Consumers Nationwide Speak With One Voice on Ticketmaster-Live Nation Merger

Consumers Nationwide Speak With One Voice on Ticketmaster-Live Nation Merger

Nearly 25,000 Ask Department of Justice to Block the Deal

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The members of the TicketDisaster.org coalition today announced that nearly 25,000 consumers have directly contacted the Department of Justice (DOJ), urging the Antitrust Division to listen to their collective voice and block the Ticketmaster-Live Nation merger.

"This unprecedented groundswell of consumer outrage should make it loud and clear to the DOJ that consumers nationwide want this merger to be blocked," said Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of the National Consumers League, a founding member of the coalition. "Consumers can spot a raw deal when they see one, and this merger is exactly that -- a combination of two market behemoths that would result in higher prices, more outrageous fees, and less choice."

Public interest groups, Members of Congress, concert promoters, talent agents, artists, managers, venue owners and operators, ticket brokers, and everyday Americans have all mobilized to oppose the proposed merger. This diverse coalition has raised its voice because they realize that if Ticketmaster and Live Nation are allowed to merge, they will dominate the live event industry, giving the new company unprecedented control over pricing and access. The ultimate result will be higher prices for tickets, less choice of venue for artists and fans alike, and a continuation of the years of poor customer service from the two companies.

In just a few short weeks, the member organizations of the TicketDisaster.org coalition have mobilized tens of thousands of consumers via online petitions, e-mail outreach, online social networks, and word-of-mouth to take action. "This is just the beginning," said Greenberg. "In huge numbers, consumers who are already struggling to make ends meet in a difficult economy are telling the DOJ that 'enough is enough,' and that they do not want even more of their hard-earned entertainment dollars going to line the pockets of a huge new live event industry conglomerate."

The coalition urged consumers who want to become active in the fight to block the merger to sign on to the coalition's online petition and sign up for updates at www.ticketdisaster.org. In this way, they can let Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust Christine Varney know that the right course of action is to block the merger.

For more information, visit www.ticketdisaster.org.

About TicketDisaster.org

TicketDisaster.org is a coalition of public interest groups, ticket brokers, and independent venue owners and promoters united in opposition to the proposed Ticketmaster-Live Nation merger. Coalition members include the American Antitrust Institute, Consumer Action, Consumer Federation of America, I.M.P. Productions Chairman Seth Hurwitz (representing independent venue owners), the National Association of Ticket Brokers, the National Consumers League and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (USPIRG).

Source: TicketDisaster.org

CONTACT: John Breyault of National Consumers League, +1-202-207-2819,
johnb@nclnet.org; or Shannon Flaherty, +1-202-347-6762,
sflaherty@theheraldgroup.com, for National Association of Ticket Brokers

Web Site: http://www.ticketdisaster.org/

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