TORONTO – The news and diversity programming teams at Rogers OMNI Television are joining forces this weekend to present the Earthquake Relief Special, a commercial-free fund-raising appeal in support of South Asian earthquake relief efforts.
The one-hour program will air on OMNI.2 in place of regularly scheduling programming, Saturday, October 22nd starting at 8 p.m. ET. OMNI TV B.C. will air Earthquake Relief Special at 10 p.m. PT on Monday, October 24th.
The Earthquake Relief Special is the second major fundraiser for Rogers OMNI Television this year and the third in the new millennium, says the press release. While previous efforts have mobilized OMNI’s substantial strength in grassroots, cross-cultural communications, the Earthquake Relief Special marks the first time OMNI TV Ontario has collaborated with OMNI TV BC, a recent company acquisition.
“We are proud to participate, with all of our available resources, in full support of this international humanitarian effort,” says Renato Zane, vice-president of OMNI News. “By highlighting the relief efforts currently taking place throughout our respective coverage areas we hope that our Earthquake Relief Special will serve as a catalyst, not only to unify the South Asian and other local communities towards a greater cause, but also to encourage contributions.”
“We’re confident that viewer response to OMNI’s Earthquake Relief Special will build considerably on the level of generosity that has already been shown, further underlining the important role Canadian multilingual/multicultural and multi-faith television plays both at home and abroad,” added Terry Mahoney, general manager of OMNI TV BC.
Host and producer for this weekend’s Earthquake Relief Special is Indira Naidoo-Harris of OMNI News: South Asian Edition. Joining her in-studio will be Nauman Khan, also of OMNI News: South Asian Edition; Geetika, from OMNI.2’s Hindi language program, Badhai Ho! and Ali Siddiqui, the independent producer behind the Urdu language program, Yeh Karavan.
In addition to coverage of how the South Asian and other language communities have come together to raise money, stories scheduled for OMNI’s Earthquake Relief Special include: an interview with Raza Mirani, president of the Pakistan-Canadian Association (also featured recently on OMNI TV BC); comments from Prime Minister Paul Martin and other senior politicians about Canadian relief efforts; response from the Canadian Red Cross, and an update from workers at the earthquake site – plus, of course, detailed information on how viewers can help.
Rogers OMNI Television has a history of large scale community service. On Sunday, January 9th, 2005, in partnership with Canadians For Tsunami Relief (C.T.R.), OMNI TV aired The CTR Appeal Special in support of disaster relief efforts by the Canadian Red Cross and Oxfam Canada. Sunday, February 18th 2001, OMNI.1 (then known as CFMT-TV) presented Rising From The Ruins, in partnership with the Canadian Red Cross and the many diverse communities behind Canadians For India’s Earthquake Relief.
