The BBC Report That Started It All
In 1984, BBC released a documentary exposing the “biblical famine” in Ethiopia. The footage went viral and was shown by more than 400 television stations worldwide. The news report shocked its viewers, among them, musician Bob Geldof of the Boomtown Rats. Geldof was stunned by the fact that humans live in such conditions in the 20th century and felt he had to do something about it.
Bob Geldof 2017. Photo by Artur Widak / NurPhoto / Getty Images
He arranged a meeting in London with Ultravox singer Midge Ure, and the two brainstormed on how they could generate income and raise awareness. Finally, Ure confessed, “[We came] to the ultimate conclusion that we are absolutely useless at everything, except maybe putting a good song together.”