CBS has apologized for cutting the final minutes of Sunday night’s Billy Joel concert broadcast and announced it will rebroadcast the show with the final minutes intact.
Viewers were outraged by the show. Billy Joel: The 100th — Live at Madison Square Gardenended abruptly as the singer belted out the last verse of his hit song “Piano Man.”
The broadcast, announced in February, was filmed at Madison Square Garden on March 28 and featured the 100th performance at the venue. But Joel’s big night celebration was overshadowed by a CBS “mistake.”
Viewers in half the country in the Central and Eastern time zones were furious when the show cut to local news before Joel finished singing his signature song.
Many took to social media to express their anger.
Viewers in the Eastern and Central time zones were cut off from broadcasting a Billy Joel concert during Piano Man.
Clearly, CBS was no longer in the mood for Melody. pic.twitter.com/bVlcIReRXn
— Terrible announcement (@awfulpayment) April 15, 2024
🎶Sing half the song, you are the piano man
Please sing half a song tonight
‘Cause we’ve all heard some of the melodies
And the producers at CBS aren’t happy🎶#BillyJoelOnCBS #BillyJoel100 #BillyJoel
— Todd Chappelle (@ToddChappelle) April 15, 2024
CBS has been promoting a Billy Joel concert special every two minutes on WEEKS. So, what better way to broadcast it than to pre-empt the program by 30 minutes and cut off the mid-piano man? Come on everyone.
— Emily Gandolfo (@emilyrgandolfo) April 15, 2024
CBS couldn’t have done a worse job than they did with their Billy Joel special
There are too many commercials, some of his best songs are not played, the setlist is extremely out of order, and it cuts to local news in the middle of Piano Man??
Total failure by CBS
— Kevin Connelly (@KevinConnelly24) April 15, 2024
Hey @CBS What on earth is this? !you cut @BillyJoel All songs are in Piano Man?! And it didn’t go back to normal? Now, it’s strange that network television is in such a mess.
Not Ballin, not Ballin at all. pic.twitter.com/QBBxLZOABO— Gunz (@TheGunzShow) April 15, 2024
The next day, CBS offered apologized for the unceremonious end to the broadcast and blamed the whole thing on a “timing error in network programming.” USA Today.
“Due to a network programming timing error, last night’s Billy Joel special ended approximately two minutes early in the Eastern and Central time zones,” the network said in a statement.
The station also said it would rebroadcast the show and include the missing parts.
“We would like to apologize to Mr. Joel, his fans, our network affiliates, and the viewers whose viewing experience was interrupted midway through the final song. Due to overwhelming demand from our many fans, Billy Joel: The 100th — Live at Madison Square Garden” will be rebroadcast in its entirety on CBS on April 19 at 9pm ET/PT.” Added, hollywood reporter I have written.
Anger over the ending was immediate. Rex Smith, a newscaster from Fort Wayne, Indiana, apologized to his followers in the Midwest state on his X account after his face appeared in the middle of Joel’s hit song.
I’m sorry that people who were enjoying Billy Joel’s songs on TV suddenly had to see my face. I would have chosen Billy Joel too. I’m not even Rex Smith, the famous singer and actor☹️
— Rex Smith (@Rex__Smith) April 15, 2024
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