AFI Plans Award Show With CBS, Sources Say

And the winner is . . . another made-for-TV awards show?

If the American Film Institute has its way, apparently so. Sources say the nonprofit organization is in negotiations with CBS regarding the launch of a new annual special that would honor the best in film and possibly television from the previous year.

Reached Tuesday, AFI Director Jean Firstenberg would only say: “We’ve had a wonderful relationship with CBS, and we are talking with [CBS Television President] Leslie Moonves and his team about a number of different shows.”

She declined to comment specifically about the prospects for an awards telecast, as did CBS; however, sources say discussions are in progress and that such an event could make its debut as early as January.

The proposed timing of the broadcast, meanwhile, reflects a reported desire by CBS to position the AFI showcase as an alternative to the Golden Globe Awards, which are presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. and telecast each January by NBC. The Globes have turned into a high-rated annual event, largely because they are seen as a precursor to the Oscars and are well-attended by entertainment industry luminaries.

One source characterized the special as a “year in review” program that would honor laudable films while incorporating elements of film history in a more contextual manner, which is part of AFI’s mandate. The institute is active in the area of film preservation, although its only regular television presence previously has been its lifetime achievement award, at best a minor ratings attraction.

Details remain sketchy as to how winners might be chosen, but sources say the awards could be selected by the same panel of about 1,500 who participated in assembling the AFI’s “top 100” lists of the best U.S. films, movie comedies and stars. Any project would be subject to approval by the AFI’s board of trustees.

The AFI has made a concerted push to more aggressively market itself, beginning with its prime-time specials counting down a certain genre of movies. The latest program, “AFI’s 100 Years . . . 100 Laughs,” aired in June and honored the 100 best film comedies of all time, following “100 Years . . . 100 Movies” and “100 Years . . . 100 Stars.”

Before the first CBS special was broadcast in 1998, Firstenberg told The Times a reduction in public funding had compelled the organization to put more emphasis on “thinking of ways to achieve our objectives through marketing to a national audience to secure the funding to continue our work. If we don’t, we may not survive.”

The AFI’s academic underpinnings could provide an advantage in competing for attention and prestige with the Golden Globes. While the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. has cleaned up its act after a shady reputation in its early years, the group still faces questions about the credentials of its 80-odd members, including a splinter group claiming that qualified international journalists have been kept out of its ranks.

The Globes’ significance has primarily stemmed from its A-list celebrity attendance and history as a bellwether for the Academy Awards, which are presented in March. The 2000 Golden Globes drew more than 22 million viewers, trailing only the Oscars and Grammys in terms of ratings for award shows televised during the last 12 months.

One senior studio source who asked not to be identified expressed skepticism about the need for another awards-based telecast, citing the existing glut of such shows. A number of made-for-TV awards have sprung up in recent years recognizing stars in film and television, including the Blockbuster Awards, TV Guide Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards.