptions and cancellations that customers experienced show how Ticketmaster’s dominant market position means the company does not face any pressure to continually innovate and improve,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) said.
The senators wrote in a letter that the hearing “may be...
- 11/29/2022
- by Miranda Dipaolo
- Uinterview
In the wake of the Taylor Swift “Eras Tour” ticketing debacle, two senators have sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission expressing concern over how the agency has been enforcing a 2016 law meant to keep bots from scooping up tickets.
The letter, shared by Billboard, was addressed to FTC chair Lina Khan and sent by Connecticut Democrat Richard Blumenthal and Tennessee Republican Marsha Blackburn (who hasn’t always had the nicest things to say about Swift, who endorsed her opponent in 2018). The pair highlighted not only the chaotic Swift sale,...
The letter, shared by Billboard, was addressed to FTC chair Lina Khan and sent by Connecticut Democrat Richard Blumenthal and Tennessee Republican Marsha Blackburn (who hasn’t always had the nicest things to say about Swift, who endorsed her opponent in 2018). The pair highlighted not only the chaotic Swift sale,...
- 11/29/2022
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Ticketmaster and Live Nation are facing criticism about their operations after seeing site failures during the presale last week for Taylor Swift’s upcoming Eras tour.
The Ticketmaster website crashed or froze as thousands of Swift fans attempted to buy presale tickets for The Eras Tour, Swift’s first tour since 2018, on Tuesday. Ticketmaster said in a statement on Thursday that “unprecedented traffic” on their site was due to “historically unprecedented demand.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) wrote in a tweet that Ticketmaster and Live Nation should be broken up.
“Daily reminder that Ticketmaster is a monopoly, its merger with LiveNation should never have been approved, and they need to be reigned in. Break them up,” he said.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) expressed concerns about Ticketmaster in an open letter to Live Nation Entertainment.
“Ticketmaster’s power in the primary ticket market insulates it from the competitive pressures that typically...
The Ticketmaster website crashed or froze as thousands of Swift fans attempted to buy presale tickets for The Eras Tour, Swift’s first tour since 2018, on Tuesday. Ticketmaster said in a statement on Thursday that “unprecedented traffic” on their site was due to “historically unprecedented demand.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) wrote in a tweet that Ticketmaster and Live Nation should be broken up.
“Daily reminder that Ticketmaster is a monopoly, its merger with LiveNation should never have been approved, and they need to be reigned in. Break them up,” he said.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) expressed concerns about Ticketmaster in an open letter to Live Nation Entertainment.
“Ticketmaster’s power in the primary ticket market insulates it from the competitive pressures that typically...
- 11/23/2022
- by Peiyu Jiang
- Uinterview
Click here to read the full article.
Taylor Swift’s Eras tour fiasco at Ticketmaster in November may have shined a light on a larger issue. A Senate antitrust and consumer rights subcommittee says it will be holding a hearing — on a date to be determined — on concert ticket sales following the debacle.
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-mn) and Mike Lee (R-Ut) say they will be looking into the lack of competition in the ticketing industry. “The high fees, site disruptions and cancellations that customers experienced shows how Ticketmaster’s dominant market position means the company does not face any pressure to continually innovate and improve,” says Klobuchar.
On Nov. 15, Ticketmaster experienced issues and site slowdowns during Swift’s presale for verified fans. The company sold two million tickets during the presale but continued to have problems the following days, which resulted in Ticketmaster canceling the general sale,...
Taylor Swift’s Eras tour fiasco at Ticketmaster in November may have shined a light on a larger issue. A Senate antitrust and consumer rights subcommittee says it will be holding a hearing — on a date to be determined — on concert ticket sales following the debacle.
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-mn) and Mike Lee (R-Ut) say they will be looking into the lack of competition in the ticketing industry. “The high fees, site disruptions and cancellations that customers experienced shows how Ticketmaster’s dominant market position means the company does not face any pressure to continually innovate and improve,” says Klobuchar.
On Nov. 15, Ticketmaster experienced issues and site slowdowns during Swift’s presale for verified fans. The company sold two million tickets during the presale but continued to have problems the following days, which resulted in Ticketmaster canceling the general sale,...
- 11/23/2022
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Update: Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) is following through on plans to hold a U.S. Senate antitrust panel hearing into the lack of competition in the ticketing industry. Public outrcry over the issue has reached a crescendo in recent days after the fiasco of Ticketmaster’s chaotic handling of the upcoming Taylor Swift tour.
