Jacksons vs AEG - Day 54 – July 23 2013

Jacksons vs AEG - Day 54 – July 23 2013 – Summary

Katherine Jackson is not in court.


John Meglen (Co-CEO of Concerts West) Testimony


AEG direct

Meglen didn't have involvement in Michael Jackson's contract. He said after the initial meeting, there was a quiet period. Then they met again in ealry 2008 and began discussions of what to do and where to go with MJ's comeback tour. (ABC7)

Defense attorney Jessica Stebbins Bina is doing the questioning of Meglen. She asked him this morning about initial plans for “TII” shows. Meglen said London was the venue AEG Live considered most because it’s considered “the biggest concert market in the world.” He said AEG considered putting Jackson’s shows in Asia, possibly Shanghai or Tokyo. He noted Asia was a historically strong market for MJ. Meglen said Japan is still the stronger concert market. “You can generate a lot more revenue in Japan than in China,” he said. He said ultimately the economics of having Jackson do his shows in Asia didn’t work out. They couldn’t get a high enough ticket price there. North America was not an option, Meglen said, due to Jackson’s reputation here and controversies he'd had here. (AP)

The promoter said they considered London, the biggest market in the world, since it has a new, hot arena. He said the strength of artist's popularity is based on ticket sales, ticket sales of similar artists, record sales, radio time playing. "We did not want to start the tour in North America," Meglen said. Meglen: We weren't sure what the reaction, ticket sale would be in N America because of the historic stuff Michael had gone before in the US. Meglen said the other option was Asia, Japan especially. He has done a number of other tours in Asia. However, Meglen said the economics wasn't there for Asia, couldn't get a high enough ticket price in China. He said there are a lot of rich people in China, but a lot people with not as much money. eglen said MJ had sold stadium shows in London before, had a successful track record there. (ABC7)

The promoter said normally they talk about show net, what we call artist gross, is when discussing money. "You can't compare net of artists because they all spend differently on the road," Meglen said. The show net is where you determine the artist gross from, Meglen explained. (ABC7)

AEG Live executive John Meglen is back on the stand. He’s been testifying a lot about his experience in the concert promotion business. Meglen worked somewhat on the “This Is It” tour early on, looking at budgets and projections and doing some initial planning. Meglen wasn’t working on the tour day-to-day. He was handling other AEG Live shows while other execs were working on the “This Is It” shows. He said he attended one rehearsal and didn’t meet with Michael Jackson often. He was in an initial project discussion meeting in early 2007. Meglen said he never met Conrad Murray or reviewed the doctor’s draft contract. AEG Live’s attorneys want Meglen’s testimony to demonstrate that calculations by plaintiff’s damages expert Arthur Erk are off. (AP)

Meglen said he was not intimately involved in the budget tour and budget production, but has seen them and knows what a budget is. Meglen said he was aware of talks about a worldwide tour with MJ. Meglen: The London shows were the only approved shows from our standpoint at AEG. He explained that the only one that went thru the approval process was the London shows. It was a long way to the completion of the London shows, so Meglen said there was no urgency in figuring out where to go after that. Meglen would have to approve a worldwide budget, he said. And it all depended on the London shows success and their review. (ABC7)

Meglen said Paul Gongaware called Michael Jackson 'Mikey' because they knew each other. (ABC7)

The promoter said AEG advanced the money for "This Is It" tour. The superstar deals: the selling of tickets is kind of a given, Meglen said. So they get out of guarantee and get profit participation. "They are worried about what their shares are as opposed to guarantee," Meglen explained. This is the type of deal for Led Zeppelin, Elvis Presley, Neal Diamond, Meglen testified. (ABC7)

Meglen wasn't involved in the production of TII. He has never met Dr. Murray and has not seen any draft agreement between AEG and the doctor. Meglen said he has been involved in tours where a doctor was part of the production. He named Rolling Stones, Celine Dion, John Denver. 
Bina: Is it worrisome to have a doctor come on tour?
Meglen responded no, not at all.
He said you're dealing with singers, sometimes you have a lot of dancers on shows, so doctors, physical therapists, chefs, not uncommon. (ABC7)

Meglen said he had never seen an AEG contract where the artist is required to rehearse. Meglen said Celine Dion's director was freaking out because she was not showing up for rehearsals. The rehearsal is more for the people around the artist, Meglen said. He said it is very common for artists to use TelePrompTers. Celine Dion, Meglen said, not only uses Teleprompter but has an ear piece with director speaking to her. (ABC7)

