Live Nation won't be assuming control of the iconic Greek Theatre in Los Angeles anytime soon, as the City Council voted overwhelmingly to reject the recommendation of the city's Department of Recreation and Parks recommendation to accept. The concert promoter is battling the union of AEG/Nederlander for long-term control of the venue (from Billboard).
This doesn't mean that AEG/Nederlander has "won" anything...in fact that pairing should still be considered the underdog in the bidding process. However an independent consultant reviewed the bids from both companies during 2014 and gave a far superior rating to Live Nation. The fact that city council didn't view things the same way may pressure the Department of Recreation to reconsider what may have slipped through, thus giving new life to the AEG campaign.
And indeed, the process is a campaign. This week featured hundreds of commenters, all legally allowed to give up to one minute of testimony before the council, showing and making their opinions heard. The two parties dressed to show their respective support: Live Nation fans opted for red, while AEG/Nederlander supporters wore green, making the chambers a Christmas party several months too late.
The exact details of what swayed the council's decision away from the recommendation of the DRP isn't clear, but the losing party suggested that the consultant didn't "compare apples to apples." The city's Arts, Parks, Health, Aging & River Committee also reviewed the DRP's findings and voted 4-1 in disagreement, a vote that in all likelihood influenced the city council's 11-3 vote against.
None of this necessarily means anything however, as only the Department of Recreation can make the final decision to award the contract, something it could theoretically do, and Live Nation implied that it should in a statement.
"Fortunately, only the Board of Recreation and Parks Commissioners can award the contract, and they have unanimously voted in favor of Live Nation," the promoter said in a statement. "Now that this City Council has given its opinion, the process calls for Recreation and Parks staff to negotiate a contract with Live Nation."
