Farm Aid 25 - October 2nd - Milwaukee WI - Airing Live on DirecTV
October 2 Event to Feature Performances by Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Dave
Matthews, John Mellencamp, Kenny Chesney, Norah Jones and More
Selection of Eco-Themed Series and Specials from Planet Green and Documentary Channel Will Complement the Broadcast
New York, NY— For the third consecutive year, DIRECTV, the world’s most popular video service, will be the exclusive television broadcaster of Farm Aid’s annual benefit concert to be presented live and in HD on October 2 at 6 p.m. EST on The 101 Network. Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America, celebrates twenty-five years of inspiring music, supporting farmers and strengthening America. In addition to broadcasting the event, DIRECTV has pledged to match all customer donations up to $50,000 made during the months of September and October to support Farm Aid’s mission to keep family farmers on the land, growing healthy food for all.
Farm Aid board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews will headline the event, to be hosted by award-winning broadcaster Tavis Smiley, at Miller Park in Milwaukee, WI. Recently announced acts including Kenny Chesney, Norah Jones, Jason Mraz, Jeff Tweedy, Band of Horses, The BoDeans, Amos Lee, Robert Francis, Lukas Nelson and The Promise of the Real, The Blackwood Quartet and Randy Rogers Band will join the lineup.
Since its first concert on September 22, 1985, Farm Aid has been a tireless champion of family farmers, raising more than $37 million to promote a strong and resilient family farm system of agriculture. The non-profit organization also fosters connections between farmers and consumers by growing and strengthening local and regional markets and working to get family farm food in urban neighborhoods, grocery stores, restaurants, schools and other public institutions. In order to call attention to Farm Aid’s mission and promote good food from family farms, The 101 Network will air a selection of green-themed series, specials and documentaries from Planet Green and Documentary Channel leading up to the October 2 live broadcast. Beginning Monday, September 20, a two hour Planet Green programming block, featuring the series Operation Wild, The Fabulous Beekman Boys, Future Food and Living with Ed, will air daily at 3 p.m. ET. Two Documentary Channel films, Life Running Out of Control and Revolution Green, will air on September 18 and 25 respectively at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
“DIRECTV is honored to be airing Farm Aid’s annual concert for the third consecutive year,” said Patty Ishimoto, vice president of DIRECTV Entertainment and General Manager of The 101 Network. “In addition to providing our customers with a truly spectacular concert experience, we wanted to mark the event’s 25th anniversary by further emphasizing Farm Aid’s fundamental messaging by showcasing a number of series and specials from Planet Green and Documentary Channel that promote the importance of ecology, sustainability and family farming.”
The six hour broadcast will be filmed entirely in HD and air in 5.1 surround sound. As in years past, DIRECTV will create original one-hour specials featuring performances from Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America, which will air on The 101 Network as part of the DIRECTV Concert Series.
About 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 more than $37 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.
About DIRECTV’s The 101® Network
The 101 Network, DIRECTV’s exclusive entertainment channel, is a unique television experience that is available to more than 18.5 million DIRECTV subscribers. In 2008, the network changed the television landscape by partnering with NBC to produce and air three additional seasons of the Emmy Award-winning series Friday Night Lights and more recently becoming the exclusive home of the critically-acclaimed, Emmy Award-winning drama Damages, with Glenn Close. As a result, The 101 Network has become the premiere destination for diverse, quality and critically acclaimed programming including Underbelly, Supreme Court of Comedy and The Dan Patrick Show. Through its partnerships with leading television and film studios, networks and top cable channels, The 101 Network offers viewers the finest in drama and comedy, with feature films and TV specials, daring, innovative series, exclusive “sneak peek” programming and premium cable series un-cut in their original form. The 101 Network showcases concert specials from superstar artists and celebrated music festivals such as Farm Aid, sporting events such as UFC Fighter exposés and the annual DIRECTV Celebrity Beach Bowl.
Selection of Eco-Themed Series and Specials from Planet Green and Documentary Channel Will Complement the Broadcast
New York, NY— For the third consecutive year, DIRECTV, the world’s most popular video service, will be the exclusive television broadcaster of Farm Aid’s annual benefit concert to be presented live and in HD on October 2 at 6 p.m. EST on The 101 Network. Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America, celebrates twenty-five years of inspiring music, supporting farmers and strengthening America. In addition to broadcasting the event, DIRECTV has pledged to match all customer donations up to $50,000 made during the months of September and October to support Farm Aid’s mission to keep family farmers on the land, growing healthy food for all.
Farm Aid board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews will headline the event, to be hosted by award-winning broadcaster Tavis Smiley, at Miller Park in Milwaukee, WI. Recently announced acts including Kenny Chesney, Norah Jones, Jason Mraz, Jeff Tweedy, Band of Horses, The BoDeans, Amos Lee, Robert Francis, Lukas Nelson and The Promise of the Real, The Blackwood Quartet and Randy Rogers Band will join the lineup.
Since its first concert on September 22, 1985, Farm Aid has been a tireless champion of family farmers, raising more than $37 million to promote a strong and resilient family farm system of agriculture. The non-profit organization also fosters connections between farmers and consumers by growing and strengthening local and regional markets and working to get family farm food in urban neighborhoods, grocery stores, restaurants, schools and other public institutions. In order to call attention to Farm Aid’s mission and promote good food from family farms, The 101 Network will air a selection of green-themed series, specials and documentaries from Planet Green and Documentary Channel leading up to the October 2 live broadcast. Beginning Monday, September 20, a two hour Planet Green programming block, featuring the series Operation Wild, The Fabulous Beekman Boys, Future Food and Living with Ed, will air daily at 3 p.m. ET. Two Documentary Channel films, Life Running Out of Control and Revolution Green, will air on September 18 and 25 respectively at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
“DIRECTV is honored to be airing Farm Aid’s annual concert for the third consecutive year,” said Patty Ishimoto, vice president of DIRECTV Entertainment and General Manager of The 101 Network. “In addition to providing our customers with a truly spectacular concert experience, we wanted to mark the event’s 25th anniversary by further emphasizing Farm Aid’s fundamental messaging by showcasing a number of series and specials from Planet Green and Documentary Channel that promote the importance of ecology, sustainability and family farming.”
The six hour broadcast will be filmed entirely in HD and air in 5.1 surround sound. As in years past, DIRECTV will create original one-hour specials featuring performances from Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America, which will air on The 101 Network as part of the DIRECTV Concert Series.
About 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 more than $37 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.
About DIRECTV’s The 101® Network
The 101 Network, DIRECTV’s exclusive entertainment channel, is a unique television experience that is available to more than 18.5 million DIRECTV subscribers. In 2008, the network changed the television landscape by partnering with NBC to produce and air three additional seasons of the Emmy Award-winning series Friday Night Lights and more recently becoming the exclusive home of the critically-acclaimed, Emmy Award-winning drama Damages, with Glenn Close. As a result, The 101 Network has become the premiere destination for diverse, quality and critically acclaimed programming including Underbelly, Supreme Court of Comedy and The Dan Patrick Show. Through its partnerships with leading television and film studios, networks and top cable channels, The 101 Network offers viewers the finest in drama and comedy, with feature films and TV specials, daring, innovative series, exclusive “sneak peek” programming and premium cable series un-cut in their original form. The 101 Network showcases concert specials from superstar artists and celebrated music festivals such as Farm Aid, sporting events such as UFC Fighter exposés and the annual DIRECTV Celebrity Beach Bowl.