Yesterday Iowatix sent out an email to venues and clients stating that the company is dissolving and its partners forming two new companies. Kathryn Dickel and Heather Hansen will start Midwestix, which so far has a few Iowa City concerts listed at Blue Moose Tap House, a venue that still has listings on Iowatix.

Mark Doolittle, who co-founded Iowatix with Dickel and Hansen in 2002, is forming Red Truck Tickets, which has not yet listed any shows. He expects to have venues and events listed on Red Truck Tickets later this week or early next week.

Dickel said part of the split was an attempt to draw in venues outside of Iowa.

"We've had inquiries over the year from different markets, and one of the major stumbling blocks is we were Iowatix," Dickel said. "For our current Iowatix clients, this means an expanded market for them as well. We'll be able to rach clients outside Iowa, and they'll be able to expand their reach as well."

Dickel said ticket fees will remain the same, but fulfillment fees may increase slightly for people who want tickets mailed to them.

"Basically, the three of us decided we wanted to explore other areas, and frankly, we just had different ideas on running a ticketing service business," Doolittle said. "We mutually decided I would go my own way and form a new ticketing company, and they would go their way."

Doolittle said Red Truck Tickets will have fees similar to what had been in place at Iowatix, mostly focusing on medium and small venues and promoters, along with festivals.

Iowatix.com will remain active and provide support for shows currently listed on the site, but will add no new listings. It currently has shows listed through May 25 at 23 venues. Clients currently using Iowatix will be free to remain on the site, begin using the new site or turn to a new ticketing agency.

With Dahls Tickets and now Midwestix and Red Truck Tickets, central Iowa has several ticket alternatives to Ticketmaster. The San Francisco-based Ticketweb also services venues in Iowa. The Justice Department recently approved a merger between Ticketmaster and Live Nation, the world's largest concert promoter. The combined company will manage acts, book concerts and sell tickets and merchandise and will likely cause major changes in all aspects of the music industry.