Live Nation and Ticketmaster...Trouble in Paradise?

The proposed merger between entertainment giants Live Nation and Ticketmaster may be hitting a bump in the road.  A legal bump that is.  Members of the Senate antitrust subcommittee, as well as over 50 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, have called upon the merger to be closely scrutinized by the Justice Department. 
 
In a letter to Christine Varney, head of the Justice Department’s antitrust division, Rep. Bill Pascrell expressed his concern on behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives.
 
"Consumers, business managers, artists, independent promoters, and music fans in every state are likely to suffer if the merger is allowe to occur. We urge you to give this transaction the closest possible scrutiny and provide citizens the antitrust protection they deserve," said Pascrell. 
 
In a similar statement, Senator Herb Kohl also submitted comments to Varney on behalf of the Senate antitrust committee.
 
"I... urge the Justice Department to carefully scrutinize each of these issues under the antitrust laws, and only approve the merger should it determine that the transaction is unlikely to lead to higher prices for consumers," wrote Kohl.
 
The U.S. government is not the only voice against the pending merger.  After a ticketing fiasco involving Ticketmaster this past year, superstar Bruce Springsteen spoke out against the deal.  And the merger is already under the watchful eye of Britian’s Office of Fair Trading, who has opened an investigation on the matter. 
 
Live Nation Chief Executive Michael Rapino said in mid-July that he expected the merger to close by the end of the year.