Green wants city to get hip to Downie concert Aug. 20
Wants live-stream at Gage Park; but Skelly says no way
Coun. Matthew Green wants the city to livestream a nationally televised Tragically Hip concert in Gage Park next month.
The Hip’s final “Man Machine Poem” concert Aug. 20 in Kingston will be broadcast on CBC television.
The rock band is making what’s expected to be its final tour with frontman Gord Downie, who is battling terminal brain cancer.
But many fans were left without tickets after scalpers using computer software gobbled them up.
Green’s motion asks city staff to “urgently explore” the possibility of buying public broadcast rights to live-stream the Aug. 20 show at Gage Park or another city-owned venue.
He also asks that staff report back on a “cost recovery strategy for the lowest possible ticket price” for the public.
Coun. Donna Skelly, responding to Green’s email announcing his motion, rejects the city’s involvement, arguing securing broadcast rights could be a costly exercise best left to the private sector.
“We should not use taxpayers’ money asking staff to look into something that does not fall under our mandate,” Skelly wrote.
“I think we should leave it to the professionals,” she added.
Green responded that other municipalities across Canada are hoping to live-stream the concert.
“In fact, it is my understanding that the band is actually hopeful that the public can come together around this tour through the CBC Live Stream and their management team is open to working with interested partners.”
The motion is expected to be presented at council on Wednesday.