Entercom To Air 'I’m Listening' Special On Mental Health, Suicide Prevention

Listening To Help

ENTERCOM will broadcast a two-hour live, commercial-free broadcast special, “I’m Listening,” to raise awareness around mental health and mark the start of NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION WEEK. It will air nationwide on SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8th at 7a across more than 235 stations and via each station’s livestream on RADIO.COM in their respective time zones. KISW/SEATTLE air personality BJ SHEA will host the special along with NowMattersNow.org CEO Dr. URSULA WHITESIDE.

The live show will include personal stories from musicians, celebrities, athletes and first responders as well as mental health professionals. The bands BLINK-182, DISTURBED, singer HALSEY, singer, rapper and actress LIZZO, Country music star MICHAEL RAY, pop duo TEGAN AND SARA, singer/songwriter SHAWN MENDES, and NFL players SOLOMON THOMAS and CHRIS HUBBARD will be among those participating. Guests will also include THE AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION (AFSP) Chief Medical Officer DR. CHRISTINE MOUTIER. Listeners will have the opportunity to participate via live call-in and an interactive website.

In addition to the two-hour broadcast, ENTERCOM LGBTQ+ talk radio network CHANNEL Q, available nationwide on RADIO.COM, will extend the programming during all of NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION WEEK. From September 9th-13th, all shows on CHANNEL Q will feature segments on mental health and suicide prevention and will include personal narratives from celebrities as well as mental health professionals. ENTERCOM's yearlong campaign also includes suicide prevention PSAs, on-air promos and a dedicated website with information and resources to end the stigma around mental health discussions.

“Mental health and suicide prevention are year-round initiatives at ENTERCOM and we are doing our part to end the stigma by encouraging people to talk,” ENTERCOM Chief Programming Officer PAT PAXTON said. “Like millions of others, my family has been impacted by mental health issues and the effect it has on friends and families is devastating. ‘I’m Listening’ is when our vast network of radio stations and digital platforms unite on the same day, at the same time, to ultimately save lives. If we help just one person, our time will have been well spent.”

“Thanks to ENTERCOM for creating a space to talk about mental health and suicide prevention,” DR. CHRISTINE MOUTIER said. “Mental health conditions affect one in five people and we all experience challenges to our mental health. It’s time that we put as much attention on mental health as we do physical health. It’s my hope that by sharing real stories of hope, healing and recovery through ‘I’m Listening,’ we can help others feel empowered to share more authentically and support one another in opening up, reaching out for help and getting to treatment, if needed.”

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