Ticketmaster + Live Nation = The Devil!!!!!

Besides stifling competition (what little left there is of it), the proposed (and some now say inevitable) merger between Ticketmaster and Live Nation will effectively price a large majority of concert fans right out of the venue come show time. Note Live Nation's increasing reliance on charging "ticketing fees" up to 1/3 the face value of the ticket price (and this does not include the mandatory $4-$8 charge per ticket for parking at company-owned venues) making one already misty for the days of Ticketmaster's 10-15% service charges.    

For more on this troubling situation see:

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1903447,00.html

http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/live-nation-ticketmaster-deal-should-not-proceed-report-says/?scp=9&sq=ticketmaster%20live%20nation&st=cse

http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2009/02/live_nation_and_ticketmaster_i.html