What definition of "news" justifies today's N&R front-pager on the availability of tickets to the upcoming Paul McCartney concert at the Coliseum?

Here's the hard-hitting lede:

Haven’t snapped up tickets yet to Paul McCartney’s Oct. 30 first-ever concert at the Greensboro Coliseum?

With a little luck and a lot of cash, it’s not too late.

Tickets still are available but are going fast — even with a top price of $250 plus fees at Ticketmaster.com [N&R web story includes live link to Ticketmaster website].

And seat choices are narrowing, particularly for the least-expensive $59.50 seats.

There are some tidbits about the concert biz that would fit into an article on that topic, but this is mostly a breathless gush of advertising.

Concerns about the relationship between the paper and the local arts community (see previous post and comments) are looking all the more reasonable today.

Previously: Front-page advertiser fluffing, retail division. 

Comments

[Liv]

Is it really an ad? Are they being paid for it... or is it just a crap day for journalism?

[Don Moore]

It will be news if the Coliseum pulls its advertising from the paper.

However, people are talking about the concert and ticket sales. People I talked to over the holiday weekend talked more about the concert than other items on the front page.

[Brian Clarey]

The coliseum rarely pays for advertising. They do trade.

[Triadwatch]

This from my blog in past on bartering

Greensboro News and Record Barter Agreement With Greensboro Coliseum

The Greensboro Coliseum has barter agreements with some local companies and with the last Greensboro City Council meeting on 7-20-2010 they were funding a new facility called the VIP Room. It was pointed out on another post at TRIADWATCH CLICKHERE about questions for Coliseum Director Matt Brown in regards to bartering services and construction jobs at the coliseum . This post and other post in the coming days will show you what we received in a open records request under North Carolina state law inquiry into the barter agreements at the Greensboro Coliseum.

Part #1 WFMY News 2 CLICKHERE

Part #2 Greensboro News and Record

As you can see from the above barter and trade agreement the Greensboro News and Record has around a $125,000 agreement with the Greensboro Coliseum that had a addendum for this past year . One of the contracts is from July of 2009 to June of 2010 which totaled $90,000 in trade/sponsorship/branding agreement . This agreement seems like a weekly advertisement in the Thursday edition of paper called GOTRIAD worth $77,939 along with having online trade for $12,061 for a total of $90,000.

The Greensboro News and Record will get in return
4 Carlyle Club memberships($3,000 per) = $12,000
12 Broadway Series Tickets ($300 per)=$3,600
Advance Box Office Signage ($25,000)
Concourse Signage ($8,000)
LED Storyboard ($10,000)
two portable Kiosks ($1,400)

NIE donation ($5,000 to be used for Dec 30, 2009: the remainder by April 30, 2010)= $10,000
Greensboro News and Record has open access in parking and lobby areas to sell newspapers.

GRAND TOTAL= $90,000

If you would like to see what the Carlyle Club looks like CLICKHERE , it is now called "The Club" because Carlyle & Co is no longer in existence as a local high end jeweler in the area.

The Club

We invite individuals and corporations to become members of Greensboro's exclusive sports and entertainment club and experience all the Coliseum has to offer from reserved premium Club level seats.

Your membership to The Club includes these exclusive privileges:

• A luxuriously upholstered arena seat in the carpeted prime mid-court or end-court upper level Club sections

• Professional wait staff service at your premium Club seat

• Complimentary tickets* to major Coliseum events

• VIP parking and private Club entrance

• Full access to Club facilities, including bar/lounge/dining area and private restrooms.

• Buffet service for Club Members only

Look for more post in the coming days on other local companies who barter and have advertising agreements with the Greensboro Coliseum.

[Ed Cone]

Nothing wrong with the N&R getting paid -- in cash or otherwise -- for advertising by the Coliseum.

Something very wrong with the news judgement that allows a front-page headline reading "Tickets still available for Paul McCartney," followed by what can only be described as a sales pitch.

[David Wharton]

I thought the list of best-selling concerts in the story was rather sad. In the 70's, the Coliseum was able to attract current, A-list acts like Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones. Now, it's the A-listers from 40 years ago. I mean, I love McCartney and Steely Dan, and Hall and Oates, and the O'Jays, and Crosby, Stills & Nash, but ...

[Andrew Brod]

Would you even know the A-list acts of today? Not sure I would.

[Joe Killian]

Yeah - I think that may be more of a function of the A-list acts from 40 years ago having the audience base that can fill the coliseum and are willing (and able) to pay the expensive ticket prices of a giant tour in places like the coliseum.

If you look at last year's top 10 U.S. concert draws, according to Billboard, there are a lot of people who have been in the biz for at least 30 years and the younger acts have all played the coliseum -- but may not have sold as many $100-plus tickets:

1. Bon Jovi

2. Cirque Du Soleil (Michael Jackson Immortal Tour)

3. Pink (Has played the Coliseum)

4. Rihanna (Has played the Coliseum)

5. The Rolling Stones

6. Taylor Swift (Has played the Coliseum)

7. Beyonce (Has played the Coliseum)

8. Depeche Mode

9. Kenny Chesney (Has played the Coliseum)

[Andrew Brod]

It's true that the economics of concerts and touring has changed over the last 30 years.

[Joe Killian]

Most of the people I know who are my age or younger are more excited by acts like OK GO or Tune Yards at the Cat's Cradle, The Handsome Family or Of Montreal at the Cat's Cradle than most of the acts at the Coliseum.

I've been in Greensboro for 14 years and I think I've seen two actual music acts at the Coliseum.

Some of the larger acts I'd like to have seen -- I just couldn't justify the price of the tickets in my 20s.

Last year the average price for a ticket on Paul McCartney's Out There! Tour was $241 (according to Forbes). A pair of tickets would have been $482 - which is only a little less than my wife and I paid to fly to New York City and see a Broadway show that won three Tonys this year.

Some of the bigger young acts are worse. The average ticket price for Beyonce's last tour was $294. Justin Timberlake: $339.

[David Wharton]

Joe, good point. Rock 'n' Roll is really most sincerely dead.

[Joe Killian]

Oops - in the above example I should have said that Of Montral and the Handsome family came to the Blind Tiger, not the Cat's Cradle.

[Ed Cone]

Definitely a good article to be written about the changing economics of the touring industry and the role of the Coliseum complex in that tough business.

Part two is on the rest of the live music scene, from Chapel Hill to Winston-Salem, with a focus on the business in GSO and why places like Flying Anvil didn't work. Assess economic impact etc.

All that as part of the ongoing series on the entertainment business and its role in our local economy.

More work than "Tix still available, click this link" but slightly better journalism.

[Joe Killian]

Will be doing some writing about the Coliseum when I get back to my duties on the city beat after July 15. Until then I've been assigned to the 6th District Congressional race. Will keep this threat in mind when writing future stories, though.

[Ed Cone]

Thanks, Joe. And I hope your last sentence meant to say "thread," not "threat."

[Billy Jones]

Would selling, bartering or otherwise trading advertising on the front page be any worse than being paid to write articles elsewhere in the paper (see ArtsGreensboro) or are we just outraged that advertising has finally breached the most valuable piece of real estate the News & Record owns? I submit that the former, the ArtsGReensboro deal was a far greater blow to objective journalism than placing the print version of billboards in the front yard at the News & Record.

Advertising invades everything but at least we recognize it as advertising. The ArtsGreensboro deal-- advertising disguised as journalism-- is by far more sinister.

[Joe Killian]

Ha!

Yes, thread.

[Triadwatch]

Will news and record report on their own bartering with coliseum in report by ok joe