By Pat Loeb

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Philadelphia’s Fourth of July celebration is going national. This year’s free outdoor concert will be broadcast live on the cable network Vh1.

The Roots became part of the big Fourth finale’s executive production team in 2010 and turned it into a jam session, where the guest artists collaborate onstage instead of doing separate sets.

Now, their manager, Shawn Gee has helped sell broadcast rights to VH1 and the high-def music channel Palladia. So, in addition to the half-a-million people the city estimates watch it on the Parkway, a national audience will be able to watch the two-hour event live on TV or stream it online at VH1.com.

Gee, the Roots and the network are working on the lineup for this year. Last year, the Roots backed artists as varied as Joe Jonas, Queen Latifah and Daryl Hall.