Here's the e-mail I received from Channel 4 Viewer Enquiries:

Thank you for your E-mail concerning BACKLASH.

We can confirm there will be a 50 minute delay - this IS to accomodate appropriate advertising breaks. As you are aware, we did receive a huge response to our live transmission of THE ROYAL RUMBLE and we are therefore unable to concur with your assertion that the majority of WWF fans prefer to watch the programme live irrespective of inconvenient advertising breaks. This is a response to audience feedback and we have acted in accordance with the wishes of both the ITC and the WWF who both agree we are acting in the best interests of all concerned - especially the viewers.

Please be assured your comments have been logged and will be forwarded to the Commissioing Editor responsible for this programme.

Yours sincerely
INFORMATION OFFICER

I am REALLY concerned at the mention of the ITC in this e-mail. Many UK fans are aware that the ITC LOVE to censure WWF programming for its content, and I hope this is not Channel 4 being punished for:

a) The tables match
b) Mae Young's fake 'puppies'
c) Triple H's WICKED 0.8 Muta-blade job
d) Barbed wire 2X4s
e) Thumbtacks

which whilst perhaps OK on cable (just like in the States, you can go farther on HBO than on NBC) is maybe (in THEIR estimation) too much for terrestrial free-to-air TV...

I hope that the reasons outlined above are the only reasons for this course of action, and I get to see the PPV in all its glory...