EXCLUSIVE: Daytime Emmys Seeking Deals With HLN, AOL for This Year's Show

NATAS expects to announce noms, deals next week

By Paige Albiniak -- Broadcasting & Cable, 5/3/2012 5:38:48 PM

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences is hammering out a deal with Time Warner-owned HLN to be this year's telecast partner for the annual Daytime Emmy Awards, according to several sources.

NATAS also hopes to secure a social media partner for the awards, and sources say the organization's board is targeting AOL. AOL is increasingly positioning itself to acquire and broadcast entertainment events. In February 2011, the portal acquired The Huffington Post, and on April 24, AOL announced the AOL On Network, which reaches nearly 60 million consumers across 14 curated online video channels.

None of the parties -- NATAS, HLN or AOL -- chose to comment.

The awards, which are taking place on Saturday, June 23, at the Beverly Hilton, are having an increasingly tough time staying relevant as daytime's once glamorous and popular soap operas are being cancelled and replaced by talk shows.

Nominations for the Daytime Emmy Awards were expected to be released this Friday, May 4, but have been put off until Wednesday, May 9, in order to close these deals first.

For the past two years, the Daytime Emmys have aired on CBS and been produced by Associated Television International. ATI leased the broadcast time on CBS and sold ads and product placement in the show in an attempt to turn a profit. This year, ATI and NATAS could not agree on terms and chose not to move forward. All of the broadcast networks also passed on airing the ceremony. The CW, which aired the telecast in 2009, could not air it this year because the ceremony is taking place on Saturday night when The CW is dark on its affiliates.