Will ‘NYPD Blue’ Turn Gold? : Television: Advertisers and affiliates have shied away from the high-rated, controversial show. Steven Bochco hopes the Emmys ‘might send a message to them,’ but others say that won’t happen.

Despite an avalanche of attention, rave reviews and a loyal viewership that made “NYPD Blue” the highest-rated new drama of last season, the gritty police series has yet to win over some major advertisers and ABC affiliates.

Can the Emmy Awards make a difference?

“NYPD Blue,” created by Steven Bochco and David Milch, is up for 26 Emmys this weekend--the most nominations a series has ever gotten for a single season--and the show is bound to come away with at least two: The casting award already has been decided in its favor and it has no competition in the category of best writing in a drama series.

“The nominations are really an affirmation of the quality of work that we did,” Milch said. “I wouldn’t call it a vindication. A vindication would be more advertisers.”

Indeed, ABC spokeswoman Janice Gretemeyer said that although about 85% of the show’s commercial time already has been sold for this season, much of it went at reduced rates because of the continuing controversy over “NYPD Blue’s” coarse language and nudity.

“I can tell you that our advertising is up considerably more than a year ago, when it was a tough sell,” Gretemeyer said. “With our large adult demographic--men and women 18-49--we should be able to command higher rates. Our rates are higher this year but not where they should be.”

In addition, about 30 ABC affiliates still refuse to carry the series, which stars David Caruso and Dennis Franz as New York police detectives. (Jimmy Smits will replace the departing Caruso after four episodes; the series is scheduled to return Oct. 11.)

ABC downplayed the significance of the affiliate dropout, saying that the stations were mostly in smaller markets--Dallas being a notable exception--and that independent stations in many of those cities are showing “NYPD Blue” instead. A year ago, there were 57 affiliates that refused to broadcast the series premiere.

Bochco said he hopes the Emmys will work some magic for “NYPD Blue” the way they did for his “Hill Street Blues” in 1981.

“ ‘Hill Street’ was like the lowest-rated show to ever get picked up for a second season,” he said. “But winning eight Emmys and all the attendant publicity really got audience’s attention, and they came to check us out. We became a hit.

“Since ‘NYPD Blue’ is already a hit, I don’t think the impact of winning a lot of Emmys will be as significant on that popularity level. But it might have a long-term impact on the perception of advertisers and reluctant affiliates. It might send a message to them that everything they’re afraid of is not that much of an issue.”

Don’t count on it, a couple of New York ad executives said.

“It will not be able to command the same dollars that it would if it were not for this controversy,” said Betsy Frank of Saatchi and Saatchi Advertising Inc. “For those who are concerned about it, the Emmys do not make a big difference.”

Joel Segal, executive vice president of national broadcasting for McCann-Erickson Advertising, agreed: “I don’t think there is more mainstream acceptance in the advertising industry than last season. Good ratings and Emmy nominations do not make a difference. I don’t think they’ve gotten any more major advertisers than they did last season.”

Bochco said he foresees a day when the controversy will cease and affiliates and advertisers will jump on board without hesitation.

“In truth, if it doesn’t happen this year, I think by next year it will be a non-issue,” he said. “It’s inevitable and it should happen. I don’t want to keep fighting.”

But whether the affiliates and advertisers join in or not, both Milch and Bochco said they are not about to compromise on the controversial elements on the show.

“All we have asked for is to have the power to access certain colors to tell our stories when they call for it,” said Bochco. “We fought the battle to expand the language and sexuality, still mindful that it was network TV.”

As for Milch, he is hoping that the Emmys bring, if not total acceptance from advertisers and affiliates, at least a lot of gold for “NYPD Blue.”

“I think we’ll do quite well,” he said. “I haven’t had time to give it a lot of thought--which is not to say I don’t care. I want to win them all.”