Meglen said he had one show in Las Vegas that didn't sell tremendously well and they had to shut down production early. No names mentioned. The promoter said the hotels in Las Vegas would not allow an artist to have a residency show with only 2 and 1/2 shows per week. He said the hotels want customers every night, so resident shows need to have a constant schedule and few days off. A residency show needs more than 2 and 1/2 shows per week to be able to pay expenses and make money, Meglen explained. He said the promoter would be able to survive with only 2 and 1/2 shows per week, but not the artist. Meglen said the average ticket price for a headliner show in Las Vegas currently is $100-$125. (ABC7)

An arena is an ambitious step to take the model of a Las Vegas show. Arena fits 50k-60k people, Meglen said. Meglen said he has put together a show idea for Las Vegas involving Michael Jackson, but not a residential show. Meglen: We proposed to the Estate a Michael Jackson Campus at the Planet Hollywood Hotel. Meglen: It'd involve artifacts in MJ exhibit, items from Neverland, 2 restaurants, nightclub and a theatrical show directed by Kenny Ortega. This was after Michael Jackson passed away. Meglen said this was never proposed before he died. Bina showed a document with an a structural outline with the concept of the Las Vegas show, possible partners and numbers. Meglen said they wanted to take this to another level, creating an entire campus as opposed to just a show and a boutique. Meglen said he became aware the Estate of MJ was in talks with Cirque du Soleil for a show in Vegas, which gave AEG a sense of urgency. The promoter said he got one meeting with the executor of MJ's Estate, John Branca, but they were already involved with Cirque du Soleil. Meglen: You run 10 years (in a residency show) and you hit a home run. Meglen said they were very interested in a MJ Las Vegas show. He said he made an offer as attractive of better than Cirque's proposal. Meglen said there was a guarantee of $60 million over 10 years. "The Estate told us they were not interested," Meglen said. (ABC7)

An AEG Live executive testified Tuesday that the firm offered Michael Jackson's estate a guarantee of $60 million over 10 years in a deal that included a Las Vegas theatrical show based on the pop star's songs. John Meglen said the proposal included a "Michael Jackson campus" at the Planet Hollywood Hotel that would have included the singer's artifacts, two restaurants, a nightclub and stores to sell merchandise. The show would have been directed by Kenny Ortega, the director of the ill-fated "This Is It" 50-concert comeback tour Jackson was preparing when he died in 2009. The AEG executive testified his company would have paid an additional $40 million to create the show. "The $40 million gets you to opening night," he said. Meglen, dressed in a dark blue suit and a white shirt open at the collar, said this would have been AEG's first shot at creating what he called a "conceptual show," rather than one where a live performer is the main attraction. Conceptual shows, he said, are riskier. “With the headliner, you have a certain track record of how many tickets they’re going to sell … but if you do a show based on Elton’s music or Celine’s music, it depends on how good the show is, I guess,” said Meglen referring to Elton John and Celine Dion, singers who have done extended runs at Las Vegas hotels. Meglen said that hearing that Cirque du Soleil was talking to the Jackson estate is what led AEG to make its pitch. He said they had a meeting with the estate's co-executor, John Branca, in his conference room. Meglen said AEG did a "B-minus, C-plus pitch. In my opinion, they were already down the road and they wanted to do the show with Cirque.” Meglen said AEG never made Jackson an offer for a conceptual show while he was alive. “We thought if we could create the show with Michael’s catalog that that could be very successful, but it’s risky,” Meglen said. (Latimes)

While Michael Jackson was alive, Meglen said the ideal would be to have the artist live as a residency show. But that wasn't an option. He said tribute shows don't do well when the artist is alive, since people want to see the actual performer. (ABC7)

Meglen said he probably has never proposed an India concert. "Nobody goes to India," Meglen said. Jacksons attorney objected saying Meglen has no experience in India. Judge sustained. (ABC7)

Meglen explained the stadiums normally don't allow sale of full capacity. The stage is big, when you sell all around is called 360 degrees. The projections the Jacksons expert produced is more than that, Meglen said. He estimated they would sell 220 degrees in MJ's shows. All stadiums and arenas have suites and the promoters and artists don't get to charge them, Meglen said. People buy the suites on an annual basis and it includes concerts. The building gets the money, not the promoter or artist. (ABC7) 

