(CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — After about 1,900 people were tricked into buying tickets to a phony concert advertised on San Angelo, Texas radio station KIXY-FM, the station’s parent company, Foster Communications, is stepping in to foot the bill for refunds to ticket buyers.
The “Jingle Ball Jam” concert, which was supposed to feature Ashanti, Chris Brown and Twista on December 30th at the San Angelo Coliseum, heavily advertised its $25 tickets, and promised free ringtones and “workout sweat towels” to the first 1,000 through the door, according to the San Angelo Standard Times.
Fred Key, executive officer of Foster Communications, told the paper that a concert promoter named Skip Stein paid to advertise for the concert on KIXY.
“We just want to do what we can to take care of ticket buyers,” Key said, in regards to paying the refunds. He said his company will pay out approximately $24,000 in refunds.
Two ticket outlets gave Foster Communications about $16,000 earned from sales to help in the refund process. A man reportedly entered the ticket outlets and collected about $40,000 in ticket sale money on Wednesday, December 28th.
Daryl Martinez, a manager of one of the ticket outlets, told the paper that when a similarly dressed man came to his store to collect money, he asked that it be paid in $100 bills because those would be easier to count.
Martinez said he had asked the man about Twista’s concert schedule because he had read that the rapper would be performing in New York City on New Year’s Eve. Martinez said the man replied that Twista had been offered more money to perform a concert in Dallas and agreed to make a stop in San Angelo.
“He was a straight talker,” Martinez said.
Although Foster Communications plans to refund ticket holders, Key said the company’s only involvement was airing the paid advertisements for the concert.
“We don’t investigate any of our advertisers,” he told the paper.
San Angelo police Chief Tim Vasquez said the department was currently investigating the incident, and that the FBI may become involved. –by CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
