Enraged Billy Joel fans put network big shots on blast on Sunday night after a televised concert was cut off in the middle of his best-known song.
Viewers who had been waiting for the longest time for the CBS broadcast of the 100th concert of his residency at New York’s Madison Square Garden had to wait just a little longer when it was delayed by the network’s extended coverage of golf’s Masters Tournament.
Then, toward the end of the show, as Joel performed a rousing version of “Piano Man” with the MSG audience and fans at home singing along, viewers in many cities saw their screens go to black, followed by local news:
Viewers throughout the Eastern and Central Time Zones had the broadcast of the Billy Joel concert cut off, mid-Piano Man.
Evidently, CBS was no longer in the mood for a melody. pic.twitter.com/bVlcIReRXn
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 15, 2024
At least one station offered both an apology and an explanation.
“As a man who grew up right next to Billy Joel’s hometown, who went to The Last Play at Shea, it was my duty to apologize to everyone about cutting off our telecast of Billy Joel tonight,” Evan Closky, sports director of 10 Tampa Bay, said on X. “Not to get into the weeds, but there was a special report after the Masters and it wasn’t accounted for by the powers that be beyond this building.”
Closky wrote that “tons” of stations in the Eastern and Central time zones cut to local news, adding that the problem wasn’t at those local stations but “was a mistake by people higher than the local affiliates, sadly.”
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 then all of a sudden had to see my face. I’d have picked Billy Joel over me, too. I’m not even the Rex Smith who is 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 outrage.
Some compared it to the infamous 1968 “Heidi” game, in which NBC cut away from a football game between the New York Jets and Oakland Raiders to show the children’s movie.
Viewers missed one of the most dramatic endings in the sport’s history.
Billy Joel fans on Sunday called out the shameless CBS decision-makers who oughta know by now how to run a concert telecast ― and many took to X to apply some pressure:
You couldn’t produce a worse product than CBS just did on the Billy Joel special
Way too many commercials, didn’t play some of his best songs, went extremely out of order in his set list, and then cuts away to the local news in the middle of Piano Man?!?
A total flop by CBS
— Kevin Connelly (@KevinConnelly24) April 15, 2024
CBS has been promoting the Billy Joel concert special every two minutes for WEEKS. So what better way to air it than to preempt it for a half hour and the cut him off MID-PIANO MAN? C’mon guys.
— Emily Gandolfo (@emilyrgandolfo) April 15, 2024
Wow.
CBS cut off the Billy Joel concert special to start their affiliates’ local news broadcasts…
…In the middle of “Piano Man”.
Someone royally screwed up. That’s an embarrassment. https://t.co/lfNGuSlJLP
— Brien Rea (@BrienRea) April 15, 2024
CBS abruptly ended the Billy Joel concert mid-Piano Man. A terrible ending to a great show. 😡
— Steve Scott (@SteveScottNEWS) April 15, 2024
CBS touts the Billy Joel concert endlessly for weeks. Then because the Masters ran over they start it 30 min late and cut off the end of the concert right in the middle of Piano Man.
Are you FUCKING KIDDING???
— Sandy Hicks (@hicksnco) April 15, 2024
Local CBS stations across the country decide that Billy Joel played 10 minutes too long. Anger ensues.
— Michael Mullady (@mjmullady) April 15, 2024
CBS cut the Billy Joel 100th MSG special off in the middle of Piano Man.
Does Davy who’s still in the navy mean nothing to them? Because he probably will be for LIFE.
— Karen DaltonBeninato (@kbeninato) April 15, 2024
NBC had the Heidi Game back in 1968. It took them over 50 years, but @CBS said, “Hold my beer,” cutting the much ballyhooed Billy Joel concert just before the last chorus of Piano Man. Promote the heck out of it for weeks, and then do this? Poor. Very poor.
— Pete Scribner (@ScribSports) April 15, 2024
Who else is pissed at @WSBT for cutting off the end of the Billy Joel concert for literally old news. It’s bad enough that Masters coverage made it run late, but then we miss the finale!? pic.twitter.com/lOj4iS7kWk
— Easterday (@ECCculver) April 15, 2024