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WKNO to defer premiere of 2011 Johnny Cash Music Festival special; special will air at future date

05/23/2012

WKNO-Memphis (Channel 12) is deferring the broadcast of the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) television special featuring the 2011 inaugural Johnny Cash Music Festival, filmed at Arkansas State University’s Convocation Center. The PBS special, which was slated to premiere Thursday, May 24, will be aired at a later date.

Rosanne Cash, who was expected to be in the studios of WKNO-Memphis, is suffering from a minor illness and will not be able to attend either the premiere or a news conference scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday, May 24, at ASU’s Cooper Alumni Center, 2600 Alumni Blvd., Jonesboro. However, John Carter Cash will attend ASU’s news conference, to be held as scheduled, and the talent lineup for the 2012 festival will be announced by Bill Carter, the festival’s executive producer.

The second Johnny Cash Music Festival will be held Friday, Oct. 5, 2012, at ASU’s  Convocation Center, 217 Olympic Drive, Jonesboro. The inaugural festival (a sold-out event with more than 7,000 audience members attending) was held Thursday, Aug. 4, 2011, kicking off the fundraising drive to raise monies for the restoration of Johnny Cash’s childhood home in Dyess, Ark., now well underway.

Tickets for the second Johnny Cash Music Festival go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 25, at ASU’s Central Box Office, online at www.tickets.astate.edu. Tickets can also be purchased by logging onto the official website of the Johnny Cash Music Festival, www.johnnycashmusicfest.com. Call to purchase tickets toll-free at 1-888-278-3267 or locally at 870-972-2781.