Memorial cost L.A. $1.4M

Los Angeles — Los Angeles spent $1.4 million to provide security, traffic control and other services for Michael Jackson’s memorial service, city officials said Wednesday as they looked for ways to have others help the financially troubled city pick up the bill.

The amount included $1.1 million in overtime pay for the 4,173 officers who worked to secure Staples Center, Forest Lawn cemetery and other areas that attracted fans and members of the media, the Police Department said in a statement.

City officials said the remaining amount covered traffic control, cleanup and other costs related to Tuesday’s public memorial service, which was attended by a total of more than 17,000 fans and watched by tens of millions of people around the world.

Matt Szabo, a spokesman for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, hailed the tally a success. He said it was “far less” than the initial estimate of $4 million.

Nonetheless, city attorney Carmen Trutanich said his office was investigating how the city can legally press third parties to pick up at least some of the tab.

Sales of Jackson albums soar

New York — Nielsen SoundScan says 800,000 copies of Michael Jackson albums were bought in the U.S. last week — nearly double his sales from the previous week.

Jackson is claiming the entire Top 10 roster on the Top Catalog Album chart this week. His “Number Ones” collection is the top seller, followed by “Thriller.” Solo albums occupy every position but No. 7, where the Jackson 5’s “Ultimate Collection” album resides.

Data from the week ending Sunday — the first full week since Jackson’s June 25 death — shows physical albums accounted for 80 percent of his sales.

On Billboard’s Hot Digital Songs chart, Jackson holds five out of the top 10 slots, with “Man in the Mirror” leading as his top-selling digital download song of the week.

Four Jackson CDs also are in the top 10 albums sold on iTunes, and five of the top 10 singles for the week ending Monday.