Congress Approved $15 Billion to Save Entertainment Venues – Why Has Not a Penny Been Spent So Far?

Lobbyists for the entertainment industry cheered a $15 billion bailout for music venues and other independent entertainment outlets closed by the pandemic, which Congress passed in late December and President Trump signed into law in January. But relief has turned to frustration, as not a single penny from the Save Our Stages Act has been sent out yet. “We honestly don’t know how much longer we’re going to have to wait,” said Audrey Schaefer of the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), a group created during the pandemic to lobby for federal aid. “Thousands of live venues need the money fast, and for many others it’s now too late.” The Small Business Association (SBA), which was charged with disbursing funds to independent cinemas, performing arts groups, music venues, museums and theatrical producers, has not even opened the application process for receiving grants. Only last week, the SBA issued guidelines on what information applicants will need to provide. And for many venue owners, it’s already too late. NIVA does not have a hard number, but it estimates that several hundred music venues have been forced to close for good in the two months since the economic aid package was passed. Unless the...

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