R&R Hall of Fame ceremony to be broadcast

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation today announces its broadcast partners for the March 12th induction ceremony at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation president and C.E.O., Joel Peresman commented, “We are so happy to be working with our great friends at VH1 again this year, and welcoming our new partners, AOL, VH1 Classic, and MHD, MTV Networks’ new high-definition music channel. For the first time, the induction ceremony will air live on VH1 Classic, and be simultaneously streamed without commercial interruption on AOL at http://spinner.aol.com/rockhall. We think that being able to broadcast the induction event live will make for great viewing and our hope is that a live broadcast will make the fans feel like they get to share the moment with us, in a way that they never have been able to before.”

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be broadcast live from the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on AOL, VH1 Classic and MHD on March 12, 2007. AOL will feature the induction on demand commencing on March 13th. The full ceremony will air again on VH1 Classic and MHD on Friday, March 16th. An edited version will air in rotation on VH1, VH1 Classic and MHD beginning on Saturday, March 17th .

“It is a true honor for AOL to be able to stream the induction ceremony live for fans around the world,” said Mike Rich, Vice President of AOL Music, Movies, and Television. “For years AOL has been a leader in providing music fans a rich online source of videos, original performances, live concerts and more. Now we can let consumers witness the thrill of this historic event, empowering them with interactive features that allow them to upload video commentary, vote and interact with other fans.”

Five new acts/artists are being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for 2007, including the first-ever hip-hop act. The inductees are:

- Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five (Kid Creole, Cowboy, Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel, Mr. Ness, Raheim) inducted by Jay-Z
- R.E.M. (Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, Michael Stipe) inducted by Eddie Vedder
- The Ronettes (Estelle Bennett, Ronnie Spector, Nedra Talley) inducted by Keith Richards
- Patti Smith inducted by Zach De La Rocha
- Van Halen (Michael Anthony, Sammy Hagar, Alex Van Halen, Eddie Van Halen, David Lee Roth) inducted by Velvet Revolver

“VH1 Classic will be presenting its first-ever live telecast with this 2007 induction ceremony honoring the amazing talents of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, R.E.M., The Ronettes, Patti Smith and Van Halen,” said Tom Calderone, Executive Vice President and General Manager, VH1. “VH1 has had a long and successful partnership with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and we’re excited that music fans can enjoy it across our brand this year and MHD: Music High Definition, which will deliver this once-in-a-lifetime event to our viewers who love their music in high-def.”