angry Billy Joel Fans took big shots at the network Sunday night after a televised concert was cut short while his most famous song was playing.
Viewers who had been waiting the longest for CBS's broadcast of the 100th event at New York's Madison Square Garden had to wait a little longer when it was postponed due to the network's expanded coverage of the Masters golf tournament.
Then, at the end of the show, as Joel performed a rousing version of “Piano Man” with the MSG crowd and fans at home singing along, viewers in several cities watched their screens go black, followed by the local news:
The Billy Joel concert broadcast to viewers throughout the Eastern and Central time zones was cut off in the middle of The Piano Man.
Clearly, CBS is no longer in the mood to play tune. pic.twitter.com/bVlcIReRXn
– Awful ad (@awfulanouncen) April 15, 2024
At least one station offered an apology and explanation.
“As a guy who grew up next to Billy Joel's hometown, and who went to The Last Play at Shea, it was my duty to apologize to everyone for cutting off Billy Joel's telecast tonight,” said Evan Klosky, 10 Tampa sports director. bay, He said on X. “Not to get into the weeds, but there was a special report after the gentlemen and it was not accounted for by the powers that be outside this building.”
“Tons” of stations in the Eastern and Central time zones cut local news, Klosky wrote, adding that the problem was not with those local stations but “was an error by people above the local affiliates, unfortunately.”
Rex Smith of WANE 15 in Fort Wayne also apologized to viewers:
I apologize to the people who were enjoying Billy Joel singing on TV and then suddenly had to see my face. I would have chosen Billy Joel over me too. I'm not even Rex Smith the famous singer/actor ☹️
– Rex Smith (@Rex__Smith) April 15, 2024
But most fans had no idea what happened or why, and took to social media to express their anger.
Some have compared it to the infamous 1968 “Heidi Game,” in which NBC interrupted a football game between the New York Jets and Oakland Raiders to show a children's movie.
Viewers missed One of the most dramatic endings In the history of sports.
Billy Joel fans on Sunday called out the shameless decision makers at CBS who should now figure out how to run a live concert broadcast — and many turned to X to put some pressure on:
You can't produce a worse product than what CBS just did with the Billy Joel special
Too many commercials, he didn't play some of his best songs, went completely out of order in his set list, and then went on the local news in the middle of Piano Man?!?
A complete failure by CBS
– Kevin Connelly (@KevinConnelly24) April 15, 2024
CBS has been promoting the Billy Joel concert special every two minutes for weeks. So what's the best way to air it instead of pre-empting it by half an hour and cutting it off for MID-PIANO MAN? Come on guys.
– Emily Gandolfo (@emilyrgandolfo) April 15, 2024
amazing.
CBS cut Billy Joel's concert special to begin broadcasting local news to its affiliates…
…in the middle of “Piano Man”.
Someone's royally screwed. This is an embarrassment. https://t.co/lfNGuSlJLP
– Brian Rea (@BrienRea) April 15, 2024
CBS abruptly ended Billy Joel's concert in the middle of The Piano Man. A terrible end to a great show. 😡
– Steve Scott (@SteveScottNEWS) April 15, 2024
CBS has been promoting the Billy Joel concert non-stop for weeks. Then, because the professors were run over, they started the concert 30 minutes late and cut the end of the concert in the middle of Piano Man.
Are you fucking kidding???
– Sandy Hicks (@hexenco) April 15, 2024
Local CBS stations across the country decided that Billy Joel played 10 minutes too long. Anger ensues.
– Michael Mullady (@mjmullady) April 15, 2024
CBS cut Billy Joel's 100th MSG special in the middle of Piano Man.
Does Davey still in the Navy mean nothing to them? Because it will probably be for life.
— Karen Dalton Beninato (@kbeninato) April 15, 2024
NBC brought back the Heidi Game in 1968. It took more than 50 years, however @CBS “Hold my beer,” he said, interrupting Billy Joel's fanfare concert before the Piano Man's final chorus. Promote it for weeks and then do this? poor. so poor.
– Pete Scribner (ScribSports) April 15, 2024
Who else is angry at @WSBT To cut the end of a Billy Joel concert to literally old news. It's bad enough that coverage of the Masters tournament made it delayed, but then we lost the ending!? pic.twitter.com/lOj4iS7kWk
– Easter (@ECCculver) April 15, 2024
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