150 European radio stations to simultaneously blast ‘Give Peace a Chance’
Madrid, Mar 4 (EFE).- Europe on Friday will send a message of hope amid the war in Ukraine with a simultaneous broadcast in more than 25 countries of John Lennon’s iconic song “Give Peace a Chance.”
“At 08:45 CET on Friday 4 March, around 150 public radio channels across Europe – including Ukrainian Radio – will come together in a simultaneous broadcast of John Lennon’s powerful song of unity, hope and peace, ‘Give Peace a Chance,'” European Broadcasting Union (EBU), a global alliance of public service media organizations, said in a statement on Thursday.
The “the symbolic transmission will feature over 25 countries and will also have the support of European commercial radio,” and is based on an initiative by Berlin’s main public radio station, radioeins, a part of the EBU, which has promoted it among its members.
“Radioeins (rbb) developed the initiative as a demonstration of how the power of radio can amplify growing support for peace and create a united movement across the continent,” EBU said.
Yurii Tabachenko, executive producer, Channel One at UA: Ukrainian Radio, thanked the EBU for organizing the initiative and added that it “is extremely important that today Europe is united around Ukraine.”
EBU Director General Noel Curran said: “We know that throughout its hundred years history, the public have turned to public service media at times of war to inform and unite. This powerful call for peace through an iconic song will resonate with millions of listeners.”
“Give Peace a Chance” was written in 1969 during Lennon and Yoko Ono’s famous week-long “bed-in” protest against the Vietnam War while on their honeymoon.
The couple recorded it on June 1, 1969 in a room at the Queen Elizabeth hotel in Montreal with a host of personalities, including American poet Allen Ginsberg and British actress Petula Clark.
The song quickly became a peace anthem and is one of Lennon’s best-known solo tracks.
“Ev’rybody’s talking about/Revolution, evolution, masturbation/Flagellation, regulation, integrations/Meditations, United Nations/Congratulations/All we are saying is give peace a chance,” the lyrics read. EFE
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