While NBC and MTV have already announced their own telethons to raise money for victims of Monday's Hurricane Katrina, ABC, CBS, FOX, UPN and the WB Network are said to be working with those two other broadcasters to produce a simulcast benefit show similar to the America: A Tribute to Heroes telethon held in 2001 a week after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. That event nearly four years ago drew nearly 90 million viewers and raised more than $100 million for victims.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday NBC, MSNBC and CNBC announced they would simulcast A Concert For Hurricane Relief in high-definition live from Rockefeller Center this Friday night, with viewers encouraged to donate to the American Red Cross disaster Relief Fund.

To be hosted by Today show anchor Matt Lauer, the special (which will be tape-delayed for West Coast viewers) will feature performances from Tim McGraw, Wynton Marsalis and New Orleans favorite son Harry Connick, Jr., and appearances from celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio. "I am heartbroken by the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in my home state," McGraw, who was born in Delhi, La., said in a statement.

MTV and its sister music cable channels VH1 and CMT also announced that their live benefit program will air Saturday with hook-ups to performers in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Nashville. They are, so far, set to include Green Day, Usher, Rob Thomas and Alicia Keys.

Maintaining the momentum, BET has announced a Sept. 9 telethon to feature Russell Simmons, Master P and jazz artist Marsalis, and veteran comic Jerry Lewis said he would devote a portion of his annual Labor Day telethon for the Muscular Dystrophy Association charity, which starts on Sunday, to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort, reports Reuters.

Posted by Lawren at September 1, 2005 10:23 AM | Trackbacks (0)

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