Univision to hold unity concert ahead of election

Leading Spanish-language US network Univision on Thursday announced a free concert to celebrate the country's diversity on the eve of a racially charged presidential election.

The network said the "RiseUp As One" concert would take place October 15 and feature "internationally acclaimed artists and musicians," although it did not immediately release a lineup.

Univision and Fusion, its English-language network aimed at millennials, will both broadcast the concert whose venue will also be announced later. 

The event will also include a day of discussions on October 14.

"RiseUp As One is an event to celebrate who we are and the way we live," said Isaac Lee, the chief news, entertainment and digital officer of Univision Communications.

The event will "engage our influential and growing audience by celebrating the global dimension of friendships between neighbors and the diversity that is -- and has always been -- at the heart of the American experience," he said in a statement.

The event is not overtly political but will come less than a month before the November 8 election.

Republican nominee Donald Trump has made a hard line on immigration a cornerstone of his campaign, describing undocumented Mexican residents as rapists and vowing to build a wall on the southern US border.

Univision has become a major player in the US media landscape amid the strength of the Hispanic community which accounts for 17 percent of the country.

In 2015, Univision had a higher total viewership than any advertising-backed US network except the major four of CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox.