CTV Invites Canadians to Pay Tribute to the King of Pop With Michael Jackson Memorial Coverage And Tribute Programming

    - CTV channels bring fans nearly 60 hours of Michael Jackson memorial
    service coverage and additional tribute programming across 10 channels -
    - MuchMusic to provide sidewalk viewing in Toronto of memorial coverage -

    TORONTO, July 6 /CNW/ - The MuchMusic special REMEMBER THE TIMES: THE
MICHAEL JACKSON MEMORIAL will be presented in super-simulcast tomorrow on CTV,
live across the country, beginning at 1 p.m. ET. With live coverage from CTV
entertainment reporter and Michael Jackson expert Traci Melchor direct from
the Staples Center in Los Angeles, MuchMusic welcomes Michael Jackson fans in
Toronto to view the Memorial special with others on sidewalk television
screens at MuchMusic's storefront studios.

    CTV coverage begins at 12:55 p.m., with ETALK'S Ben Mulroney and Tanya
Kim and MuchMusic's Leah Miller live from CTV's Queen Street headquarters in
Toronto providing a snapshot of the coverage to follow at 1 p.m. on CTV
properties such as MuchMusic, CTV News Channel, CP24, CTV.ca and
muchmusic.com.

    In chronological order, CTV's Michael Jackson Memorial and tribute
programming is as follows:

    ETALK
    -----

    Monday, July 6 at 7 p.m. ET - CTV
    Michael Jackson expert Traci Melchor co-hosts ETALK tonight and tomorrow
from Los Angeles as the world prepares to say its final goodbye to The King of
Pop. Melchor will be on-site at Jackson's funeral to deliver the details of
what viewers and attendees can expect as Jackson's fans mourn him publicly.
Melchor remains in L.A. tomorrow to take viewers through the events as they
unfold. Encore broadcasts of ETALK air on Star! at 6 p.m. 8:30 p.m. & 11:30
p.m. ET.

    CTV NATIONAL NEWS WITH LLOYD ROBERTSON
    --------------------------------------

    Monday, July 6 at 10 p.m. on CTV News Channel and 11 p.m. on CTV
    CTV NATIONAL NEWS WITH LLOYD ROBERTSON goes live to L.A. with CTV's L.A.
Bureau Chief Tom Walters, who reports on the last minute preparations leading
up to the memorial and the latest on today's hearing regarding Jackson's
estate; while National Affairs Correspondent Lisa LaFlamme reports from the
Dodgers Centre as tickets to Jackson's memorial are handed out to lucky
lottery winners.

    CANADA AM
    ---------

    Tuesday, July 7 at 6 a.m. ET on CTV and CTV News Channel (3hrs.)
    Coverage begins on Canada's No.1 morning show at 6 a.m. with Tom Walters
- CTV's L.A. Bureau Chief - live from outside the Staples Centre in L.A. with
all of the details on the event: the security, the lineup, the fans and the
latest on the custody battle for Jackson's children. Meet two Canadian fans
who managed to get the coveted tickets to MJ's memorial. Canada AM also
interviews the friends and former colleagues of the pop superstar - including
musician King Errisson - on the day of his memorial.

    CTV News Channel
    ----------------

    Tuesday, July 7 at 9 a.m. ET
    Day-long special coverage begins at 9 a.m. ET. Coverage ramps up at Noon
ET with Marcia MacMillan anchoring and interviewing guests including Wes
Williams (aka Maestro), SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE CANADA judge Tré Armstrong,
Hollywood Reporter journalist Michael Rechtschaffen and former Much VJ
Juliette Powell. CTV News Channel then delivers complete live coverage of the
memorial beginning at 1 p.m ET. CTV.ca will be streaming CTV News Channel
special coverage live on the web starting at Noon.

    REMEMBER THE TIMES: THE MICHAEL JACKSON MEMORIAL
    ------------------------------------------------

    Live, Tuesday, July 7 from 12 - 4 p.m. ET (MuchMusic and MuchMore)
    and from 1 - 3 p.m. ET (CTV)
    A Much Original Production. MuchMusic and MuchMore bring viewers four
hours of live coverage from Michael Jackson's memorial service. ETALK's Traci
Melchor is in L.A. to provide live updates and interviews from the service
throughout the broadcast. Live from MuchMusic HQ in Toronto, host Devon
Soltendieck talks with special guests and fans about their favourite MJ
memories and music. MJ fans from across Canada are encouraged to share their
thoughts and memories about the King of Pop via Twitter
(twitter.com/muchmusic) as messages will scroll throughout the special
broadcast. Torontonians are encouraged to visit MuchMusic headquarters at
Queen and John to pay their respects in person. MJ fans can log on to
muchmusic.com from 1-4 p.m. ET to watch all of the live coverage online.
Encore presentations of REMEMBER THE TIMES: THE MICHAEL JACKSON MEMORIAL are
available on MuchMusic and MuchMore at 8 p.m. ET ,at 11 p.m. ET exclusively on
MuchMore and again on both MuchMusic and MuchMoreMusic, Wednesday, July 8, at
9 a.m. ET.