Asked if Jackson would have been able to fill stadiums and arenas at 100 percent capacity had he lived long enough to conduct a worldwide tour, AEG Live co-CEO John Meglen testified that the answer was no. According to Meglen’s testimony, seats behind the stage or with obstructed views cannot be assigned to ticket holders. The only seats that can be sold are those with a view of the arrest on stage, a much smaller number than the total number of seats in the venue.(NBCLA)

Meglen said you can't put an arena show into a stadium, specially because of the size of the stage and the production. It's also much more expensive to do a stadium show, Meglen explained. (ABC7)

Rolling Stones had 59,000 people, the maximum capacity they could have at The Rose Bowl, Meglen said. The Rose Bowl is one of the biggest stadiums in the country and there is the idea that it fits 100k people, Meglen explained. "You're lucky if you can hit 60 (thousand)," Meglen said. (ABC7)

Bina shows another exhibit. There's dispute as to which exhibit has been admitted already or not. Judge sent jury to lunch. Outside the jury presence, Panish complained to the judge that AEG's attorney Jessica Bina handed over copies of exhibits to the jury. He said the proper procedure is to hand the documents to the clerk or bailiff and let them handle them to the jury. Panish said the attorneys should not have any contact with the jurors whatsoever. Bina said it was not her intention, apologized. (ABC7)

John Meglen resumed testimony in the afternoon. Bina showed him plaintiffs' Highest Grossing Tours chart created by Erk from Wikipedia data. Bina: Which tours you promoted all or portion of tour?
8- Rolling Stones
11- Celine Dion
12- Eagles
13- Pink Floyd
18- Bon Jovi 
20- Bon Jovi
26- MJ HIStory
28- Pink
30- Bon Jovi
34- Britney Spears
35- Bon Jovi
37- Justin Timberlake
38- Paul McCartney(ABC7)

Meglen did 7 whole tour, 3 North America and 2-3 did some shows of the highest grossing shows. He said he's familiar with endorsements and sponsorship deals involving a tour. Meglen worked on two shows of MJ's HIStory tour. (ABC7)

Bina said there was a lot of testimony about the fast pace of sales of tickets. She asked if he has seen any other show sell that fast. Meglen: Yes, Voodoo Lounge, Division Bell we almost sold out immediately, we call instant sell outs. Meglen: Those were stadiums tours and when we put them on sale we rolled into multiple stadium dates, that's about as high as it gets. (ABC7)

Rolling dates means opening more dates based on demand, Meglen explained. He said initially 10 shows for TII was sold, then 31, 50. 
Bina: Was this the best selling show you've ever seen in your career?
Meglen: No, because it was a relatively lower ticket price. We sold as many tickets on Voodoo Lounge as fast as we sold MJ.
"In numbers of tickets sold in a day, sure, we have done those kinds of numbers before," Meglen explained. Meglen said he negotiated a number of tour deals, from Beach Boys to Sunkist, Good Vibration deals. (ABC7)

Sponsor puts a name in an event, Meglen said. Endorsement is when product/company associates name with an artist, artist does commercials. Meglen said the Rolling Stones sponsorship with Citibank was $2.5 million, which is not near 42% of the gross revenue. 
Bina: Was sponsorship 42%? 
Meglen: No, there's no correlation, I've never heard anything like it
Meglen said there were no endorsements deal for the This Is It tour. Bina said she had no more questions at this time. (ABC7)


Jackson cross

North America was not an option, Meglen said, due to Jackson’s reputation here and controversies he'd had here. The lawyer asked about Meglen’s characterization of Jackson’s “This Is It” ticket sales and whether he agreed with his boss’ opinion. (AP)

Panish, in re-cross, asked: Is Paul Gongaware truthful?
Meglen: Very truthful
P: And Randy Phillips?
M: Yes (ABC7)

Panish: Do you agree with your boss' Phillips and Gongaware MJ was the greatest artist of all time?
Meglen: I don't know what their opinion was. I believe that they believe that.
Panish: Do I believe MJ was the biggest artist of all time?
Meglen: No, I do not
Panish: Who is?
Meglen: I think Michael is big in pop world, but in my opinion Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin -- "I'm a rocker" (ABC7)

Panish asked Meglen to name bigger artists than Jackson. Meglen said Jackson was big in the pop world, but cited 2 rock acts as bigger. Meglen named the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin as bigger acts, explaining he’s “a rocker.” (AP) 

Panish: Is Celine Dion honest?
Meglen: Yes
Meglen and Dion have been working together for 12 years. He's familiar with a lot of her shows. (ABC7)

Panish then asked Meglen about concert attendance figures cited in Billboard magazine. Meglen said he uses them, but just as an outline. “I’ve kind of learned to believe that they’re not totally accurate,” Meglen said of the figures. (AP)

