A show by overseas Vietnamese singer Che Linh was cancelled due to official licensing disagreements.
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| Che Linh had to be hospitalised because from shock after learning about the programme cancellation. |
The show, approved by the Performing Arts Agency, under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, was cancelled by the municipal Department of Tourism, Sports and Tourism for spurious reasons.
Right hand slaps left hand
The Performing Arts Agency has the authority to license shows, but only be with the agreement of the local Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
On October 17 the Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism decided not to give a license for Che Linh's November 12th concert, but the show went on anyway.
According to the department, the reason for their disapproval was that the organiser, the Bich Ngoc Entertainment Company had violated advertising regulations by putting up posters which had content that differed from that which they had submitted.
Just two days later, the Performing Arts Agency gave a license for the same show to new organisers: Viet Bac Folk Music Theatre and Quyen Gia Binh Co., Ltd.
According to Pho Duc Phuong, Director of the Centre for Protection of Music Copyright, these promoters also failed to pay the VND90 million(USD4,036) in copyright fees.
Even after these licensing concerns in Hanoi, the Performing Arts Agency approved Che Linh's show on November 19 in Ho Chi Minh City, run by the same promoters.
However, the HCM City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism refused license for the show because “It was inappropriate to the city’s current social situation.”
Promoters lose out
The cancellation led to a loss of billions of VND for the organisers, who had to refund ticket prices.
One member of the organising board said that Che Linh had to be hospitalised because from shock after learning about the programme cancellation.
Need for coordination
To Van Dong, Spokesman of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said that the laws concerning licensing of concerts is outdated and contains contradictions. In his opinion, these laws are out of date.
After the show's cancellation, a representative agency from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Ho Chi Minh City sent a letter saying that, "The discrepancy in the authority of licensing of performances has put pressure on the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. It has brought the attention from a number of media sources on the disagreements between ministries at the local and national level."
Official document cancelling the show on November 19
Show announced cancelled (photo by Vnexpress)
Ticket refund (photo by Vnexpress)
