NBC will celebrate the lighting of the world's most famous Christmas tree with a live broadcast from Rockefeller Center in New York City on Wednesday, November 30th from 8 to 9 p.m. ET. The star-studded holiday special will feature performances by Tony Bennett, Justin Bieber, Michael Bublé, Cee Lo Green, Faith Hill, Carole King, Katharine McPhee, Javier Colon and The Radio City Rockettes with a mix of current hits and holiday classics.
The 79th annual holiday extravaganza will feature a Norway Spruce tree that is 74 feet high, 46 feet in diameter and weighs 10 tons.
The tradition of the Rockefeller Christmas tree dates back to the Great Depression. First erected in 1933, the inaugural tree was decked with 700 lights and placed in front of the then eight-month-old RCA Building, now the GE Building. The Christmas tree gathering was enhanced in 1936 with the opening of the Rockefeller Plaza outdoor ice-skating pond. NBC-TV televised the tree lighting for the first time in 1951 on "The Kate Smith Show" and as part of the nationwide "Howdy Doody" television show from 1953-55.
Prior to this year's primetime telecast, WNBC, NBC's flagship station, and other NBC affiliates (listed below) will broadcast an additional live hour of the special from 7 to 8 p.m. ET . This first hour will feature performances by all the show's stars and also a special performance by Megan Hilty, star of the upcoming NBC musical drama "SMASH".
"Christmas in Rockefeller Center" is produced by Brad Lachman Productions with Lachman serving as executive producer. Bill Bracken is producer.
NBC AFFILIATES BROADCASTING FIRST HOUR OF SPECIAL 7-8 P.M. ET:
WVIR - Charlottesville, VA, WLWT - Cincinnati, OH, WBOY - Clarksburg, WV, WETM - Elmira, NY, WBBH - Fort Myers, FL, WHAG - Hagerstown, MD, WBIR - Knoxville, TN, WGAL - Lancaster, PA, WAVE - Louisville, KY, WNBC - New York, NY, WCAU - Philadelphia, PA, WEYI - Saginaw-Bay City, MI, WTWC - Tallahassee, FL, WNWO - Toledo, OH, WFMJ - Youngstown, OH, WHIZ - Zanesville, OH, KMIR - Palm Springs, CA
Al Roker - As a host and weatherman of NBC's "TODAY Show," along with Ann Curry and Matt Lauer, Al Roker has the undivided attention of the nation (over 32 million viewers per week) every weekday morning as America prepares for work. Spanning a 35-year plus career and a twelve-time Emmy winner, Al conducts interviews with celebrities and newsmakers around the world and does a wide variety of segments on every imaginable subject. He is the host of NBC's annual network specials, such as the "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade", the "Christmas Tree Lighting at Rockefeller Center," and "The Rose Bowl Parade." Al is also an accomplished television producer. He is CEO of Al Roker Entertainment, Inc. (ARE), a thriving multimedia company involved in the development and production of network, cable, home video, and public television projects. ARE produces programming for a diverse clientele including NBC News, MSNBC, Spike TV, Lifetime Television, A&E, The History Channel, E!, Discovery Networks, PBS, TV ONE, Oxygen, The Cartoon Network and NBC Television Stations Group.
Savannah Guthrie - Savannah Guthrie joined the "TODAY Show" as co-host of the third hour in June 2011 and also serves as "TODAY" Chief Legal Analyst. Prior to joining "TODAY," Guthrie served as NBC News White House Correspondent from December 2008 to June 2011 where she contributed to all NBC News properties, including "NBC Nightly News with BrIan Williams," "TODAY" and "MSNBC." Guthrie also served as co-host of MSNBC's "The Daily Rundown" from January 2010 to June 2011. Covering the 2008 presidential elections, Guthrie traveled with Sarah Palin's campaign and was part of the NBC team that ultimately won a 2009 Emmy for their coverage on election night. Prior to joining NBC News in September 2007, Guthrie was the legal affairs correspondent based in Washington, D.C. for "Court TV" from 2006 to 2007. Guthrie joined "Court TV" from the law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer and Feld where she practiced law, with an emphasis in white-collar litigation, from 2002-2003. In 2002, Guthrie received her Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center, where she graduated magna cum laude.
