Emmy Awards on November 4

LOS ANGELES, California
(AP) -- The Emmy Awards show, delayed twice by last month's terrorist attacks, have been rescheduled again in a move that could put the telecast in competition with the seventh game of the World Series.

The awards ceremony is scheduled for November 4 at the Shubert Theatre, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and CBS said Wednesday. That date also is slated for the final and deciding Series game, if it's necessary.

"Ellen DeGeneres will remain as host. The Emmys won't have a satellite studio in New York City, as was planned for earlier this month.

Originally planned for September 16, the show was delayed after the terrorist attacks of September 11. It was rescheduled for October 7 but called off again when the United States and Britain launched a retaliatory strike against Afghanistan that day.

If the World Series goes a full seven games, it would end with a nighttime contest broadcast November 4 on Fox. Moonves noted that the World Series goes a full seven games only about 20 percent of the time.

Despite the potential conflict, an early November broadcast would give CBS a valuable showcase for its special "sweeps" programming for the month. Sweeps periods, held several times a year, are watched closely to set local advertising rates.

The ceremony originally was to have been held at the 6,000-plus seat Shrine Auditorium near downtown. The Shubert, on the city's west side, holds only 1,800 people.

Since the first delay, the television industry has been divided over whether the awards should be re-staged or dropped altogether. Some participants were worried about safety, although officials said no threats had been received, adding that unprecedented security m easures were in place at the Shrine.

Others questioned the propriety of a Hollywood celebration in difficult times. But CBS and the academy were intent on proceeding with the 53rd annual prime-time Emmys.

"There's a lot of money at stake," Moonves said recently.

The network stands to lose advertising dollars and a promotional platform for its programming, while the academy depends on the $3 million-plus network license fee and ticket sales for a large part of its annual budget.

To allay concerns, the October 7 ceremony had been heavily revamped and much of the glamour stripped away. Participants were advised to choose dressy business attire over formal wear and the red-carpet arrival area was scaled back.

The celebration of TV's best was to be mixed with tributes to the heroes and victims of the terrorist attacks on New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon in Washington.

After the second cancelation, CBS and the academy considered a number of dates and scenarios, including simply delivering the awards to the winners, holding the show on a studio lot or staging it at a military base with troops in the audience. __CNN.com (October 17, 2001)