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Topic: No Simulcast for Edmonton! Return to archive
07-24-03 07:47 AM
Lazy Bones Thursday, July 24, 2003

No Stones simulcast
Price tag, competition to much for mayor
By ANDREA SANDS -- Edmonton Sun

EDMONTON -- Mayor Bill Smith pulled the plug on the Rolling Stones yesterday after learning Skyreach Centre wouldn't be the only spot Edmontonians could catch Wednesday's show.

But news Smith has cancelled plans for a simultaneous broadcast here of the band's SARS benefit concert in Toronto was welcomed by some city councillors.

Ward 1 councillors Karen Leibovici and Stephen Mandel, and Ward 2 Coun. Ron Hayter said yesterday they likely wouldn't have supported spending thousands of dollars of city money on the event.

"I was quite concerned that the mayor initially said we'll probably go ahead with it," said Hayter. "Well, you know, he can't do that without the approval of council, and I think most council members would have been as leery as I was about trying to organize this event on such short notice."

Smith rushed to start arranging the free show after hearing Monday that Calgary's mayor is organizing a Rolling Stones broadcast there.

Edmonton hadn't yet established the costs attached to a show here, but Calgary expects to spend up to $50,000 to air the live concert at the Saddledome July 30, free of charge.

That price tag had Mandel and Leibovici wondering about the concert's worth.

"I wouldn't have supported it, no," Mandel said. "It's a lot of money - money we don't have."

The payoff for Alberta's beef industry from a SARS benefit show would have been questionable, Leibovici added.

"Just to spend $50,000 to say we're supporting the industry and not having any results, I don't think that's justified."

But Smith said yesterday the city abandoned efforts to secure the rights to simulcast the Stones performance after learning MuchMusic and the CBC intend to air concert highlights.

"When it was confirmed that we would not have exclusivity to it, that changed the whole focus of having the concert," Smith explained.

"The upside to it is the fact that I'll be declaring August Alberta Beef Month, and there are two major events planned."

That's something all three councillors said they can support.

The city is making special plans to highlight the Alberta beef industry at the Aug. 23 Canadian Derby in Northlands Park and during Commonwealth Stadium's 25th anniversary celebrations at the Aug. 9 Edmonton Eskimos game.

"We want to be able to do all we can to draw focus to what's happening (to the beef industry), and it's absolutely ridiculous what's happening to them," Smith said. "This disease is worldwide and it always has been."

And Smith is doing his part to boost the beef industry. "We had hamburgers last night, steak the night before, hamburgers before that," he laughed.