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,
"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 (
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 (
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 (
Former Taipei Arena general manager Lin Ker-mo (
Democratic Progressive Party Taipei City Councilor Chuang Rei-hsiung (
"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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