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Who's With Coco? More than 1,500 Signed Up to Attend Rally in Support of Conan O'Brien
It's raining cats and dogs, but some 1,575 people are confirmed as a "Yes" to attending the Rally for CoCo!--as in Conan O'Brien--on Facebook via the I'm With COCO Facebook page, which has quickly garnered over 300,000 fans internationally.
"It's time to show NBC what's up," the event page states about today's noontime rally. "We will be rallying in front of Conan's studio at the Universal lot, to show support for our beloved Coco.... WEAR ORANGE!"
The whole controversy began a week and a half ago on January 7th when rumors surfaced that Jay Leno's primetime slot was kicked to the curb after pressure from affiliates that were losing viewers during their newscasts. That same day--later in the afternoon--more rumors, which later became the reality, came out: Leno to replace or push back Conan. Leno will finish his primetime run in February and begin the transition back to his old 11:35 p.m. slot. Conan than said he would not be pushed back to a later time.
Sponsored message
The artwork, Facebook movement and rallys are organized by Mike Mitchell, an artist in West Los Angeles. Events are also scheduled for Chicago, New York and Seattle today.
It's for a True Good Cause, too: Via the press release: "As this is merely an insignificant pop culture event when compared to major world catastrophes as of late, the Red Cross will be on hand to collect donations for Haitian relief. We would like to use this opportunity to leverage coverage of this rally primarily for the benefit of those that have lost their homes, family and friends to the tragedy in Haiti. This is a rare chance to use a pop culture happening to benefit the greater good."
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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