TICKETMASTER LOSES OLYMPIC TICKET CONTRACT

     Pro-Tix, a ticketing network run by Prologue Systems of
Madison, WI, has beaten out Ticketmaster in a bid to manage the
sale of Olympic tickets.  Prologue is expected to join a group of
companies that "could include" Olympic sponsor IBM in managing
the sale of the more than 11M Olympic tickets.  ACOG negotiated
with Ticketmaster "on and off" for more than two years, but was
never able to reach a deal.  They were also "concerned" that the
Justice Department's investigation into Ticketmaster's pricing
policies would create an "un-Olympic" image for the company.
Industry experts cautioned that the project is a "huge
undertaking," and that Pro-Tix, with only 16 employees and $1.5M
in annual revenue has never been involved in such a large
project.  Ticketmaster VP Alan Citron says Pro-Tix's Olympic
involvement proves that his company does not have a monopoly.
Bill Wood, a consumer advocate with the U.S. Public Interest
Research Group, a D.C.-group that has criticized pricing in the
ticketing industry, says Ticketmaster's non-involvement could
lead to lower prices (Melissa Turner, ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 2/4).