The September 11th attack | America strikes back
Emmy telecast called off again

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — The Emmy Awards telecast, delayed three weeks by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, was called off last night after the United States and Britain launched a military attack in Afghanistan.

Officials at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences have not decided whether to reschedule or cancel the Emmy Awards telecast. Workers began taking down decorations at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Associated Press

"We turned on our TVs again and here it was a war action again," said Jim Chabin, president of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, which presents the awards. "We thought this is not the time to have a celebration, as much as we wanted to do it."

The announcement was made as host Ellen DeGeneres was rehearsing on stage at the Shrine Auditorium. Outside, workers soon began rolling up the red carpet, removing floral displays and carting off oversized decorative statuettes.

There were no Emmy security concerns, only questions of whether it was appropriate to stage the program under the circumstances, Chabin said.

"It's a sacrifice we gladly make for the country," he said. "There will be another time for another awards show."

The decision was made after officials with the television academy and CBS, which was to air the show, consulted with other networks and TV industry members.

"We are not at this point calling it a cancellation. We are looking into all the options," said Bryce Zabel, chairman of the academy. "We have had very little time to think about this."

Even if the show isn't rescheduled, Zabel said they would get the trophies to winners "even if we have to drive them over to someone's house and shake hands with them."

The television industry had grappled in the weeks since the attack with the propriety of holding a celebration such as the Emmys, which would have been the first major awards show to go ahead. The Recording Academy canceled its 2nd Annual Latin Grammys, which had been scheduled the same day as the terrorist attacks.

The Television Academy and CBS had hoped that a three-week delay from the original Emmy air date of Sept. 16, and a muted, more solemn ceremony would be seen as acceptable.

Virtually all of the nominees and presenters had reaffirmed their willingness to take part in the ceremony after revisions were announced, including less glamour and celebration.

Television is "small potatoes" compared to world events, CBS Television President Leslie Moonves said yesterday.