One more thing I'd like to add...LS is the one who put the UG together, and he partially financed it with his own money (Yes, I know he has corporate sponsors, but with the exception of the Hard Rock Cafe, they tend to come and go a lot). Maybe that's another reason why he prefers to do things his way. I'm sure there are times he gets overbearing, and I can attest that he doesn't always make the best decisions, but that's all part of running a business. And yes, it is a business, just like it is for any indie label owner or promoter who specializes in garage bands. They may have originally been motivated by a love for the music, but there is no getting around having to balance the books at the end of the day, hence the need to look for ways to improve the cash flow.
And another thing...a lot of you sound like you feel threatened by LS and his new Fuzztopia site. Do you really think it's going to have any impact on this site? Do you think he's going to steal people away from this site and put it out of business? This site is geared for the long time and/or hardcore garage fans, while LS is trying to reach out to people who are relatively new to garage rock (I'll admit, I'm one of them). I don't see any reason why the Hideout and Fuzztopia can't co-exist peacefully, with each site doing things its own way. Yes, you can piss and moan all you want about the bands that LS plays, but ultimately it really is just a matter of opinion. If you don't like the UG, then you can always stick to listening to the podcasts at this site.