“The high fees, site disruptions and cancellations that customers experienced shows how Ticketmaster’s dominant market position means the company does not face any pressure to continually innovate and improve,” said Klobuchar, chair of the antitrust panel, in a statement Tuesday. “We will hold a hearing on how consolidation in the live entertainment and ticketing industry harms customers and artists alike.”
Neither Klobuchar nor Republican panel member Sen. Mike Lee disclosed a hearing date or specified potential witnesses, according to Reuters.
Ticketmaster responded in a statement that it continues to abide by a 2010 consent decree with the Justice Department,...
“The high fees, site disruptions and cancellations that customers experienced shows how Ticketmaster’s dominant market position means the company does not face any pressure to continually innovate and improve,” said Klobuchar, chair of the antitrust panel, in a statement Tuesday. “We will hold a hearing on how consolidation in the live entertainment and ticketing industry harms customers and artists alike.”
Neither Klobuchar nor Republican panel member Sen. Mike Lee disclosed a hearing date or specified potential witnesses, according to Reuters.
Ticketmaster responded in a statement that it continues to abide by a 2010 consent decree with the Justice Department,...
- 11/23/2022
- by Bruce Haring and Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Live Nation and Ticketmaster are once again facing severe backlash from music fans, this time following the disastrous on-sale period for Taylor Swift’s upcoming Eras tour that left thousands of Swifties angry as Ticketmaster’s website glitched and crashed due to the overwhelming demand for tickets.
Customers lamented the same issues they’ve had for years with Ticketmaster, drawing in attention from politicians who are looking for answers. Last week, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) sent a letter to Live Nation entertainment CEO Michael Rapino voicing her antitrust concerns. Last Friday,...
Customers lamented the same issues they’ve had for years with Ticketmaster, drawing in attention from politicians who are looking for answers. Last week, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) sent a letter to Live Nation entertainment CEO Michael Rapino voicing her antitrust concerns. Last Friday,...
- 11/22/2022
- by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
- Rollingstone.com
Click here to read the full article.
The breakdown in Ticketmaster’s sales of Taylor Swift tickets is a mess some attorneys general aren’t shaking off.
With fans sharing outrage and heartache over the fruitless hours they spent trying for seats for Swift’s upcoming concert tour, top legal chiefs in Nevada, Tennessee and Pennsylvania have launched investigations into the fiasco.
“Trouble, trouble, trouble,” tweeted Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro in a reference to Swift’s 2012 hit song ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’ as he asked the public to file complaints about using Ticketmaster with his office.
Shapiro, a Democrat who recently won Pennsylvania’s governor race, has since thanked people for their “swift response” while noting his office had received “a lot of complaints” to look into.
Over in Tennessee, Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said he wants to ensure consumers have a fair shot at buying tickets.
“There...
The breakdown in Ticketmaster’s sales of Taylor Swift tickets is a mess some attorneys general aren’t shaking off.
With fans sharing outrage and heartache over the fruitless hours they spent trying for seats for Swift’s upcoming concert tour, top legal chiefs in Nevada, Tennessee and Pennsylvania have launched investigations into the fiasco.
“Trouble, trouble, trouble,” tweeted Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro in a reference to Swift’s 2012 hit song ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’ as he asked the public to file complaints about using Ticketmaster with his office.
Shapiro, a Democrat who recently won Pennsylvania’s governor race, has since thanked people for their “swift response” while noting his office had received “a lot of complaints” to look into.
Over in Tennessee, Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said he wants to ensure consumers have a fair shot at buying tickets.
“There...
- 11/20/2022
- by the Associated Press
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Hours after Taylor Swift blasted Ticketmaster over the disastrous ticket rollout for The Eras Tour, the company issued an apology to both the singer and her fans.
“We strive to make ticket buying as easy as possible for fans, but that hasn’t been the case for many people trying to buy tickets for Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour,” the company said in a statement Friday night.
“First, we want to apologize to Taylor and all of her fans – especially those who had a terrible experience trying to purchase tickets.
“We strive to make ticket buying as easy as possible for fans, but that hasn’t been the case for many people trying to buy tickets for Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour,” the company said in a statement Friday night.
“First, we want to apologize to Taylor and all of her fans – especially those who had a terrible experience trying to purchase tickets.
- 11/19/2022
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
The Justice Department is investigating whether Ticketmaster’s parent company Live Nation has abused its power as the dominant force in the live music industry, The New York Times reports.
