Ellen DeGeneres
to appear on Katrina benefit telecast

Sheryl Crow, the Dixie Chicks, Randy Newman, Neil Young, Rod Stewart, Alicia Keys, and Paul Simon are among the musicians who have committed to perform at Friday's "Shelter From the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast" benefit organized by the major broadcast networks. The live hourlong telecast will be carried commercial-free by more than two dozen other cable outlets as a simultaneous roadblock event to raise money for victims of Hurricane Katrina and to pay tribute to the rescue and recovery workers who have an arduous task ahead in cleaning up the devastated regions in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Cable networks confirmed to participate in the roadblock telecast include ABC Family, Bravo, E!, TBS, USA Network, FX, and Oxygen.

Jennifer Aniston, Ellen DeGeneres, Ray Romano, Jack Nicholson, Cameron Diaz, Sela Ward, and Chris Rock are among the celebrities slated to appear on the telecast, to be executive-produced by Joel Gallen, who directed many of the same artists four years ago when he exec-produced the post-September 11 "America: A Tribute to Heroes" telethon that was also roadblocked across dozens of media outlets. The "Shelter" special also will be carried widely in more than 95 countries, including most of Europe, the United Kingdom, and Asia. The Big Four networks have yet to specify where the donations raised through the telethon will be sent.

The special will originate from Sony studio facilities in Los Angeles and New York. It will air on tape delay in the Pacific and Mountain time zones. (Reuters)