Three Questions to Vijay TV on Airtel Super Singer Finale

Around this time yesterday (10:00 PM), I was returning back from a movie wondering if the Airtel Super Singer finale would still be showing live on Vijay TV.  Much to my surprise, the 'live' show which started at 6:00 PM was just getting warmed up with the five finalists doing their first round of singing.

Then the show went on and on for don't know how long.. but I hit the bed around midnight wondering if the crown would go to Sukanya or Pragathi only to learn this morning that it went to neither.

Three questions that I have are in the minds of several folks, including some of my friends in US. Vijay TV - If you are reading this, please respond..

1. Was it a real 'LIVE' broadcast?  The finale was promoted and shown as LIVE, wooing countless viewers and advertisers.. but was it really live?  The edits & long commercial breaks make us think otherwise.  If it was live, then we would have seen all the transitions or time slice of it.. but the transitions were immediate.  Also, you had very long commercial breaks.. what was happening on stage at that time..?  Were you showing the same commercials..?  There are several questions along the same lines.. So, please tell us if the finale was really broadcast live?
2. Was the results rigged? What was the criteria used for awarding the title?  Was it solely based on the votes or there were other 'factors'?  What is the arrangement with Airtel for finale voting?  How much did they make out of this?  Social media was abuzz with the exact results much before it was telecast.. So, tell us how the title was awarded?
3. Was the finale really that long?  When did finale actually start and how long was it?  Your 'live' telecast started at 6:00 PM and perhaps went for 8 long hours.. What was the need for such a long finale?  You were stretching the show beyond the patience of even some of the ardent followers of the program.

Vijay TV, you have a good franchise going with the super singer program and must congratulate you for raising the bar every year.  The evidence of your success can be seen by the several 'copycat' programs that have mushroomed in other channels.  But, you could do a lot more to 'raise' the integrity bar of your franchise and thereby that of the copycats.  

Vijay TV.. Are you listening?