One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Government Now Investigating Ticketmaster
Photo by Sapphireblue via Flickr
Ticketmaster has been served...with subpoenas. "Four government agencies in the U.S. and Canada, including the Justice Department, are investigating the West Hollywood company's activities in reselling concert tickets," explains LA Biz Observed. The inquiry is to uncover information pertaining to their work with ticket brokers, "including the names of every broker who resells tickets on its TicketsNow site." Use of sites like TicketsNow--a "secondary ticket service"--can be described as essentially "a legal form of scalping, in which the ticket seller splits a commission with a Web site that facilitates the transaction." Precisely what specifics are being pursued in the investigation, or what precipitated the move to investigate, is not know, but it may be because of recent ticketing scandals affiliated with a recent Bruce Springsteen concert.
Adds LA Biz's blogger: "Ticketmaster's proposed merger with concert promoter Live Nation is already under review by the Justice Department's antitrust division."
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
