Scott Kara: And the winner is... oh, you already know

In this day and age spoiler alerts are pointless. In saying that, this column is one big spoiler, so beware. But if you didn't already know that Stan Walker - the humble young Maori fella originally from Tauranga - had won Aussie Idol earlier this week, then you need to get out more. Or get connected. Or at least get yourself an old wireless. The news about 18-year-old Stan was everywhere on Monday.

It has to be said, this has spoilt the show for those who have watched it from the beginning - and it was a particularly good series, especially when the half-human, half-plastic Liza Minnelli was a guest judge. And you thought Michael Jackson looked creepy.

It's not the fault of news outlets - be it print, online, TV, or radio - for spoiling things by reporting Stan's win. What are they meant to do, ignore it because it's not scheduled to screen here for another five days? The big spoiler here is the TV network - in this case TV2 - for not making some sort of arrangement to screen the show sooner. Stan was favourite to win, after all.

What about screening it slightly delayed the same night as in Oz (although that would have made it a late one for all the kids), or a special Monday screening at 8.30pm.

Crikey, no one would miss The Mentalist or the final season of ER for a week would they?

On Monday night, One News did a big story, interviewing Stan and his proud folks, showing snippets from the final show where his supporters performed hakas. That's fine, because TV One would have looked ridiculous not covering the win. But what's a little ridiculous is the fact TV2's Thursday night current affairs show 20/20 is running a story on Stan, which includes exclusive behind the scenes footage, the night before the final Idol screens here.

Now that's ridiculous. Yes, 20/20 will be well-watched, and it could be seen as the ultimate promotion for Friday night, but we know he's won and most of us have already seen the moment he is announced the winner.

Aussie Idol, and other reality shows like it, are a simple example of how TV - and other media for that matter, because I know many of you are reading this on good old-fashioned newsprint - has to change and adapt and become more fluid.

TV3 were in the same boat a few weeks ago with Rove when host Rove McManus announced it would be his last show, ever. Of course news got out, and us Kiwis waited for a week before we got to see his final hurrah. That situation is a little different though, because there's far less riding on it than when a winner and loser are involved.

Then there's the download-savvy among us who are already watching overseas shows months before they show up here. But that's a whole other story.

So back to Stan. He won. It's no surprise really. I watched the show sporadically - although I never saw the whole two-hour slog on Friday nights - and Stan da Man was the most consistent of the lot. He's got a powerful, and at times sweet, voice and he was a likeable and humble fella too. That last quality meant he learned a lot along the way.

He's got an even tougher road ahead of him now that the show's over, but the $200,000 development grant and record contract he won should give him a helping hand.