As a fan of music from the 80's and the early 90's, I didn't believe it at first when one of my friends told me that Michael Jackson died. Since TVs were rare where I was at the time, my first instinct was to check CNN.com. As soon as I got confirmation, I found a TV and was glued to one of the news-only channels to get all the latest updates on the death of one of my music idols.

TV coverage of Michael Jackson's death was worldwide and every source of media. The news of his death, the coroner's investigation, the rumors that his death may have been faked (see the video after the jump), the news of where he would be buried, the details of the various tributes, as well as coverage of the special funeral ceremony, etc., made Michael Jackson's death one of the 2009 events that got the most air time around the world. Even as huge an MJ fan I am -- I do have about 30 of his hits on my MP3 -- I can admit that this event got too much air time.

Television networks across the dial are getting ready for live coverage of the Michael Jackson memorial, to be held Tuesday, July 7, 10AM PT at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Get a rundown of all the important tune-in details after the jump.

There's a moment after each World Series, when the last out is made and the winning team rushes the field, that the play-by-play folks in the booth just keep quiet. Not a word is said as the team, and the home crowd, celebrate their victory. It is always an emotional moment for those watching the events.

I personally felt the same way when Charlie Gibson announced at 11:01:01 p.m. that Barak Obama was to be the next President of the United States, and scenes of jubilation filled the screen. From that point on, the comments by Diane, George and Charlie were few, subdued and reflective. They just let the emotions of the crowds in Time Square, Harlem, Keyna, and Grant Park in Chicago flow through the screen. Just the way it was supposed to be.

The lead-up to the -- oh, hell, let's just say it -- historic announcement by Charlie was done with the build-up of tension that would have made a number of movie directors proud. You could just see him restraining the news for those 10 seconds leading up to the top of the hour. He held it well. That's why he's one of the more respected broadcasters of today.

My ABC O&O moved to local news at 11:00 P.M., so I didn't catch the McCain and Obama speeches from there. I'll provide a wrap-up of the election coverage tomorrow morning.

It's 10:00 P.M. Do you know who your next president is? Here are some more notes about the election coverage over at ABC

8:52 Guess what's coming to ABC primetime in January? It's the beginning of the phrase 'and found'. So far, we've had two ads about the new season. Uh oh, 15 more states close polls at 9:00.

8:55 My 2-year-old just woke up. He must be worried about the fate of the U.S. just like the rest of us.

9:00 Whoops! They went to Charlie before he rattled off the latest results. We got to see the electoral count numbers before he was finished. Always keep on the graphics, kids.

9:10 Yes, we know that Grant Park is getting crowded.

I don't know about you, but I stopped really caring about the Summer Olympics when the Dream Team fell apart. It is long, often boring and flooded with too much commentary. SHUT UP! I just want to watch the athletes do their thing!

Well it turns out I must be the only one complaining, because NBC plans on covering 3,600 hours of Summer Games across multiple networks. That is literally 150 days of continuous coverage. Five months of non-stop Olympic action. Almost half a freakin' year of Olympics? That may be a bit too much.

Can we save the Earth through music?

Of course not, don't be stupid. However, that doesn't mean you can't catch the twenty-four hour Live Earth global concert series on TV starting this Saturday, July 7.

Here's a list of channels that will be covering the event:

• NBC: 8:00 p.m to 11:00
• BRAVO: 9:00 a.m. on July 7 through 2:30 a.m. on July 8
• UNI HD: 4:00 a.m. on July 7 through 2:00 a.m. on July 8
• SUNDANCE: 4:00 a.m. on July 7 through 2:00 a.m. on July 8
• MSNBC: intermittent coverage throughout
• CNBC: 7:00 p.m. on July 7 through 2:00 a.m. on July 8
• TELEMUNDO: 7:00 p.m. through 8:00 p.m.
• MUN2: 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Apparently Showtime has figured out from its boxing coverage that people not only want to see men punching each other, they'd also like to see some kicking, too. Starting in 2007, the cable network will join Pro Elite to showcase mixed martial arts events (judo, jiu-jitsu, karate, wrestling and kickboxing). The new venture, an attempt to cash in on the popularity of other "men beating the living crap out of each other" events like the Ultimate Fighting Championship, will be produced by Douglas DeLuca (The Man Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Mole). I've never been one who enjoys these kind of sports, though I did have a friend who participated in UFC and once won a match by sitting on a man's chest and punching him repeatedly in the face. I guess if you have a talent you might as well use it. The first mixed martial arts competition will air on Showtime February 10th, 2007, with new events airing through 2009.

We've been excited about the New York Television Festival since the second edition was announced earlier this year. Think of it as a Sundance for television, where budding TV moguls submit their pilots, the best are selected for the festival, and awards are given. Of course, in between, the organizers try to cram as many celebrity-related events and panels in as possible.

Because this is such an interesting concept, we're going to have extensive coverage of the festivities. Pilot screeners in each of the five categories (Comedy, Drama, Animation, Educational and Reality) will be reviewed by various TV Squadders; the review posts will go up starting on Thursday. And I'll be a roving reporter, trying to attend some of the bigger premieres, panel discussions, and other events, bringing you pictures and maybe even a quote or two from the stars who are attending parties for Kidnapped, The Knights of Prosperity, and Standoff. So, look for our daily posts from the festival and for the reviews of the pilots. I'm looking forward to this...

AOL's gossip site TMZ reported that MSNBC was planning to get rid of all of its live daytime programming and replace them with pre-taped shows. Also, President Rick Kaplan would be given the boot. There was really no evidence given for this huge change, other than the fact that Fox News and CNN tend to garner heavier ratings with their daytime shows. I guess that's why they call it "gossip." After the report was filed, MSNBC contacted TMZ to let them know that their live daytime coverage would not be going anywhere, and that Kaplan would still remain. The network called the accusations "ridiculous and wrong on every level."

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