Azoff & Rapino address issues

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK: Live Nation Entertainment toppers Michael Rapino and Irving Azoff addressed the media firestorm that has continued to focus on the concert power’s problems this summer, knocking 21% off the stock price last week, the L.A. Times reported. "The press has implied the sky is falling," and has "scared about every artist" out of touring in the fourth quarter, Rapino told Wall Street investors last Thursday. At the same time, he acknowledged that LNE’s operating income for 2010 will be down significantly from that of 2009, perhaps by as much as $80 million, while Ticketmaster's sales are down about 12% from last year. Journey, Kenny Chesney, Neil Diamond, Van Halen and Fleetwood Mac were among the artists cited by Azoff as plotting outings in 2011. He added that Christina Aguilera, whose 2010 summer tour was taken off the docket, would be on the road next year. He also noted that more dates are on the horizon from the cast of Glee. (7/19a)