By April MacIntyre Oct 1, 2009, 4:19 GMT
Farm Aid 2009 will broadcast live in HD and be commercial free for the second year in a row on DIRECTV.
Farm Aid is a nonprofit organization that has raised nearly $36 million to promote a strong and resilient family farm system of agriculture.
The 101 Network will exclusively broadcast Farm Aid’s October 4th annual benefit concert live and in HD beginning at 5:00pm ET. Additionally, DIRECTV has pledged to match all DIRECTV customer donations up to $50,000 made between September 1st and October 31st, 2009 to support Farm Aid’s mission to keep family farmers on the land, growing healthy food for all.
The event will be hosted by Lance Smith, CMT’s Top 20 Countdown host and Laura Savini, host of The Inside Scoop on WLIW 21.
Farm Aid board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews will headline the event at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Maryland Heights, Mo., along with recently-announced acts including Jason Mraz, Wilco, Jamey Johnson, Phosphorescent, Gretchen Wilson, Billy Joe Shaver, Will Dailey, Ernie Isley & the Jam Band, Ryan Bingham & the Dead Horses, The Blackwood Quartet, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, and Titty Bingo.
The concert event, will celebrate music, family farmers and good food, and will again feature family-farm identified, local and organic foods concessions.
“We are thrilled to bring the live Farm Aid experience into homes across the country, giving millions of people a chance to enjoy this unique mix of incredible music with inspiring stories of innovative family farmers,” said Carolyn Mugar, Farm Aid’s executive director. “The generosity of all of the musicians who donate their performances on behalf of family farmers is an inspiration to the many viewers at home who also want to show their support. Farm Aid is grateful that DIRECTV will match its subscribers’ gifts up to $50,000.”
“We are delighted to be a part of Farm Aid 2009 and once again offer our viewers front row seats to this year’s benefit concert,” said Patty Ishimoto, vice president of DIRECTV Entertainment and general manager of The 101 Network. “Farm Aid 2009 is an important part of our music repertoire on The 101 Network, as we bring viewers exclusive concert events that can’t be seen anywhere else, compliments of DIRECTV.”
The six hour broadcast will be filmed entirely in High Definition and air in 5.1 surround sound.
Farm Aid
Farm Aid’s mission is to build a vibrant, family farm-centered system of agriculture in America. Farm Aid artists and board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews host an annual concert to raise funds to support Farm Aid’s work with family farmers and to inspire people to choose family-farmed food. Since 1985, Farm Aid, with the support of the artists who contribute their performances each year, has raised nearly $36 million to support programs that help farmers thrive, create and strengthen connections between farmers and eaters, take action to change the dominant system of industrial agriculture and promote food from family farms.
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