Now adds voice to Live 8 with celebrity pull-out

by Daniel Farey-Jones, Brand Republic 17-Jun-05, 11:00

LONDON – Celebrity magazine Now is planning a Live 8 pull-out preview with its June 22 issue, featuring exclusive interviews with Madonna and Bob Geldof and gossip about the stars playing the concerts arond the world.

The 12-page section in the IPC Media title will also provide programme details for the Live 8 concerts scheduled in London, Paris, Berlin, Rome and Philadelphia on July 2.

The concerts are an attempt to bring the pressure of public opinion to bear on the leaders of the G8 group of rich countries and persuade them to provide more aid and cancel debt owed by African countries.

They will be followed by a public march on Edinburgh, close to Gleneagles where the G8 leaders are holding a summit from July 6-9, hosted by Tony Blair.

Jane Ennis, Now editor, said: "Live 8 is the biggest showbiz event of the summer and an opportunity to stop extreme poverty so we were keen to produce something special to support it."

Now has an ABC circulation of 619,686, up 4.6% year on year.

If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the Forum.