Panish asked about a Celine Dion show performed at the Stade de France outside of Paris. The listed max capacity is around 80k. Meglen said he believed the stadium could host 60,000 to 70,000 concertgoers for a show. Panish cited figures for two Dion shows in 1999. Panish showed Meglen a printout from Dion’s website, stating she sold 90k tickets each night for two shows in June 1999. “That’s what it says,” Meglen said of the printout. The executive told the jury he didn’t promote the Stade de France shows. Meglen had also told the jury that he wasn’t familiar with the promotion of Dion’s Asian or European tour dates. (AP)

Panish: What did you testify was the maximum capacity of stadium in France?
Meglen: I don't believe it is 80,000
Meglen: Generally, 30% of the numbers that your expert project you have to take out because it gets you to the salable number.
Panish: So what's the maximum seating capacity for that stadium in Paris?
Meglen: I don't know exactly, I'd say 60 to 70,000
Panish: Isn't it true Celine Dion sold 90,000 tickets at that stadium in 1999?
Meglen: I don't know if that's true, didn't promote that show 
"It sounds like too big a number to me," Meglen said. Panish said it was 180,000 people for two shows. (ABC7)

Panish then attacked AEG’s slide on the Rose Bowl attendance figures. The slide said concert capacity was about 60,000 people. Panish showed Meglen a Billboard magazine story that reported U2 packed in 97,000 people for a concert there. Meglen said that’s what Billboard reported, but he said he hung out before that show and was told by the band’s rep that it hadn’t sold out. The executive said one of the only shows AEG Live has ever produced that had more than 60k concertgoers was at Ohio State University (AP)

Exhibit: Rose Bowl Cap
Rolling Stones VooDoo Lounge, 2 shows
Plaintiff's Stated Capacity: 92,542
Actual Capacity: 59,570
Difference: 32,972 (ABC7)

Meglen said he met with his attorney 5 days to prepare for his testimony. He was subpoenaed at lunch time and Bina said they will respond. "The maximum capacity of shows I've done at the Rose Bowl was 59,570," Meglen testified. (ABC7)

Panish: Isn't it true U2 had 97,000 people attend at the Rose Bowl?
Meglen: That's not true
Panish: It was reported on Billboard Magazine
Meglen: I wouldn't believe it (ABC7)

Panish showed Meglen the Billboard Magazine article. He asked how many tickets were sold at U2 performed in Oct 2009 at the Rose Bowl? 
Meglen: It looks like they (Billboard) reported 97,000. I have done Pink Floyd and Rolling Stones, we try to sell as much as we can, we got to roughly 60,000.
Panish: Are you an expert in stadium?
Meglen: I think I am pretty much an expert in the field. (ABC7)

Meglen said that to him, the biggest stadium cap he played was in Columbus, Ohio for a concert and he got in over 60,000. Meglen: You assume I believe and agree with those numbers because they are on Billboard magazine. Those numbers are often inflated. (ABC7)

Panish asked Meglen how much time he spent preparing to testify. The exec said portions of five days. Meglen had been working on the Stones’ recent tour, started trial testimony preparation when he got back last week. Panish then asked Meglen about his contract and how much he got paid. Stebbins Bina objected, saying it was irrelevant to the trial. Panish said Meglen’s salary was relevant because it went to bias. Stebbins Bina said it was an invasion of privacy. Judge sustained the objection and Panish asked it a different way. Meglen said he was paid “sufficiently.” The lawyer asked if Meglen was paid a lot. The executive said he didn't know how to answer that question. When prodded, Meglen said $1 million a year seemed like a lot to him. He added he wasn’t paid that amount. (AP)

Panish asked if Meglen will do anything he can to protect AEG. "I'm here to tell the truth," Meglen said. Panish: How much do you get paid by AEG? Defendants' objected, said it has nothing to do with this case. Panish argued this goes to show a bias. He said he's under a 5 year contract with discretionary bonus. Judge sustained it. Panish asked if Meglen gets paid a lot by AEG. He said a lot to one person is not a lot to another. Panish asked what's a lot. Meglen said a million/year. Then Panish asked if Meglen gets paid a lot. "I'm not paid a million dollars a year" (ABC7)

