Ticketmaster Entertainment Inc. merger with Live Nation fair to investors? Investigation Announced

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) February 10, 2009 --

While Ticketmaster Entertainment Inc was hit with a C$500 million ($410 million) lawsuit in Canada and a lawsuit in US on Monday, concert promoter Live Nation Inc. and ticketing giant Ticketmaster Entertainment Inc. announced today Ticketmaster shareholders would receive 1.384 shares of Live Nation stock for each share of Ticketmaster they hold. Ticketmaster shareholders would hold 50.01 percent of the new company, while Live Nation shareholders would have 49.99 percent. Considering the market price for Live Nation stock from today of $4.89 Ticketmaster shareholder would receive an equivalent of about $6.77 for each TKTM share they hold. In addition an investigation was announced on behalf of Ticketmaster Entertainment Inc (NASDAQ:TKTM) investors alleging that the transaction is unfair, given that, among other things, Ticketmaster shares traded above $10.00 as recently as November 2008.


If you are a current investor in Ticketmaster Entertainment Inc (NASDAQ:TKTM) or a current shareholder in Live Nation Inc (NYSE:LYV), you have certain options and if you want to stay informed about the deal and the lawsuit in Canada you should contact the Shareholders Foundation, Inc. at

Email: mail@shareholdersfoundation.com

or

phone: (858) 779 – 1554

In addition the Shareholders Foundation, Inc. has set up a poll for Live Nation Inc investors and Ticketmaster Entertainment Inc shareholder whether they think the offer is fair. Go to

www.ShareholdersFoundation.com

The companies estimated the value of the combined business at $2.5 billion and said the deal would help them save about $40 million annually. . The boards of both companies have approved the transaction.
But the deal was generating controversy even before it was announced.

Addressing antitrust concerns Ticketmaster Chairman Barry Diller said "Ticketmaster does not set prices. Live Nation does not set ticket prices. Artists set the prices," without mentioning the ticket surcharges Ticketmaster relies on for much of its revenue. Assuming it gets approval by antitrust authorities, the companies hope to complete the merger in the second half of the year.

However, the merger comes just as Ticketmaster is under fire for recently redirecting people buying tickets to a Bruce Springsteen show from its regular Web site to its reselling subsidiary, TicketsNow. Ticketmaster was hit on Monday with a US lawsuit complaining about the company’s sales practices for redirecting fans, including those trying to buy Springsteen tickets Feb. 2, to TicketsNow.com where the tickets were marked up by hundreds and even thousands of dollars. In the complaint filed Feb. 6 in Los Angeles Federal Court the plaintiff alleges that Ticketmaster gets a 15 per cent cut from TicketsNow, which it owns. “Ticketmaster profits twice as the result of the monopolistic scheme,” so the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified monetary damages.

For more information please visit us at www.ShareholdersFoundation.com

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