Georgian radio channels to join European counterparts for coronavirus solidarity initiative
Over a dozen stations in Georgia will join the Europe-wide initiative by broadcasters. Photo: Dave Kleinschmidt on Flickr.
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Radio channels across Georgia will join their European counterparts in bringing encouragement to those staying at home or battling the coronavirus outbreak by playing the same song throughout the continent at the same time on Friday.
Over a dozen channels in the country will play You’ll Never Walk Alone, a popular 1960s single by British band Gerry and the Pacemakers, at 11:45am local time on the day, joining broadcasters in countries ranging from the Netherlands to Spain, Estonia and the United Kingdom.
The move by Europe-wide broadcasting services was kick-started by an initiative by Sander Hoogendoorn, a presenter on the Dutch-based 3FM station.
We all have to do what we can to beat this crisis. Things like this just go beyond the boundaries of radio channels [...] You'll Never Walk Alone would be our choice as it could speak to those doing an incredible job working in health care right now, those who are ill or those who can't leave their house for a while." - Sander Hoogendoorn
WOW! heel veel europese radiovrienden doen ook mee! @stubru, @BBCR1, @ORF en nog veel meer andere stations draaien vrijdag 08:45 ‘you’ll never walk alone’! <3 pic.twitter.com/jlRU2Nt7E2
— sander hoogendoorn (@sanderhoogendrn) March 18, 2020
Hoogendoorn initially only aimed to ask his colleagues throughout the Netherlands to join in and play the song at 8:45am CET, however the move was later joined by other stations on the continent, thanks to support by the Members of the European Broadcasting Union.
As a result, the initiative has been taken up by dozens of radios from across European states, with organisers aiming to have all stations of the continent play the song to their audiences tomorrow.
Organisers also plan to create a video showing the song being performed during the event by listeners from various countries, taking the spirit of solidarity further.
The Gerry and the Pacemakers' version of You'll Never Walk Alone is based on a song first heard in the 1945 musical Carousel, with the band's rendition later popularised through channels including sports, where it is sung as anthem of famed clubs such as Liverpool Football Club and Borussia Dortmund.