Rick Dees Joins Salvation Army To Broadcast The First Digithon To Aid Katrina Survivors

Radio entertainer and "Weekly Top 40" host Rick Dees has announced the first-ever "DIGITHON" to mobilize and motivate listeners around the world to help in the aftermath of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, to be broadcast live on Monday, September 19, 2005 from the Digital Hollywood's fall conference at the Loews Hotel in Santa Monica, California.

Radio is a personal medium built around the power of community," says Dees. "Through our broadcasts around the world, we intend to motivate the entire global community to join in this massive rebuilding process." All-day streaming broadcasts are now being offered for listening at RICK.COM to raise funds toward immediate hurricane disaster relief along the Gulf Coast of the United States.

The first global "DIGITHON," replete with stars from the music, entertainment, and new media world, will join with live, unplugged performances to be streamed to the world on RICK.COM (and via the DDN Network). Says Dees, "I'm proud to note that our 'DIGITHON' will be heard in virtually every city in the world, and that we're unleashing the full force and effect of our IPTV broadcasts to touch the lives of the victims of the costliest natural disaster of this generation in the U.S." Complete details will be posted here at RICK.COM as the week progresses.

Monday's digithon will also feature an SMS text-messaging sweepstakes raffling off donated resort and private home stays in the Out Islands of the Bahamas (Rainbow Inn, Royal Palm Hotel, Tranquility Bay, King's Country) throughout the live five-hour broadcast, powered by Smart SMS and coordinated by Briland.com, with all proceeds supporting the Salvation Army's relief efforts in New Orleans and Louisiana. The award-winning Putumayo label compilations "New Orleans" and "Mississippi Blues" are also available for sale at rick.com, with 100% of all proceeds going to the Salvation Army.

For more information, see the... Rick Dees Homepage