Panish moved on after a few questions and then asked about a comment Meglen made yesterday that he works with “animals.” Meglen said he wasn’t referring to artists, he was referring to the people who prep and tear down shows and are on the road all the time. (AP) Panish asked about Meglen's reference to work with animals. "I told you yesterday that the people I worked are like animals," Meglen said. "I still work with animals." He said he was referring to crews and guys who works with him assembling shows and taking them down in hours. (ABC7) “I think we’re animals by doing that,” Meglen said. Panish asked whether the exec respected artists. “Very much,” he replied. (AP)

Panish asked if Meglen respects artists. He answered yes. He then asked if it is ok for AEG to refer to an artist as freak or creepy. Panish asked if it's appropriate for one of AEG's executive to call an artist "freak" and "creepy." "People will use terms about an artist that people have used before," Meglen answered. Panish asked if it's appropriate for AEG to call artist a freak. Meglen said no. Panish asked if Meglen thought it was appropriate for your lawyers to refer as freaks or creepy? Meglen: I don't believe it is yes or no answer. I believe if people are communicating in a personal level is different from being in public. "It would not be a appropriate is it was in a public fashion," Meglen opined. Panish: But in private it's ok? Meglen said he doesn't believe it's a yes or no answer. "I think when someone is having a private conversation and later if that becomes public, that can change things," Meglen said. Meglen: Freak had been used numerous times prior, I don't believe it was appropriate term for him to use but term that had been used before. "I think "creepy" is not that bad of a word," Meglen said. He told Panish he's sure they both have been called creepy behind their back. (ABC7)

Panish asked if it was appropriate to call an artist a “freak” or a meeting with an artist “creepy” as AEG corporate lawyers did in emails. Meglen said it depended on the situation and it wouldn’t be appropriate to do it in public. He said it wasn't a simple yes or no answer. After several more questions, Meglen said it wouldn’t be appropriate to call an artist a freak. He said calling someone creepy was different. Meglen said he’d probably been called creepy, and said it might have been said about Panish. “No one would say it to my face,” he replied. (AP)

Meglen said they always want to do what's best for the artist. He had some disagreements with his old boss. (ABC7)

Panish asked Meglen several questions about a June 2009 email that Paul Gongaware sent regarding Conrad Murray. Gongaware email: “We want to remind him that it is AEG, not MJ who is paying his salary. We want him to understand what is expected of him.” Meglen said he wasn’t copied on the email and could only speculate on what Gongaware meant. (AP) Panish asked Meglen to assume Gongaware wrote an email and said tell Murray, remind him it's AEG, not MJ, paying his salary. Panish showed Gongaware's email to Meglen. He said he's seen the email on the newspaper. Panish: You told me "who's paying your salary" is "where your bread if being buttered." Meglen: I said Mr. Ferrell told me 'you know where your bread is buttered.' "In the context of this email, I'd be only speculating what Paul was doing," Meglen said. (ABC7)

Panish then starting asking questions about other artists who have doctors who work on tours. He asked if AEG pays Celine Dion’s doctor. Meglen said Dion’s company pays her doctor. He said AEG didn’t negotiate the deal and can’t tell the doctor what’s expected of him. Panish asked about the Rolling Stones’ doctor. He gave the same answers -- that AEG didn’t hired or negotiate with the Stones’ doctor. Meglen said it’s usually the producer’s responsibility to negotiate with doctors, physical therapists, but terms are set by the artist. The executive re-iterated he wasn’t familiar with Murray’s contract, and hadn’t read Michael Jackson’s contract in detail. (AP)

Panish asked if AEG hired Celine Dion's doctor. Meglen said no. Celine's company pays her doctor. Meglen said they did not negotiate Dion's doctor's contract and cannot terminate him. Panish: Did AEG negotiate the doctor's contract for Rolling Stones? Meglen: No, it was negotiated by their tour producer. Panish asked if it's true the producer generally negotiates the contract with doctors, physical therapists, etc. Meglen: It can be producer's responsibility to hire the doctor if there is a doctor on the tour, if artist requests them to do that. In a video deposition, shown to the jury, Meglen said it's the producer's responsibility, many times. AEG Live was the producer for MJ's This Is It tour. "It can only be done with the approval of the artist," Meglen said. "You can't hire people in these positions without the artist approval." Meglen said he was told Michael wanted to bring his doctor on tour. He was not involved in negotiating the contract with Dr. Murray. Meglen said he had heard of some of the doctor's request in their executive meeting. "I don't know who was negotiating, I had simply heard the doctor requested money," Meglen said. Meglen: During one of our executive meetings, it was brought to our attention that Murray was asking for $5 million. Gongaware was the one who brought it up. Meglen said it was kind of understood the amount was excessive and it was not going to happen. (ABC7)

