SYRACUSE -- There's been plenty of press about this Wednesday's star-studded "12.12.12 Concert" to benefit for Hurricane Sandy victims. The big show is taking place at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Supporters in Syracuse will be able to enjoy the concert on radio or TV for free... but those in other parts of Central New York may have to make a bit of an effort to find the performances.
Wednesday's concert is set to begin at 7:30pm. Among the top-notch musicians scheduled to perform are two who hail from areas that were hit especially hit hard by Sandy: New Jersey native Bruce Springsteen and Long Islander Billy Joel. Organizers have also confirmed performances from The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Alicia Keys, The Who, Paul McCartney and more.
Management at Clear Channel's Syracuse cluster confirmed that News/Talk 106.9 and 570 WSYR will be the region's sole radio affiliate for the broadcast. Clear Channel doesn't own any stations in Utica-Rome or Ithaca, so those markets will be left without radio coverage, but fans and supporters outside of WSYR's AM and FM coverage areas can listen live through Clear Channel's iHeartRadio website and smartphone app.
Clear Channel has also launched a special iHeartRadio channel called "121212 Radio," featuring music from all of the artists scheduled to perform on Wednesday.
The 12.12.12 Concert website says CBS will be carrying the concert live, but the WTVH program schedule at cnycentral.com makes no references to the concert on Wednesday night's lineup. However, the ION television network has blocked out 7:30pm to midnight for the concert. ION programming is available free over-the-air to Syracuse-area viewers via affiliate WSPX-TV. Although the station broadcasts on channel 15, digital tuners will display WSPX on its "virtual channel" number, 56.
Outside of Syracuse, you'll need a subscription to cable, satellite or high-speed internet to watch the show live. In addition to WSPX -- which is carried on Time Warner Cable systems throughout Syracuse and Utica -- organizers say the concert will be simulcast by more than a dozen cable networks, including HBO, VH1 Classic, Showtime 2, Palladia, Lifetime Real Women, Hallmark Movie Channel, FX Movie Channel, Fuse, G4 and several others. A number of websites -- including many belonging to the aforementioned cable networks -- will also provide a live feed of the concert.
Between carriage on the radio, on TV domestically and internationally, and online, organizers say the concert could reach as many as two billion people.