Hollywood and the Heartland Unite for ONE to Make Poverty History

Hollywood – April 6, 2005 – ONE announced today that it has enlisted ABC and MTV Networks in the fight against global AIDS and extreme poverty. The networks will support ONE’s efforts by donating air time for the world premiere of a new public service announcement starring some of the biggest names in music, movies, politics, and religion.

The ONE.ORG Spot, a 60-second video in support of ONE: The Campaign to Make Poverty History, will have its broadcast and cable premiere at 8:59 PM (EST) on Sunday, April 10, on all MTV Networks and MTV Radio affiliates across the world as well as during ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”

On this collaboration, Bono, lead singer of U2 and DATA co-founder explains, When you have a broadcaster like ABC put these issues on primetime TV, that’s a real sign things are on the move, treating AIDS and extreme poverty as the emergency it is.

When you have a MTV Networks roadblocking the ONE.ORG spot, showing it at the same time on all their networks as Pat Robertson showing it on the 700 Club, that’s a great sign that people are coming together behind this emergency. When you have Republicans and Democrats, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Sun Microsystems getting behind this campaign — it’s not the usual suspects. We know we have an opportunity to beat AIDS and end stupid poverty in our lifetimes, this is up to us.

On ABC, the spot will air during an episode of ABC’s hit series Extreme Makeover: Home Edition featuring the family of Patricia Broadbent, a courageous mother who has helped three of her adopted children and many others face AIDS with hope, teaching them that life is here for the living. The spot will air again the following Monday on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition: How’d They Do That?, allowing millions of Americans to see the ONE.ORG spot on ABC. ONE and this campaign initially came to the attention of ABC via Frank Pierson and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, for which he serves as president.

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ONE is a global advocacy and campaigning organization backed by more than 2 million people from around the world dedicated to fighting extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa. For more information please visit www.ONE.org