A+E Concert Set to ‘Shine’ in 135 Territories

A+E Networks says its Shining a Light concert for progress on race in America will air in 135 countries around the world.

The concert will be recorded Nov. 18 in Los Angeles and appear on air between Nov. 21 and Dec. 15 on Lifetime and A&E Networks.

Among the performers are Zac Brown Band, Eric Church, Jamie Foxx, Rhiannon Giddens, Tori Kelly, John Legend, Miguel, Pink, Jill Scott, Ed Sheeran, Sia, Bruce Springsteen, Sting and Pharrell Williams. Additional performers are expected to be announced, according to A+E.

The concert will benefit the United Way’s Fund for Progress on Race in America. It was inspired by the killing of nine people at the Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, S.C., by a gunman motivated by racial prejudice.

In the U.S., the two-hour special event will air on A+E’s networks: A&E, History, Lifetime, H2, LMN and FYI, as well as on iHeartMedia broadcast radio stations and the iHeartRadio digital platform.

“As a global media company, A+E Networks has the privilege of being invited into the homes of millions of people around the world every day and believe that it is our responsibility to use this incredible platform to inform as well as entertain,” said Nancy Dubuc, CEO of A+E Networks. “By shining a light on the uncomfortable truth that racial inequity and bias still impact our society, we are looking to inspire people to go beyond short-lived, symbolic gestures."

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.