He said the company doesn’t hire doctors. He said the issue of Murray asking for $5 million came up in a meeting of AEG Live executives. Meglen said Gongaware reported the doctor’s request. After several questions about who was there, Meglen said he didn’t remember how many meetings that included a discussion of Murray’s fee, or if he commented on it. He said it may have come up in just one meeting. Meglen said Gongaware told the group that Jackson told him to offer Murray $150k a month, and the doctor accepted that. The executive said it’s uncommon that any artist’s doctor are discussed in the AEG Live executive meetings. He said outside of Jackson’s tour, a discussion of an artist’s doctor had probably never happened in the executives’’ meetings. (AP)

Panish asked whether AEG Live directly paid the doctors for the Stones and Dion. Meglen said not, the artists paid them. Meglen said Dion’s doctor was listed in an early budget for her shows, but he was only listed as someone paid out of her expense stipend. Dion’s company would be paid a certain amount to operate her show each week, Meglen said, and her doc would be paid from that. Meglen: “We do not hire doctors. We could advance on behalf of an artist.” (AP)

Panish: Isn't true Celine Dion's doctor is paid for out of show production budget? Meglen: I pay Celine Dion an amount of money, to which she pays the doctor out of that money. (ABC7)

Panish: You never proposed a MJ show when he was alive?
Meglen: I asked if Michael was interested in doing a Celine-type show and he said no (ABC7)

"Our policy is we do not have a deal until we have a signed contract," Meglen explained. "We do not consider a deal done until there's an executed contract," Meglen said. He said just because Murray agreed to money offer by MJ via Gongaware does not mean a deal was consummated. (ABC7)

Panish: Is it common at the executive committee to talk about the artist's doctor?
Meglen: No, that's not common 
Panish asked when was the last time the committee discussed an artist's doctor.
"That probably never happened," Meglen said. (ABC7)

Only Rolling Stones and Celine Dion have had doctors on tour under AEG. "AEG did not have a contract with Celine's doctor," Meglen said. They did not negotiate the doctor's payment, could not fire the doctor. Meglen said he does not know if Dion's doctor set her schedule up. "AEG paid the per-show operating expense to CDA production who in turn paid the doctor," Meglen said aboutCeline Dion. Regarding the Rolling Stones, Meglen said the doctor worked for the band, which means worked for principals and band members. Meglen said AEG did not negotiate the contract with the doctor for the Rolling Stones. Panish: AEG give money to the Rolling Stones? Meglen: Yes . Panish asked if it was $18 million. Meglen said there was advance/other securities, doesn't know if the Rolling Stones have to pay it back. Meglen: We did not produce the Rolling Stones show, we only promoted the Rolling Stones tour. Celine Dion's doctor was on the original operation budget by AEG for her show. He was listed to be paid out of the weekly operation expense. Meglen said Dion's doctor was her responsibility to pay. "AEG does not pay doctors," Meglen said. "We do not hire doctors, we could advance on behalf of artists." I know we don't hire doctors," Meglen said. He was not involved in a day-to-day details. (ABC7)


Panish asked who would be in a better position to know AEG’s actions on Jackson’s shows, Meglen or Randy Phillips. Meglen said Phillips and Gongaware would know, but said he knew the company didn’t hire doctors. Panish asked whether Meglen had ever discussed trial testimony with Phillips or Gongaware. He said no. Meglen said the executives had discussed the case, but they were told not to discuss their respective testimony. He said he did ask Philip Anshutz how he thought the case was going when they saw each other recently. Meglen said Anshutz told him, “'I think it’s going fine. We have not presented our case yet.’” Meglen said they didn’t discuss it further. (AP)

Panish asked if Meglen spoke with Mr. Anschutz about the trial. Meglen said he asked what he thought about the trial. "I think it's going fine, we have not presented our case yet," Meglen said Anschutz responded. (ABC7)

Panish showed the picture of MJ in June 2009. Meglen: He looks skinny, he looks skinner than when I saw him. That's all. "I'm not a doctor. It's not for me to decide whether being slander is healthy or not healthy," Meglen explained. (ABC7)

Panish asked about the meeting with MJ in 2007. "I'm very proud of the assets of AEG, but I don't think I was bragging about it." Meglen said he would not go in a meeting about movies since he is not in the movie business. He said he showed the company's movie sizzle reel to MJ because he wanted to show the quality of their work. "How would I know what MJ wanted to do?" Meglen said. (ABC7)