Michael Jackson Memorial Service Televised

The music stations, such as MTV, BET, VH1, MTV.com, VH1.com, VH1 Classics, and VH1 Soul will all provide extensive coverage and air the Memorial at 12:00 p.m. Eastern and 9:00 a.m. Pacific. MSNBC will begin covering the Memorial Service at 8:00 a.m. Pacific, 11:00 a.m. Eastern. The anchor will be Chris Jansing.

Both CNN and HLN will cover the Memorial service live. Anderson Cooper will begin at 9:00 a.m. Pacific, 12:00 p.m. Eastern. CNN International and CNN en Espanol will also air the service. CNN will have the service streaming live on the Internet too.

CBS will begin coverage with the Early Show, and ABC’s Good Morning America will also provide special coverage. Martin Bashir, who did the infamous interview with Michael Jackson, will co-anchor the ABC coverage. There will be a special 20/20 hosted by both Barbara Walters and Diane Sawyer at 9:00 p.m.

NBC is planning a special, ‘split’ coverage on the Today show. Brian Williams will begin covering the Staples Center at 10:00 a.m. while Meredith Vieria will be running coverage during the Today Show.

Fox’s Great Van Sustern will be live in Los Angeles and will have a special feature at 10:00 p.m of “On the Record.” Fox will also be streaming live on the web, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Pacific and 1:00 p.m. Eastern.

The service is expected to be groundbreaking for television records and might be the most viewed televised event in all of history; another accomplishment that will more than likely go to Michael Jackson.

Source:Internet

Yup, there is expected to be around 700,000 people to watch / attend the ceremony. It's going to be huge event. I think there was a private ceremony in the morning and then the casket to be brought for public memorial. They are making sure that crowd does not go out of control at that time.

Wow, all this sounds so bizarre, still can't believe a thing about Michael Jackson - the king of pop!

Jackson's public memorial takes a spiritual turn

Michael Jackson's public memorial, watched by millions around the world, struck a tone more spiritual than spectacular Tuesday, opening with a church choir serenading his golden casket and continuing with somber speeches and gospel-themed musical performances.

Pastor Lucious W. Smith of the Friendship Baptist Church in Pasadena gave the invocation, followed by Mariah Carey singing the opening performance with a sweet rendition of the Jackson 5 ballad "I'll Be There," a duet with Trey Lorenz.

"We come together and we remember the time," said Smith, riffing off one of Jackson's lyrics. "As long as we remember him, he will always be there to comfort us."

Millions of fans around the world gathered at odd hours to watch the ceremony, which was broadcast from Tokyo to Paris and streamed everywhere online.

Among those who saluted Jackson were music mogul Barry Gordy, the Rev. Al Sharpton and basketball greats Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant. Jennifer Hudson sang Jackson's hit "Will You Be There" and John Mayer played guitar on a whisper-light rendition of "Human Nature."

"This is a moment that I wished I didn't live to see," Stevie Wonder said before his performance.

The singer Smokey Robinson began the service by reading statements from Jackson's close friends Diana Ross and Nelson Mandela. The South African leader's statement ended with a poignant admonition: "Be strong."

After a long period of silence punctuated only by camera flashes, the tension broke with the organ strains of a black spiritual, "Hallelujah, hallelujah, going to see the King."

Lionel Richie gave a gospel-infused performance in front of a shaft of light evoking a cross.

An estimated 20,000 people were in the Staples Center as Jackson's flower-draped casket was brought to the venue in a motorcade under law enforcement escort. Those who gathered constituted a visual representation of Jackson's life: black, white and everything in between, wearing fedoras and African headdresses, sequins and surgical masks.

From yahoo news