Delay in TV programming "turns viewers into pirates"

Alex Malick, the researcher previously interviewed on Triple J's Hack program, has a new study showing the average broadcast delay for new TV shows in Australia has increased from 7.6 to 16.7 months over the past two years.

Malik also studied comments by TV viewers on various internet forums, and concluded: "These delays are one of the major factors driving Australians to use BitTorrent and other internet-based peer-to-peer programs to download programs illegally from overseas, prior to their local broadcast."

I completely agree. When shows like Heroes debut in the US (25 September 2006) then take over 4 months to air in Australia (31 January 2007), it has to be expected that people are going to download it. Lost isn't much better either, with the show being up to episode 8 in the US (including a two month hiatus) but only just starting in Australia.

There are exceptions, however. 24 is being aired on Channel 7 with only a few weeks delay, and Jericho was airing within a DAY of the US.

From SMH, source here.