With Obama in Brazil, Clinton in France, and news from Libya, no slow Saturday for News Nets

By Chris Ariens 

New developments in Libya this morning, with the French military taking action, are keeping the U.S. cable news channels active.

Beginning at 11amET, CNN and CNNI began another simulcast of coverage with anchors T.J. Holmes of CNN and John Vause of CNNI covering the news. Correspondents Nic Robertson and Arwa Damon are in Libya, Ed Henry is in Brazil and Jim Bitterman and Jill Dougherty are in Paris.

Fox News Channel’s Neil Cavuto was already in for a live Saturday morning show on the economic recovery efforts following the earthquake/tsunami in Japan. He kept cameras trained on both Brasil — where President Obama was about to speak alongside Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff and on Paris, where Secy. of State Hillary Clinton was preparing to speak after meetings on the NATO action in Libya. Rick Leventhal and Steve Harrigan are in Libya (spooked by anti-aircraft fire during one live report today. Video after the jump.)

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MSNBC went into the NoonET hour with anchor Richard Lui, as Pres. Obama was appearing with Pres. Rousseff. Correspondent Mike Viquiera is in Paris, Chuck Todd is in Brazil and Jim Maceda is in Libya for NBC/MSNBC.

None of the networks had a Brazilian interpreter during Pres. Rousseff’s lengthy opening statement. And just as the president was about to speak, all three networks lost the signal from Brasilia. It returned after about 3 minutes.

Cavuto stayed live until 12:17pm telling the audience, “We just wanted to keep you abreast not only of developments in the political world but certainly in the business world. We hope we served bot those audiences today and we appreciate our normal ‘Cost of Freedom’ audience being patient as we attempted both.”

> Update, 12:26pm: Cable networks began carrying Secy. Clinton comments from Paris.

> Update, 2:18pm: ABC’s Diane Sawyer is coming in to anchor “World News.” Regular weekend anchor David Muir will report, as will Christiane Amanpour, Martha Raddatz, Jake Tapper, and Alex Marquardt, in Libya.

> Update, 3:39pm: Sawyer also anchored a special report (right) on the news of U.S. military involvement.

> More: CBS’s Russ Mitchell has anchored three special reports today at NoonET, 2:36pm, and 3:59pm during CBS coverage of the NCAA tournament.

> Update, 4:07pm: Pres. Obama spoke again from Brazil — audio only. Fox News, MSNBC and ABC News carried the 3-minute statement live. CNN did not.

> Update, 4:21pm: Pentagon update (organized by former ABC News correspondent, now Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell) on Fox News, CNN, MSNBC: “This is just the first phase of what will likely be a multiphase military operation designed to enforce the United Nations resolution.”

> Update, 4:37pm: NBC’s Lester Holt anchored a network-wide special report on situation.

> Update, 6pm: Wolf Blitzer joins as the co-anchor of CNN/U.S., CNNI simulcast of “The Situation Room.” Chris Jansing picks up anchoring on MSNBC, the network pre-empts “Lockup.”

> Update, 7pm: Two hour “FOX Report” anchored by Jon Scott.

> Update to CNN primetime/overnight: 8pmET: Newsroom with Don Lemon. 9pm: Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer; 10p: Don Lemon; Midnight-9amET: CNN/U.S., CNNI simulcast CNN International live.

> Update, 8pm: MSNBC returned to taped, documentary programming.

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