    CP24
    ----
    Tuesday, July 7 at 12 p.m. ET
    CP24 covers all aspects of the tribute to Michael Jackson beginning at
Noon, including coverage of the memorial at 1 p.m. ET.

    MICHAEL JACKSON MEMORIAL SERVICE (MTV)
    --------------------------------------
    Tuesday, July 7 from 1-3 p.m. ET (2hrs.)
    MTV brings viewers two hours of live coverage from the Michael Jackson
Memorial from Staples Center in L.A. An encore broadcast of MICHAEL JACKSON
MEMORIAL SERVICE airs at 11 p.m. ET.

    MTV PRESENTS: MICHAEL JACKSON, THE KING OF POP (MTV)
    ----------------------------------------------------

    Tuesday, July 7 from 3-5 p.m. ET (2hrs.)
    MTV brings Canadians a two-hour Michael Jackson tribute special from MTV
International. The special takes viewers through Michael's life focusing on
his childhood and time in the Jackson 5, his incredible solo career and rise
to the top as the king of pop in the 80s, and then into his later years and
unfortunate passing that left fans throughout the world shocked and saddened.

    MOD MICHAEL JACKSON SPECIAL (MuchMusic)
    ---------------------------------------

    Tuesday, July 7 from 5-6 p.m. ET (60min.)
    In a tribute to the King of Pop, MUCHONDEMAND counts down the top 10
Michael Jackson videos of all time. Featuring special guest commentary, the
show also recaps the Michael Jackson memorial service.

    ETALK
    -----

    Tuesday, July 7 at 7 p.m. ET (CTV)
    Michael Jackson expert Traci Melchor co-hosts ETALK Monday and Tuesday
from Los Angeles as the world prepares to say its final goodbye to The King of
Pop. Melchor will on-site at Jackson's funeral to deliver the details of what
viewers and attendees can expect as Jackson's fans mourn him publicly and she
remains in Los Angeles to take viewers through the events as they unfold.
Encore broadcasts of ETALK air on Star! at 6 p.m. 8:30 p.m. & 11:30 p.m. ET
and on CP24 at 10:30 p.m. ET.

    DAILY FIX MICHAEL JACKSON SPECIAL (MuchMore)
    --------------------------------------------

    Tuesday, July 7 from 7-8 p.m. ET (60min.)
    Host Matt Wells takes viewers on a trip down memory lane with some of
Michael Jackson's most memorable music and music videos along with commentary
on what MJ meant to the music world and his fans around the globe.

    ETALK PRESENTS: MISSING MICHAEL (Star!)
    ---------------------------------------

    Tuesday, July 7 at 9 p.m. ET on Star!Hosted by Ben Mulroney and Tanya
Kim, with interviews from ETALK's Traci Melchor in Los Angeles, this half-hour
special takes a look at Jackson's legacy with a roster of celebrity guests.
Held in the ETALK studio, the in-depth discussion covers Jackson's impact on
the world of music, dance, and fashion. ETALK PRESENTS: MISSING MICHAEL is
devoted to the life and legacy of the King of Pop.

    CTV NATIONAL NEWS WITH LLOYD ROBERTSON
    --------------------------------------

    Tuesday, July 7 at 10 p.m. on CTV News Channel and 11 p.m. on CTV
    CTV's most-watched national news program caps off the day's coverage with
the latest from L.A. CTV's L.A. Bureau Chief Tom Walters reports on the
memorial service while National Affairs Correspondent Lisa LaFlamme also
reports from L.A. on how fans - including some lucky Canadians - are
remembering the pop icon.

    REMEMBER THE TIMES: MICHAEL JACKSON - MuchNews Special
    -----------------------------------

    MuchMusic: Wednesday, July 8 at 6 p.m. ET and 10 p.m. ET (30min.)
    MuchMore: Wednesday, July 8 at 8 p.m. ET and Thursday, July 9 at 1 a.m.
ET (30min.)
    A Much Original Production. A 30-minute tribute to the King of Pop that
highlights his earliest days in The Jackson Five all the way to becoming the
world's most-recognized pop artist. MuchMusic and MuchMore bring viewers
moments from the Michael Jackson memorial service along with fan and celebrity
reactions from around the globe.

    Additional Programming:

    MICHAEL JACKSON MUSIC VIDEO RETROSPECTIVE (MuchVibe)
    ----------------------------------------------------
    Tuesday, July 7 at 10 a.m. ET - Wednesday, July 8 at 2 a.m. ET
    In a tribute to one of music's most iconic stars, MuchVibe dedicates 16
hours to bring viewers MJ videos spanning his entire career.

    MICHAEL JACKSON MUSIC VIDEO RETROSPECTIVE (MuchMore Retro)
    -----------------------------------------

    Tuesday, July 7 at 10 a.m. ET - Wednesday, July 8 at 2 a.m. ET
    Spanning both his career and the alphabet, MuchMoreRetro brings viewers a
Michael Jackson video retrospective featuring a showcase of his videos from
A-Z.

For further information: Rom Halverson, MuchMTV Group, (416) 384-2794,
rom.halverson@ctv.ca