Fox has made it unanimous that all of the Big Four will broadcast the live “Stand Up To Cancer” (SU2C) telecast on September 10th. In all, 13 networks have agreed to carry the one-hour fundraiser airing at 8:00 pm ET/PT.
Fox had not aired the first SU2C broadcast in 2008, which raised over $100 million to fund cancer research. The event was the joint brainchild of the three evening news anchors of ABC, CBS and NBC – and, of course, Fox does not have an evening network newscast.
Katie Couric (CBS), Diane Sawyer (ABC) and Brian Williams (NBC) will host the September 10th telecast. While the broadcast will honor the memory of those taken by the disease; it will also focus on surviving cancer and living a full life after being diagnosed with it. This year, 13 million people around the world will be diagnosed with cancer and 1.4 million in the United States alone. In total, there are more than 11 million cancer survivors in the US today. One of those survivors is Laura Ziskin, who will produce the telecast. In addition to her film credits, she produced the 74th and 79th Annual Academy Awards.
In addition to Fox, VH1, HBO Latin, TV One and G4 are networks which have recently joined onto the simulcast. They join ABC, CBS, NBC, HBO, Discovery Health, E!, MLB Network and The Style Network in creating what is now a 13-channel roadblock.
SU2C has also collaborated with Major League Baseball (MLB) to create a new PSA starring Jake Gyllenhaal, which was to premiere during the MLB All-Star Game Tuesday evening on Fox. The poignant PSA draws parallels between victory in baseball and the triumph of beating cancer through teamwork and collaboration with the message that an end to cancer is now beyond a dream; it is within reach.
