“Sing us a sooong, you’re the– And now it’s time for your local newscast.”
Billy Joel’s historic March 28th gig at Madison Square Garden on March 28th – his 100th concert at the legendary venue – was filmed and eventually aired on CBS last Saturday. At least most of it was aired.
After fans already waited through a late start due to golf coverage, the network added insult to injury by cutting away from Billy Joel in the middle of his most famous song. Here’s their explanation from CBS VP of Communications Julie Holland:
A network programming timing error ended last night’s Billy Joel special approximately two minutes early in the Eastern and Central Time Zones. We apologize to Mr. Joel, his fans, our affiliated stations, and our audience whose viewing experience was interrupted during the last song.”
Here’s what the experience looked like for half of America enjoying Billy Joel:
This broadcast snafu reminded many people of another big-time error in TV judgment. The infamous “Heidi Game”. East coast viewers missed a thrilling 1968 comeback win by the Oakland Raiders over the New York Jets because NBC decided to cut away from the game early in order to broadcast the family film Heidi.
CBS announced they’ll rebroadcast the Billy Joel show this Friday, April 19 at 9 PM ET/8PM CT. Fans can also watch the special on Paramount+. Were you watching the Billy Joel concert special when it was suddenly cut off?