News of the investigation broke at the end of a chaotic week for Ticketmaster, which was unable to handle the massive demand for tickets for Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour.” The Swift debacle, however, is just the latest instance where Ticketmaster/Live Nation has garnered scrutiny, with similar chaos and frustrations over wait times and price mark-ups surrounding ticket sales...
News of the investigation broke at the end of a chaotic week for Ticketmaster, which was unable to handle the massive demand for tickets for Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour.” The Swift debacle, however, is just the latest instance where Ticketmaster/Live Nation has garnered scrutiny, with similar chaos and frustrations over wait times and price mark-ups surrounding ticket sales...
- 11/18/2022
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Live Nation Entertainment, the parent company of Ticketmaster, is the focus of an antitrust investigation that predates the Taylor Swift ticket snafu this week, according to a report.
The investigation, according to The New York Times, is focusing on whether the company has abused its market power in the live events business.
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill already have been calling for closer scrutiny of Live Nation’s business practices. And in the wake of Ticketmaster’s website breakdown during ticket pre-sales earlier this week, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Mn) fired off a letter to Live Nation Entertainment CEO Michael Rapino expressing “serious concerns about the state of competition in the ticketing industry and its harmful impact on consumers.”
A DOJ spokesperson declined comment. A Live Nation spokesperson also did not have comment.
Live Nation is under a consent decree from its 2010 merger with Ticketmaster, put in place as part of...
The investigation, according to The New York Times, is focusing on whether the company has abused its market power in the live events business.
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill already have been calling for closer scrutiny of Live Nation’s business practices. And in the wake of Ticketmaster’s website breakdown during ticket pre-sales earlier this week, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Mn) fired off a letter to Live Nation Entertainment CEO Michael Rapino expressing “serious concerns about the state of competition in the ticketing industry and its harmful impact on consumers.”
A DOJ spokesperson declined comment. A Live Nation spokesperson also did not have comment.
Live Nation is under a consent decree from its 2010 merger with Ticketmaster, put in place as part of...
- 11/18/2022
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Taylor Swift is speaking out against Ticketmaster after fans experienced problems buying tickets to her upcoming Eras tour.
Ticketmaster experienced errors and site slowdowns on Tuesday during its Taylor Swift presale for verified fans. The site sold 2 million tickets during the presale, a record for a single artist in a day, but continued to experience technical issues with its Capital One sale Wednesday due to high demand. Ticketmaster then canceled the general sale Friday “due to extraordinarily high demands on ticketing systems and insufficient remaining ticket inventory to meet that demand.”
“I’m not going to make excuses for anyone because we asked them, multiple times, if they could handle this kind of demand and we were assured they could,” Swift wrote on Instagram. “It’s truly amazing that 2.4 million people got tickets, but it really pisses me off that a lot of...
Taylor Swift is speaking out against Ticketmaster after fans experienced problems buying tickets to her upcoming Eras tour.
Ticketmaster experienced errors and site slowdowns on Tuesday during its Taylor Swift presale for verified fans. The site sold 2 million tickets during the presale, a record for a single artist in a day, but continued to experience technical issues with its Capital One sale Wednesday due to high demand. Ticketmaster then canceled the general sale Friday “due to extraordinarily high demands on ticketing systems and insufficient remaining ticket inventory to meet that demand.”
“I’m not going to make excuses for anyone because we asked them, multiple times, if they could handle this kind of demand and we were assured they could,” Swift wrote on Instagram. “It’s truly amazing that 2.4 million people got tickets, but it really pisses me off that a lot of...
- 11/18/2022
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Updated, 9:27 Am: Taylor Swift has responded to Ticketmaster’s announcement Thursday that it is cancelling the public ticket sale for her Eras Tour amid overwhelming demand that led to technical problems. “I’m not going to make excuses for anyone because we asked [Ticketmaster], multiple times, if they could handle this kind of demand and we were assured they could,” she wrote on Instagram. Read details below.
Here is her full statement:
“Well. It goes without saying that I’m extremely protective of my fans. We’ve been doing this for decades together and over the years, I’ve brought so many elements of my career in house. I’ve done this Specifically to improve the quality of my fans’ experience by doing it myself with my team who care as much about my fans as I do. It’s really difficult for me to trust an outside entity with these relationships and loyalties,...
Here is her full statement:
“Well. It goes without saying that I’m extremely protective of my fans. We’ve been doing this for decades together and over the years, I’ve brought so many elements of my career in house. I’ve done this Specifically to improve the quality of my fans’ experience by doing it myself with my team who care as much about my fans as I do. It’s really difficult for me to trust an outside entity with these relationships and loyalties,...
- 11/18/2022
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
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