We established on Usenet in 2001(when GSN aired the lost MG79 episodes for the first time on national television) that the contestants most likely were paid their winnings. The shows did air in 1979 on KCBS at the least. Plus, the show was produced by G-T and not a company who only produced one or two game shows. Those who posted on it thought G-T would pay the players their winnings(including the all-time winner in MG7x history who won over $30K before retiring undefeated) given the unusual circumstances surrounding the show's cancellation.

As far as I know, those players didn't get another shot at the show. I wonder if that appearance wouldn't count in the number of GS appearances, just as Randy West's appearance on Hit Man didn't count toward network limits for appearing on shows. The original Battlestars also ended its run with a game in progress, I wonder if the challenger or even champion Elizabeth Held got another shot on the 1983 revival.

That's a nice idea, but not every station showed the same "debut" week when it came back in syndication.

And as pointed out, the shows did air in LA and perhaps New York, which was enough for G-T to say that they did air and here's the money. And remember that "MG" was a show where most viewers didn't really pay attention to the contestants that much, since the game was secondary to the comedy elements.

Hell, I worked for the company at the time. Bobby Sherman was my boss, Jake Tauber was a co-worker and I saw them and Ira every day. These things were explained to me at the time and now, 25 years later, even I don't remember them. And I've got a pretty good long-term memory. What I do remember is that they started taping the non-CBS strip shows without a break in their taping schedule and they had to take the "79" off the sign. And that the CBS contestants just sort of went away.