Former NBC Exec Said to Be Choice of Academy

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is said to have chosen Todd Leavitt, a former NBC executive, as its new chief operating officer--the top staff position at the nonprofit organization that presents the Emmy Awards.

Sources said Leavitt, who runs a media-consulting company, was selected Thursday by the group’s executive committee after interviews with three finalists for the position. The senior position at the academy has been vacant since December, when the executive committee--in a move opposed by some board members--opted not to renew the contract of President Jim Chabin.

Insiders said Leavitt has not formally accepted the position and that it was possible no agreement will be reached.

A sticking point has been that the job description has been pared since Chabin’s tenure, after he reportedly clashed with the academy’s elected chairman, Bryce Zabel.

The academy declined to comment, other than to say that it has “no deal with anyone” for the job.

Zabel has said the organization wanted to fill the position before the prime-time Emmy Awards on Sept. 22.

The appointment comes at a crucial time for the academy, which is negotiating a new licensing deal for the Emmys. The organization is seeking a major boost in the fee it receives from the networks, which provides about a third of its annual revenue.

Leavitt joined NBC as head of its production unit, then known as NBC Productions, in 1990 and later was named executive vice president of NBC International.