Pops off - or are they?

Liverpool's fantastically cash-hungry summer pops have been axed for this year, in the midst of the City's run-up to be Cultural capital of Europe. Although, being Liverpool, the scrapping of the event isn't that neat: "Town Hall sources" reckon three companies are apparently keen to pick up the min-fest, insisting they can run it without the need for the huge subsidies the songs-in-a-tent.

But then again, are they?

Cream had originally asked for an uncapped contribution from the council, but deny they're prepared to run it without ratepayers footing the bill:

Cream boss James Barton today denied he had offered to run the Pops for free, but said he wanted to discuss with the council how the event might be staged.

He said: “We believe the Pops should take place and we would be prepared to sit down with the council to find a way it could take place this year.”

You'll note the suggestion that running the event on the basis of a commercial event, making a profit, has magically transmogrified into running the event "for free."