Stars Perform In Hurricane Sandy Benefit Concert

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City native Christina Aguilera has opened NBC’s telethon benefiting victims of superstorm Sandy.

The concert began at 8 p.m. Eastern time Friday and was to air at 8 p.m. Western time. Bruce Springsteen, Mary J. Blige, Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, Sting and others are performing to benefit the American Red Cross and its disaster relief efforts.

(Alicia Keys and Kanye West also performed)

The event is hosted by Matt Lauer. It is heavy on stars identified with New Jersey and the New York metropolitan area, which took the brunt of this week’s deadly storm. “Sopranos” star James Gandolfini and comic Jon Stewart will also participate.

Aguilera is from Staten Island, a borough devastated beyond recognition by the superstorm.

It will air across the stable of NBC Universal networks and on HBO.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

Mary J. Blige was added to the bill of NBC’s Friday telethon benefiting victims of superstorm Sandy, and HBO has agreed to televise it.

The telethon is scheduled to air at 8 p.m. Eastern and Western times, with Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, Sting and others performing to benefit the American Red Cross and its disaster relief efforts.

The event, with Matt Lauer as host, is heavy on stars identified with New Jersey and the New York metropolitan area, which took the brunt of this week’s deadly storm. Actor James Gandolfini of “The Sopranos” and comic Jon Stewart will also participate.

It will air across the stable of NBC Universal networks, including USA, CNBC, MSNBC, E! Entertainment, The Weather Channel and Bravo.

NBC Universal invited other networks to televise the event, but so far only HBO, Discovery Fitness & Health and Velocity have signed on.

That may have something to do with network rivalries.

In the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the networks organized a benefit together behind the scenes and it was televised on more than 30 networks simultaneously, including all of the big broadcasters.

After Hurricane Katrina, NBC televised its own benefit event before the other broadcasters, one that became best known for Kanye West’s off-script declaration that “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.” The other broadcasters cooperated on their own telethon a week later, and NBC televised that one, too.

Also this year, NBC organized and scheduled a telethon on its own and gave others the chance to air it.

Others have declined to televise the telethon, even though ABC parent Walt Disney Co. said it would donate $2 million to the American Red Cross and various ABC shows will promote a “Day of Giving” on Monday. The CBS Corp., Viacom Inc., parent of “Jersey Shore” network MTV, Fox network owner News Corp. also announced big donations to the Red Cross.

Job 24:4 They turn the needy out of the way: the poor of the earth hide themselves together.

Psa 37:14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, [and] to slay such as be of upright conversation.

Pro 30:14 [There is] a generation, whose teeth [are as] swords, and their jaw teeth [as] knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from [among] men

Psa 82:4 Deliver the poor and needy: rid [them] out of the hand of the wicked.

Psa 12:5 For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set [him] in safety [from him that] puffeth at him.