DWTS and the problem with live tv

Channel 7 has faced more controversy this week after Mark Holden's bizarre Dancing with the Stars performance at 7.30pm on Tuesday night. The entertainer-turned-judge-turned-barrister shocked audiences with a circus inspired routine and his post performance attitude.

It opened up the age-old debate around live television programming, and whether the benefits outweigh the potential for disaster. Many networks have opted for 7 second delays on their live programs to give themselves a chance to bleep out accidental swear words, but this doesn’t account for incidents such as Mark’s, where so much of his segment was scary and inappropriate for a family friendly show.

The controversy continued into the following day, with questions raised over how the incident was reported on various media platforms. (Remember that the ACMA code of conduct still applies to news and current affair programs such as Sunrise). Many social media comments were made noting that it is one thing to show the content initially, but to reshow it the following day after there has been ample time to edit the inappropriate content out is unacceptable.

Did you consider his conduct inappropriate? What would you recommend to producers of live TV shows to avoid similar situations happening again? And would you have re-aired the content the following day?