Emmys get new date
Industry's biggest event will be held Oct. 7; awards program will be reworked
By Joe Schlosser -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/17/2001
In the wake of the terrorist attack, the television industry's biggest night of the year was postponed, to Oct. 7. After many meetings and opinions from all sides, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and CBS opted to delay the 53rd Annual Emmy Awards for two weeks.
It had been scheduled for yesterday evening.
Producers and ATAS executives will rework this year's program, taking out comedy bits that may be deemed inappropriate and also adding tributes for the families of victims and rescue workers.
Academy executives had cleared The Shrine Auditorium for both Sept. 23 and Oct. 7 and held several meetings with CBS and other networks to come up with the best alternative date, sources say.
"The deck has been massively reshuffled, and there is nothing that can be taken for granted anymore," newly elected ATAS Chairman Bryce Zabel said in the aftermath of the terrorist activities last week.
The ATAS membership and some network executives were divided about when to hold the awards show. But one ATAS source said Friday, "Les Moonves really came through. A lot of forces were pulling in different directions, and he's been sensational and gotten everyone together."
One network president said before the Oct. 7 date was set, "It's hard to say what the feeling is going to be two, three days from now. What's air travel going to be like? Are you going to be able to get your talent here, and are people going to be comfortable attending? And is the country going to want to be celebrating television? I just don't know."
Academy executives also got the green light from representatives of the Museum of Television & Radio, which is postponing a gala of its own, originally scheduled for Oct. 7.
