RockStar INXS, Channel 9 and killing the surprise factor
For the last few months, we have been following RockStar INXS which is shown here in Australia on FOX8 on cable.
So with bated breath we were waiting for the last show to be telecast last night to find out who the winner was. All day I avoided looking at the Internet in case I saw the news of who actually won (the actual show was telecast in the States the night before), on the way home I switched off the radio in case they had it on air and when I got home, I studiously avoided the first twenty minutes of the days news on Channel 9 in case they revealed the winner.
So what does Channel 9 do? They reveal the winner in the last section of the days news! And yes, there were no warnings, no "turn off your TV now" moment. They just showed the winner being declared. I was so mad, I wanted to screeeammm! For months I have followed this program on cable and for months I have had my favourites and for it to end like this!!
It's just a travesty of the TV programming in Australia that Free-To-Air channels just don't follow any rules of engagement. They cut and chop programs, reveal what they want when they want, mess with their schedules and dump a load of crappy local programming without actually caring for their viewers.
For months RockStar INXS has been on the cable channel and never, never did free-to-air say anything about the show or care for it. And now, finally when the show is declaring their winner, they unceremoniously take the mickey out of the whole thing and pretend to care. ARRGGGHHHH.
I vented by ringing Channel 9 in Brisbane. The receptionist, bless her, was sympathetic and knew what I was ringing about without me saying a word. In the last 30 seconds, she had already fielded dozen of calls on the topic.
The sad thing is, they won't learn from the experience and nothing will ever change. I would solely blame Channel 9, but the other channels are no better, they all showed the footage to unsuspecting viewers. After all, if they hadn't cared about the show so far, you really didn't expect them to start caring all of a sudden did you.
I can't even just blame free-to-air TV for this behavior either. When Channel 7 was screening the newest season of The Amazing Race, Arena on cable was already showing footage of the winners repeatedly in some promotions.
I guess free-to-air and cable feed of each other, and nothing will ever change.