CBS pulls broadcast of 'Piano Man' midway through Billy Joel's MSG concert, fans uproar

Music

By Lauren Sarner

They waited too long.

During Sunday night's televised Billy Joel concert, angry fans slammed CBS for cutting off the hitmaker in the middle of one of his most popular songs.

CBS was broadcasting the 100th concert of Joel's residency at Madison Square Garden.

It was slightly delayed due to the network's coverage of the golf Masters tournament, which later caused a snafu.

At the end of the show, Joel, 74, performed his 1973 hit “Piano Man” with the MSG audience. In several cities, viewers saw their screens cut to black, followed by local news.

“Hey @CBS wtf is this?! You cut it @BillyJoel During the pianoman of all songs?! And then not come back to it?!?! Now surprisingly network TV is a mess. No Palin, no Palin,” one fan said Published in XFormerly Twitter.

Another fan hit the network, “You can't make a worse production than what CBS did on the Billy Joel special. So many commercials, not playing some of his best songs, his set list went so out of order, and then the piano man went on the local news in the middle of it?!? Total failure of CBS.”

A third observer was amazed, “CBS has been promoting Billy Joel concert specials every two minutes for weeks. What better way than to pre-air it for a half-hour and cut off MID-PIANO MAN? Come on guys.”

“Wow. CBS will cut the Billy Joel concert special and begin its affiliates' local newscasts… in the middle of “Piano Man”. Someone screwed up royally. It's a shame.” Another viewer said.

Even the local news anchors got in on it when they realized what had happened. Rex Smith is a local anchor at CBS affiliate WANE 15 in Fort Wayne. Published, “My apologies to those who were enjoying Billy Joel singing on TV and suddenly had to see my face. I would have chosen Billy Joel over me. I'm not even the famous singer/actor Rex Smith.

“As a man who grew up next to Billy Joel's hometown and went to The Last Play at Shea, it's my duty to apologize to everyone for cutting off Billy Joel's broadcast tonight,” said 10 Tampa Sports Director Evan Closky. bay, Said in X.

“Let's not get into the weeds, but there was a special report after the Masters that wasn't accounted for by the powers that be beyond this building.”

Despite the explanation, the audience didn't get it.

“CBS has been talking up the Billy Joel concert endlessly for weeks. Because the masters ran out, they started it 30 minutes late and cut off the end of the concert in the middle of the piano man. Are you f-king kidding???” Another person Smoked.

The Post has reached out to CBS for comment.