Emmy Awards Rescheduled for November 4

Hoping that the third times a charm, the Academy of Television Arts& Sciences has rescheduled the Emmy Awards for broadcast onNovember 4. The show had been postponed twice before in the wake of theSeptember 11 terrorist attacks.

Originally scheduled to be held at the Shrine Auditorium, the showwill now be held at the Shubert Theatre in Los Angeles. Organizers arestill working out logistical details of the ceremony, but AcademyPresident Jim Chabin indicated that the show would be scaled down fromthe original gala planned September 11.

The show's audience will be smaller than anticipated because onlyabout 2,000 seats are available at the Shubert. The academy hadPresident Bush's blessing to hold the show at a local military base,but officials ruled it out because of logistical complications for boththe armed forces and television crews.

Ellen DeGeneres will remain as host, and the traditionalpost-ceremony dinner is scheduled at the main ballroom of the CenturyPlaza Hotel, across the street from the Shubert. There won't be asimultaneous ceremony in New York City as earlier planned.

According to Academy Chairman Bryce Zabel, show organizers hadwrestled with the question of whether or not to go on with the show,but ultimately decided that it was. "For 52 previous years, throughKorea, Vietnam, years of assassination and political turbulence, theEmmy has been awarded and the telecast completed," said Zabel. "Itsimply seems wrong to be the first year to abandon the telecast,especially when our leaders ask us to keep on with our business. Thissends the wrong signal.

"Is an award statuette as important as war or peace? No. Is a TVshow something that has to be done at all costs? No. Is it a culturaltouchstone that, by virtue of its 'live' existence on thenation’s TV screens, deserves to be re-scheduled?Absolutely."

Although the show could conflict with the World Series if the fallbaseball classic, broadcast on Fox, goes to a seventh game, Zabel saidhe has no problem with that.

"I think the image that sends to America -- two live events thatthey've come to watch every year are happening again, and they're goinghead-to-head -- I think that's a wonderful image for America, and I'dbe happy to be a part of that," he said.