CTV is planning two hours of coverage of the Michael Jackson memorial service Tuesday afternoon, cutting out regular daytime programming. That’s nothing compared to the hours upon hours of coverage planned for CTV News Channel, MuchMusic, CP24 and other CTV-owned networks.
Could you imagine such a thing being done for a Canadian celebrity? It certainly wasn’t done for Romeo Leblanc, a former governor general. Or this kind of special-event programming on any kind of local level? Except for elections, local stations haven’t cut into programming since the Dawson shootings in 2006.
Pretty good chance no one would be watching CTV during the memorial if they’d stuck with their regular program, they may as well join the fray. Besides, other then maybe Céline here in Qc, I’m pretty certain no other celeb’s funeral will get as big a coverage in the future so I don’t see the problem. And seriously Roméo Leblanc? He may have been a GG but did he really leave his mark on the country? I think you need to make the comparaison to Trudeau’s funeral coverage.
Didn’t RDI run at least some of Roméo Leblanc’s funeral live?
NewsWorld did too. I’m talking more about the conventional networks interrupting regular coverage.
CTV is most likely into its programming because the American Networks that supply CTV’s shows will be running their own MJ coverage. This way CTV can stay in sync with the Bold and the Beautiful.
I’m more amazed that the City of Los Angeles is putting an estimated 1,400 cops on this detail, with a total estimated city cost of $3.8 million. This comes, incidentally, in a city that is struggling to close a $300+ million deficit, and considering layoffs of city employees.
Meanwhile, the company that is promoting this event, I imagine, will somehow manage to turn a tidy profit. (Yes, I acknowledge that the tickets are free to those ‘fortunate’ enough to get them.)
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-jackson-memorial7-2009jul07,0,7412677.story
Could everybody get over this. He was an entertainer. Yes, yes he was talented, yes, yes he bridged communities and brought the world together, but a simple entertainer.
We should have full coverage of funerals for teachers and doctors and firefighters and researchers of the world, now these people contribute to our well being and give of themselves to save others. Could we please change the value we place on entertainers and maybe value the important people more?
By the way Global Quebec did not cut programing of the crappy daytime soap for the Dawson shootings. I was told that they did not have local resources to do so, while CTV had from what I remember their whole Ontario crew on the case with local reporters adding to the news.
Global Quebec is a joke and is only on the air because they have the rights to the Simpsons, The Office and Family Guy and some other Fox shows.
You’re right about Global, but CTV’s Dawson production was entirely local. Local anchors, local reporters.
The public interest is often confused with the interest(s) of the public.
Enough already ! He does NOT compare to Elvis, Muhammed Ali, Princess Diana, JFK etc…. All of these people broke down barriers for generations to come. They were original. There is no doubt that MJ had talent beyond compare but that’s where it stops. A role model for musicians but not as a human being.
Thank you for the correction. I must be thinking about the next day when the anchors from T.O set up tents in front of the school. But Global dropped the ball and they have nothing “local”.
But back to MJ. Hopefully his passing will help the govenator recoup some of the income the state has lost with this economy, because in Hollywood it is all about the greenbacks and they will milk this until the well is dry.
If anyone in the entertainment business shakes your hand make sure to count your fingers to make sure you got them all back.
Television doesn’t exist to inform people or stimulate them intellectually. Its main purpose is to entertain and Michael Jackson was one of the greatest entertainers to ever live so why wouldn’t it mourn his death above people who do good work for society but don’t entertain?