Live Earth, sans MTV

“I want my MTV ... to stay as far away from Live Earth as possible.” That was the prayer of many music fans when Al Gore unveiled plans in February for a global-warming awareness-raising concert event.

They remembered how the cable channel fumbled its coverage of the last major charity gathering, 2005’s Live 8, and they dreaded a rerun of special musical moments being interrupted by inane chatter and inappropriate commercials.

Those prayers were answered. “Live Earth: The Concerts for a Climate in Crisis,” the potentially unwieldy spectacle of seven concerts on seven continents in a 24-hour span, will be covered entirely by NBC Universal networks on Saturday.

The centerpiece will be old-fashioned broadcast network NBC’s prime-time three-hour wrap-up at 8 p.m., gathering highlights from around the world and looking in live (though delayed for the West Coast) at Giants Stadium in New Jersey, where the Police, the Smashing Pumpkins, John Mayer, Roger Waters and others bring the day to a close.

It all starts at 1 a.m. with the Sundance Channel and Universal HD’s 22 hours of live broadcasts and highlights. Bravo will pitch in with 17 hours starting at 7 a.m. (delayed), and CNBC will begin a seven-hour segment at 4 p.m.

Featured: Spinal Tap, Beastie Boys and Madonna (London), Crowded House and Jack Johnson (Sydney), Snoop Dogg and Mana (Hamburg), Baaba Maal and Joss Stone (Johannesburg, S. Africa), Linkin Park and Yellow Magic Orchestra (Tokyo).

-- Richard Cromelin

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(“Live Earth: The Concerts for a Climate in Crisis,” Sat., Bravo, 7 a.m.; Sundance Channel, 1 a.m.; CNBC, 4 p.m.; NBC, 8 p.m.)