Updated January 22, 2010
Over 100 celebrities have signed on to participate in Hope For Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief, on January 22, 2010. The 2-hour telethon for Haitian earthquake relief will be the most widely distributed telethon in history.
In addition to traditional broadcast through dozens of U.S. and international television networks, Hope for Haiti Now is utilizing digital media (such as online streaming, mobile phone broadcasting, and iTunes distribution) to maximize its audience and revenue.
Haiti Telethon to Raise Money Through iTunes Sales
All of the evening’s performances will available to download on iTunes the next day (January 23). Cost per song will be 99 cents, with the full performance album priced at $7.99. A video telecast will also be made available for download at $2.99, and pre-orders are available in the days leading up to the telethon.
One hundred percent of the proceeds from the sale of the album, individual tracks, and the telecast will go to the telethon's charities. (Source: Apple)
The MTV-driven telethon will include unprecedented musical partnerships. “Several one-of-a-kind collaborations will highlight the event, including a hookup between U2's Bono and The Edge with Jay-Z and Rihanna in London and a jam featuring Kid Rock, Keith Urban and Sheryl Crow in Los Angeles” (MTV News
iTunes users can also donate to The Red Cross through the iTunes Store. Donation amounts will be charged to the user’s iTunes account, and balances on gift cards can also be utilized as cash.
Hope for Haiti Telethon Available Online
The telethon will be streamed live online through several websites. Among those who have announced participation are Hulu, YouTube, MTV.com, BET.com, Rhapsody, MySpace, Fancast, AOL, MSN.com and Yahoo. Such internet-based broadcasting brings the telethon to a global audience, regardless of television network participation.
Hope for Haiti Telethon on Mobile Phone Networks
Mobile phone networks Alltel, AT&T, Sprint and Verizon will stream the telethon live to their customers who have media-capable phones. The broadcast will also be available through the subscription-based mobile television service FloTV.
Mobile phone donations to the telethon via text message are already in place. Text the word “Give” to 25383 to donate $10 to the Hope For Haiti Now telethon.
Charities to Benefit From Haiti Telethon
As of January 19, 2010, all proceeds from the donations received during Hope for Haiti Now and the subsequent earnings via iTunes will be evenly distributed among seven earthquake relief foundations:
- The Red Cross
- Oxfam America
- Partners in Health
- UNICEF
- Yéle Haiti
- Clinton Bush Haiti Fund
- United Nations World Food Programme
In addition to utilizing digital media and the immediacy of online distribution for the Hope for Haiti Now telethon, social networking sites Facebook and MySpace have also signed on to direct members toward donating during the telethon.
Christine E. Taylor - Christine E. Taylor is a freelance writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Christine is currently writing a series of articles ...
