Networks announce Michael Jackson memorial coverage

July 4, 10:11 PMDC TV ExaminerCherie Saunders

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AP (Chris Carlson): MJ memorial news conference, Staples Center - July 3, 2009

ABC, CNN, MSNBC and E! Entertainment are currently setting up shop at the Staples Center in Los Angeles to carry live broadcasts of Tuesday's memorial service for Michael Jackson. 

Charles Gibson will anchor for ABC, while Chris Jansing will handle MSNBC's coverage. CNN will carry the live broadcast on its main network as well as HLN (formerly Headline News). Anderson Cooper, Larry King and Don Lemon will cover for CNN, while Robin Meade, A.J. Hammer and Jane Velez-Mitchell will anchor at HLN. CNN en Espanol will also broadcast live.

E! Entertainment announced it will beam the ceremony on its television network and its Web site.

As for the other broadcast networks, CBS has dispatched "Evening News" anchor Katie Couric to the Staples Center, but producers have yet to announce whether they will cover the service live. NBC will not feature live coverage, but will wrap up highlights in a one-hour prime-time special to air Tuesday night.

Fox News Channel had not announced its plans at press time.

The AEG-backed memorial is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. It will be serviced on a worldwide feed and is free to air on any network.

More than 1.2 million people had registered for tickets at staplescenter.com by Saturday's 6 p.m. deadline. A total of 17,500 tickets were made available to the general public—11,000 for inside the Staples Center and 6,500 for across the street at the Nokia Center, which will be filled with big-screen TVs streaming the live event. On Sunday, 8,750 names will be drawn randomly and each will receive two tickets. Ticketmaster will then distribute the tickets and wristbands on Monday.

Assistant Police Chief Earl Paysinger expects anywhere from a quarter-million to 700,000 people to show up at the arena, even though a wide area around the Staples Center will be blocked to folks without tickets. City Councilwoman Jan Perry is urging the ticketless to stay home and watch the memorial on TV.


AEG President/CEO Timothy J. Leiweke details MJ's memorial service.    

For more info: 
More coverage on the death of Michael Jackson