FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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| Chairman & CEO Dick Askin looks forward to a "better-paced and more compelling" Emmy Awards telecast |
LOS ANGELES, CA. – The Board of Governors of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, at a special session held Tuesday night, overwhelmingly approved changes to its Primetime Emmy Awards telecast, to be held on September 18, 2005, it was announced today by Dick Askin, chairman and CEO of the Academy.
Mr. Askin stated, “This Board of Governors meeting was one of the most
memorable and rewarding in the history of our Academy. Our Governors focused
on what was in the best interest of the Television Academy and its future.
We have a set a course which we believe will result in a new and invigorated
Emmy Awards telecast. There is still much to do, but I am confident we have
made a giant first step in reshaping an event that will continue to honor
excellence but will be much better paced and more compelling and
entertaining for the television viewer”
Under the resolution passed by the Board of Governors no categories will be
removed from the Primetime telecast. The changes approved will reduce the
length of time of acceptance speeches and travel time to the stage by using
pre-taped and to-time interview speeches by the winning nominees as
replacement for spontaneous speeches.
The categories covered under this resolution include Directing (all
categories), Writing (all categories), VMC Special, VMC Series, MOW Program
and Mini-Series Program (which will remain two separate awards). VMC
Performer and Longform Supporting Actor and Actress will be subject to
overall time considerations. In addition, non-award elements to the show may
be cut back or eliminated based on discussions among the presenting
networks, the Television Academy and the executive producer to be selected.
The evolution of the review of the Emmy telecast began at a Board of
Governors retreat at the end of 2004. At that time, lengthy discussions were
held regarding ways to streamline the show and make it more viewer friendly
without compromising the integrity and excellence of the awards process. The
outgrowth of this retreat was the appointment of two blue ribbon committees
representing a cross section of the industry, including broadcasting and
cable network executives and members from various Television Academy Peer
Groups. The committees presented the Board with extensive recommendations.
In addition, the Academy commissioned outside qualitative and quantitative
research, providing input from a large sample of television viewers. Based
on the collective findings from the committees and the research, which the
Governors reviewed carefully, the resolution cited above was drafted and
overwhelmingly approved.
For additional press information and resources concerning the Primetime Emmy Awards or the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, please direct your inquiries to Robin Mesger of The Lippin Group at (323) 965-1990.