Concert ticket giant Ticketmaster and the world’s largest concert promoter, Live Nation have proposed a merger that would see many music industry services — ticketing, promotion, venues and artist representation — combined in one company. On February 24, 2009, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the matter that included representatives from both Ticketmaster and Live Nation, as well as the independent promotions/ticketing and public interest sectors. The House Judiciary Committee took up the issue on February 26, 2009. In the interest of providing a balanced look at the possible pros and cons of the proposal, FMC solicited statements from experts on both sides of the debate, which are included here. read more