TORONTO – Music fans not lucky enough to score tickets to Live 8 Canada can watch the event – and sister concerts around the world – on CTV, it was announced today.
At a press conference confirming details for the July 2 event, CTV was named host broadcaster for Live 8 Canada. “In what is shaping up to be an historic, all-day, rock and roll television event, CTV plans to broadcast segments from additional Live 8 concerts around the world as well as the entire Live 8 Canada concert. In all, CTV will broadcast over 12 hours of live coverage of what is being billed as one of the world’s greatest concert events ever,” says the CTV release.
The Live 8 concerts (Canada’s is in Barrie, Ont.), happening in advance of a G8 summit in Scotland, are meant to be a global political pressure tactic to get the members of the G8 to do something about the African poor, like forgiving the debt piled up by third world countries. The organizer is Bob Geldof, who organized the original Live Aid 20 years ago.
CTV plans to broadcast from the beginning, going live early on Saturday, July 2 when the first act takes to the stage overseas, and continuing until the last act finishes at Live 8 Canada, sometime around 8 p.m. ET.
AOL will also stream the concerts live on the Internet.
The broadcaster also plans to air a "Greatest Hits" recap in primetime following the conclusion of the live broadcast with highlights from the most memorable performances of the day from around the world. In addition to Barrie, Live 8 concerts are scheduled for London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Philadelphia and Cornwall, England.
Tokyo and Johannesburg have also been mentioned as possible locations. CTV will announce additional details, including broadcast hosts, soon.
Live 8 Canada will be hosted by Dan Aykroyd and Tom Green and broadcast from Park Place in Barrie beginning at 11 a.m. ET on CTV. Talent confirmed today to perform at the free concert are Bryan Adams, African Guitar Summit, Jann Arden, The Bachman Cummings Band, Barenaked Ladies, Blue Rodeo, Tom Cochrane, Bruce Cockburn, DobaCaracol, Gordon Lightfoot, Great Big Sea, Motley Crüe, Sam Roberts, Simple Plan, The Tragically Hip and Les Trois Accords.
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