CBS - TUESDAY ALL M.J. ALL THE TIME

TUESDAY ALL M.J. ALL THE TIME

Coverage of Michael Jackson's memorial service at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Tuesday is likely to eclipse that of any such ceremony in history, published reports indicated today (Monday). All major broadcast networks and the cable news networks have planned some sort of coverage of the service, with all except CBS indicating that they plan to carry it live. (CBS may yet decide to do so.) Hulu, the video website owned by NBC Universal, News Corp and Disney/ABC, is planning to stream the service online, as is the StaplesCenter.com website. The cable news networks have indicated that they are planning "wall to wall" coverage, despite last week's Pew Research Center survey claiming that 64 percent of the public believes that the media are paying too much attention to Jackson's death. "TV ratings tell a different story," commented Broadcasting & Cable magazine, which noted that many of the top-rated television shows of the past week concerned Jackson and that ABC Nightline 's reports about him outdrew episodes of NBC's Tonight show with Conan O'Brien and CBS's Late Show with David Letterman. Meanwhile, tickets to the event have hit eBay, with one of the winners asking $20,000. However, it was reported that when those selected to receive tickets pick them up, a wristband will be placed on their wrist that cannot be removed without destroying it. They must then show tickets, IDs, and the untampered wristband before being allowed to enter the arena. More than 1.6 million people registered for the 11,000 seats that will be available inside the Staples Center. Another 6,000 have been set aside in an overflow facility at the Nokia Theater next door.

06/07/2009