Michigan TV Stations Apologize for Billy Joel Concert Gaffe, Announce Reprise Broadcast

Fans of the Piano Man lit up social media after Billy Joel's much-anticipated concert performance was abruptly cut short Sunday night. CBS affiliates across the state of Michigan are apologizing for the gaffe, and now a rebroadcast of the event has been scheduled.

Why Was the Bill Joel Concert Broadcast Cut Short?

Two words: Gold & Computers. Joel's 100th performance at the legendary Madison Square Garden was slated to air on CBS affiliates Sunday (4/14) from 9 to 11 pm. However, CBS' live coverage of the Masters golf tournament ran long, which pushed programming back a little more than 30 minutes.

CBS poured a lot of time into promoting the concert special during the weeks leading up to the show.

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Joel's concert then began at approximately 9:34 pm here in the Eastern time zone and when the clock struck 11:30 pm, automated computer equipment took over, truncating the broadcast and making way for affiliates to jump in with their local news broadcasts.

To make matters worse, the abrupt ending happened during Joel's iconic 1973 hit 'Piano Man.' The untimely ending only occurred in the Eastern and Central time zones, not affecting viewers in the rest of the country.

TV Stations Around Michigan Apologize

Although the mistake was clearly at the network level and not the fault of the local affiliates, CBS stations around Michigan have issued apologies.

In the Flint/Saginaw market, WNEM-TV is the local CBS affiliate. Ken Frierson is the Vice President and General Manager of the Saginaw station and posted a note on the station's Facebook page.

"...We have conveyed to CBS our frustration and your frustration at missing the final moments of a great concert that the network promoted heavily and that we all expected to enjoy. The network has responded that it will investigate why it cut the concert off early, and we will pass along any further information from CBS as we receive it."

In Northern Michigan, TV 9 & 10 is the CBS affiliate. That station also apologized to viewers online, admonishing the network for the blunder.

"This sharp transition and cut in the special programming was not a decision made by anyone at 9&10...We have reached out to CBS for a statement on the matter..."

A Reprise Broadcast Has Been Announced

Monday (4/15) CBS issued a statement saying Billy Joel's concert from Madison Square Garden (recorded on March 28) will be rebroadcast later this week.

The show will air in its entirety on Friday, April 19, 2024, at 9 pm.

The concert special will also be available on Paramount Plus.