Not Lost but why Internet downloading makes sense
Put yourself in our shoes Channel 7. We are not interested in Commonwealth games. These games have as much excitement associated with them as the viewers have with the new Today show on Channel Nine. Who really wants to see a one sided contest in which Australia will thrash the rest of the world in almost all sports? The game organizers are even having trouble filling the opening ceremony tickets, so what will happen to the rest of the games is an easy guess.
So why would you take Lost off the TV screens this week? I have so far resisted the temptation to download it of the Internet (you know it's there, and available for free). Why would you want to break the rhythm of users who are used to a good thing?
This should give you a warning. If the locally produced drama can't bring out compelling entertainment, people are going to look overseas for it. You are the medium for this overseas product. But if you don't deliver it to us in timely fashion, you are going to lose out. One way or other, and it's only a matter of time, people are going to get their dose of entertainment, when it's released anywhere in the world, not when you decide to bring it here.
Don't try to copy what the networks in the US are doing, because there are several less compelling reasons for users over there to download episodes of the Internet. TV networks are smug there, because barring a few exceptions when advance copies of episodes are leaked, they don't need to worry about story lines coming out. It's different here (and the rest of the World I presume), Lost is already eons ahead, the new Survivor is half way, ditto for Apprentice and countless other shows.
So please, don't take Lost off the screens this week. I am resisting so far, but if this continues, I will snap, and will hit the download button and once that happens, you will lose one more viewer. I may be a Man of faith, but I am a Man of Science first (apologies to non-Lost fans).