Hannah Montana mp3

The taping of the first live performance by Hannah Montana, the Walt Disney Co.`s TV-originated teenage singing phenomenon, will go live via the U.K. edition of the Disney Channel on May 7.

Once aired in the U.K., the taped concert will roll out to the local editions of the Disney Channel in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Nordic markets (Denmark, Norway and Sweden).

'Hannah Montana: Live In London' centers on her March 28 live concert at London`s Koko club.

The performance features 14-year-old Miley Cyrus, who plays Hannah Montana in the eponymous hit TV series. She is the daughter of country singing star Billy Rae Cyrus.

The program will be supported by behind-the-scene footage, plus a Q&A session with the audience of mainly school students and their parents. The Disney Channel filmed the concert as it explores synergies with Walt Disney Records.

The series 'Hannah Montana,' which launched in the United States in March 2006, has a huge international following. It is currently on local editions of the Disney Channel or licensed to other networks in more than 30 territories worldwide.

The series` second season is already on air in the United States, with the U.K. broadcast scheduled for June 2. 'Hannah Montana,' the soundtrack CD of the original TV series, reached No. 1 on The Billboard 200 last November. It has been certified gold (100,000) in the U.K., after its release there last December. A DVD 'Hannah Montana - Behind the Spotlight' was released in the United Kingdom on March 26.

"Among the reasons for the (TV) show for the concert is to drive sales of her CD and DVD," Rob Gilby, the Disney Channel`s U.K. managing director, tells Billboard.biz. "Having a TV series alone doesn`t connect with kids long enough."

Audience response to the 'Live in London' TV show will determine how the Disney Channel moves forward with its strategy of launching recordings internationally featuring Disney characters and actors.

The push of the Hannah Montana brand in the United Kingdom follows the U.K. success of the soundtrack of 'High School Musical,' the Disney Channel`s original feature film, which has been certified double platinum in the United Kingdom.

Taken from M&C