Comedy Central & Twitter Align for Programming Stunt

NEW YORK: The #ComedyFest is a five-day festival celebrating comedy and comedians that will be programmed on Twitter, with the participation of Comedy Central.

Running from April 29 to May 3, the event kicks off with the comedic icon Mel Brooks setting up a Twitter account. The event will be live-streamed in Brooks’s first tweet, and can also be viewed on CC.com. The #ComedyFest will feature 16 programmed events with more than 50 comedians, including Gabriel Iglesias, Keegan-Michel Key and Jordan Peele, Jeffrey Ross, the cast of Reno 911 and many others.

“Twitter has become an essential medium for comedy and comedians,” said Michele Ganeless, the president of Comedy Central. “#ComedyFest will exist in the twittersphere—creating comedy that lives on social media. It’s a great extension for our brand; it’s where our audience lives.”

Fred Graver, the head of TV at Twitter, said, “Awesome to have @ComedyCentral on-air and on Twitter celebrating comedians and the rise of 140 character comedy. Please RT.”