Academy Elections 2003: Thirteen Seats Contested

Thirteen of the twenty-seven available seats on the TV Academy's board of governors were contested in elections for the 2003—05 term. Ballots were due July 28, with results to be announced in August. Please check www.emmys.comfor the latest on winners and possible runoff contests. The new board will be officially installed in October. First Vice-Chairman Dick Askin, meanwhile, was unopposed to replace Chairman Bryce Zabel as the Membership Department announced candidates for Academy officers. Askin received a round of applause at the July Board of Governors meeting when Zabel introduced him as the next chairman. As election season got under way, Zabel, who was eligible for a second two-year term, announced that he would not be a candidate. The current board elects its new slate of officers on August 20. "I just felt like it was the right thing to do," Zabel said of his decision. "I think by getting out at this point, it allows other candidates time to come forward." Although he was in office only two years, his term saw the production of five Emmy Awards telecasts due to the 9/11 terror attacks and the war in Afghanistan. The Academy during Zabel's tenure also negotiated an unprecedented eight-year license fee agreement with the four networks that broadcast the Emmys, giving the nonprofit organization a long-term lease on financial stability. "Actually, it feels as though it was two-and-a-half terms in one," said Zabel, who was looking ahead to a full slate of writing and producing projects, as well as more time with his family. Askin told the governors that his first call of congratulations came from Zabel, who came in for applause of his own. "These last two years, the Academy is a much better place under his leadership," said Askin, president and CEO of Tribune Entertainment. "We’re well positioned for the future, and he deserves our thanks." In a previous letter to governors, Askin signaled the direction he intended to take. "I feel the leading companies in the television business must be engaged at the very top and encouraged to participate and contribute to make the Academy unparalleled in its role as the industry's guiding light," he wrote. Since taking over at Tribune Entertainment in 1996, Askin has helped make the company a leading supplier of syndicated shows and is highly regarded in the industry. Here is a list of peer groups and candidates for governor:

Four of the six officer positions were contested. Here's a rundown of the offices and nominees: