Telethon’s Pledges Exceed $150 Million

Organizers of last Friday’s two-hour telethon to raise money for victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack said Monday that the program generated more than $150 million in pledges, with accountants still tallying.

The event, carried on dozens of broadcast and cable television channels, may raise millions of dollars more through the release of an album compiled from Friday’s performances, which included those by U2, Bruce Springsteen, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey and Bon Jovi.

The album, scheduled for release before the end of the year, will be distributed in the U.S. by Vivendi Universal’s Universal Music Group and internationally by Sony Corp.’s Sony Music. All proceeds will be used to aid victims of the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, organizers said. They are discussing the creation of a DVD as well.

Money raised from the event will go to a Sept. 11 Telethon Fund administered by the United Way and an oversight committee made up of representatives from the major broadcast networks and nonprofit organizations.

The hastily arranged event appears to have raised more money than some of pop music’s earlier philanthropic ventures, such as Live Aid and Farm Aid. Joel Gallen, the producer of the telethon, said planning began when he received a call from representatives of the four major networks the Friday after the attack.

The next morning, Gallen said, he met with Jimmy Iovine, co-founder of Universal’s Interscope Records, and talent agent Ari Emanuel at the Bel-Air home of NBC West Coast President Scott Sassa.

“We started off wondering whether we could find enough artists to fill a two-hour show, acts who would be available on such short notice,” Gallen said. “We made a list, and by Monday afternoon, every single artist that Jimmy and I had called said yes. It was amazing. And the show turned out so special.”