ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, The WB and UPN will join forces next week for a primetime special entitled Shelter From the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast, to raise funds for those impacted by the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina.
In a cooperative and collaborative effort, the six broadcast networks will present this one-hour commercial-free simulcast on FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET). The entertainment special/fundraising event will salute the brave citizens in the devastated areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, and pay tribute to the rescue personnel guiding relief efforts in the region with musical performances by Mary J. Blige, Garth Brooks, Mariah Carey, Sheryl Crow, Dixie Chicks, Foo Fighters, Alicia Keys, Randy Newman, Paul Simon, Rod Stewart, U2 , Kanye West and Neil Young and appearances by Jennifer Aniston, Jack Black, Cameron Diaz, Ellen DeGeneres, Morgan Freeman, Jack Nicholson, Chris Rock, Ray Romano and Sela Ward.
Shelter From the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast will be broadcast live from locations in New York City and Los Angeles to the Eastern and Central time zones, and tape-delayed in the Mountain and Pacific time zones. It will also be made available to other broadcast networks, cable networks, radio stations and broadband Internet providers.
Joel Gallen, who produced the unprecedented America: A Tribute to Heroes telethon in September 2001 in the aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy, will executive-produce the special, which will feature musical performances and appearances by celebrities from the world of film, television and music.