Networks Plan Live Coverage

Fans have left messages at Jackson's Neverland Ranch in Los Olivos, Calif., since the pop star's sudden death on June 25. (By Michael A. Mariant -- Associated Press)

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Associated Press
Monday, July 6, 2009

NEW YORK, July 5 -- NBC executives changed their minds Sunday and decided to join other networks that will televise the Michael Jackson memorial service live on Tuesday.

ABC, CNN, Fox, MSNBC and E! Entertainment are also offering live coverage. The ceremony is set for 1 p.m. Eastern time at Los Angeles's Staples Center.

NBC had initially planned only a one-hour prime-time special Tuesday night. It was not immediately clear who would anchor NBC's coverage of the event.

Charles Gibson will anchor for ABC, which is setting aside its usual daytime programming. CBS anchor Katie Couric will be at the Staples Center, although the network had not yet said whether it was offering live coverage of the memorial.

CNN has seen its ratings soar with the Jackson story, and it will show the memorial, with Anderson Cooper, Larry King and Don Lemon anchoring, on the main network and HLN (formerly Headline News). CNN International will air the ceremony to the rest of the world. Robin Meade, A.J. Hammer and Jane Velez-Mitchell will anchor at HLN. CNN en Español also will cover it.

Chris Jansing will host coverage of the memorial on MSNBC. Shepard Smith will fill that role on Fox News, with Megyn Kelly anchoring coverage of the event on the Fox network.

E! Entertainment and TV Guide will cover the ceremony on their television networks and Web sites.