‘We are the World’ Airing
On radios, over television . . . even in 110,000 elevators.
“We Are the World” will be heard all over the world at 7:50 a.m. PST today, as broadcasters join the burgeoning USA for Africa movement in a mass simulcast of the 6-minute, 22-second musical phenomenon.
The monthlong effort to get all the radio stations in Utah to play the song at the same time on Good Friday has grown to include an estimated 6,000 stations, from Europe to Japan and all points in between.
At least 5,000 U.S. stations (roughly two-thirds of the total number of stations in the country) are estimated to be joining the simulcast.
At least another 1,000 stations in Canada, England, France, West Germany, Spain, Holland, Australia, New Zealand, Finland, Italy and Guam, plus the Voice of America, National Public Radio and the Armed Forces Radio Network have all committed to the mass airplay as a show of support for the anti-famine drive spearheaded by the USA for Africa Foundation.
Foundation spokeswoman Wendy Ferris said Wednesday that even the company that operates Muzak has agreed to break format and play the song in doctors’ offices and elevators that subscribe to the background music service. In addition, she said, NBC Television will be filming the simulcast at various radio stations across the country in preparation for a special report on the NBC Nightly News.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
