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Taipei City Government to cut arena rental fees

The Taipei City Government yesterday declared it will cut the rental fee at the Taipei Arena and pledged to follow the timetable for shows that were already scheduled to protect the interests of both companies and audiences.

The new rental fee for preparation prior to the performance is between NT$90,000 (US$2,722) and NT$300,000 per day according to different time slots, compared with a NT$500,000 flat rate per day under the management of the Eastern Multimedia Group (EMG, 東森多媒體). The location fee for performances remained the same, the government said.

"The Taipei Arena is the property of all residents. We will end the EMG's monopolized management, set reasonable prices and make the scheduling process transparent," Taipei City Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Lee Yong-ping (李永萍) said yesterday, while presiding over a negotiation meeting with companies which signed contracts with the arena.

The city government took over the arena from scandal-ridden EMG last month and formed a special team led by Taipei City Secretariat Deputy Director Yang Hsi-an (楊錫安) to run the arena for one year before finding a new operator through a new public tender.

Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) yesterday announced that Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation vice president Tan Kuo-kuang (譚國光) will serve as the director of the arena and promised to ensure the customer interests and help them to get compensation from EMG if necessary.

Attending the negotiation meeting, Yu Kung (余光), publisher of Yu Kung Music Magazine and organizer of many music events, including a Kenny G performance in March, supported the city government's proposed rates, and said the ticket price can be cut 10 percent to 15 percent thanks to the reduced fee.

"The rental fee is reasonable, and although the price is still higher compared to many other auditoriums, I prefer to organize my events at the arena because of its great location," Yu said.

Another pioneering promoter of music, Hsu Po-yun (許博允), criticized the EMG as a "culture bully," while urging the city government to strengthen the basic infrastructures inside the arena to reduce the burden for event organizers.

Former Taipei Arena general manager Lin Ker-mo (林克謨) yesterday showed up at the meeting to protest against the city government taking over the arena.

Democratic Progressive Party Taipei City Councilor Chuang Rei-hsiung (莊瑞雄) further challenged Hau's decision to invite Tan to manage the arena.

"The TRTC messed up the management of the Maokong gondola system. How will Tan be able to take care of the management of the arena?" he said.

Lee said the city government will hold public hearings to discuss the rental fee policy and scheduling details with companies.
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