Not Every Answer Is in Envelope

Emmy Award nominations will be unveiled Thursday amid the usual pomp and circumstance, or as much pomp as can be mustered at 5:35 a.m. Pacific time, when the announcement--timed for live consumption by the New York-based network morning shows--will take place.

Those few minutes will no doubt come off flawlessly, providing fodder for “Entertainment Tonight,” E! Entertainment Television and other media parasites who draw sustenance from Hollywood’s back-patting exercises. For the most part, such outlets tend to focus on the smoke and flames, paying no attention to those behind the curtain pulling the levers.

That would be the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, an entity with mercifully little public profile beyond its role in presenting the Emmys. “Mercifully,” because as dysfunctional show-business organizations go, the academy in recent years has rivaled the Screen Actors Guild, leaving observers of the group asking questions whose answers don’t begin with, “And the winner is ...”

For starters, the academy has been without a president since December, when its “executive committee” opted not to renew the contract of the top full-time staff member, Jim Chabin. The decision came as a surprise, since the academy had just nimbly weathered last year’s Emmys, which were twice postponed and shrouded in security concerns by the events of Sept. 11.

Academy insiders say various factors strained the relationship between Chabin and the elected chairman, Bryce Zabel, among them jockeying over who would act as the primary spokesman with outlets such as the “Today” show--an assertion Zabel has denied. Still, the academy has refused to discuss what prompted Chabin’s release. Whatever the cause, some board members were upset enough by how the situation was handled they sought to challenge the board, only to be dismissed on procedural grounds.

As a result, the nonprofit group has been operating without a president for the past seven months, while Zabel--a writer-producer filling a volunteer role--tries to run the show. A spokeswoman said the academy hopes to select a replacement before this year’s Emmy ceremony in September, after issuing a statement saying details of its search “have remained confidential to avoid compromising the positions of candidates who are currently employed with other organizations.”

Uh-huh. Well, when Dick Cheney takes the job, let us know.

Although the academy exists primarily so TV industry folk can network and hand out awards, that response is indicative of a leadership that takes itself too seriously. Perhaps that’s why of the 11,000 academy members who work (or in many instances, have worked but aren’t doing much right now) in television, few actively participate. For example, a mere 150 people showed up for last year’s annual meeting at the academy’s 600-seat theater in North Hollywood, and the most probing question from the floor was why booze isn’t served at events.

Then again, a few of those who do take part tend to get carried away, leading during the past few years to internal feuds in which anonymous letters have circulated among board members. At times, these shenanigans have been more entertaining than most of the sitcoms in Emmy contention, but they may also have fed a perception that getting involved might be more trouble than it’s worth.

Another major question mark hovers over who will televise the Emmys and how much they’ll pay for those rights. An agreement under which the four leading broadcast networks share the show on a rotating basis expires this year, and sources say preliminary talks about a new deal began this week.

Academy officials--citing the $50-million and $20-million annual fees, respectively, reaped by the Oscars and Grammys--have stated a desire to significantly increase the $3 million or so the Emmys earn, which provides more than a quarter of the group’s revenue.

Unfortunately, going for the gold comes with a risk. In the past, the academy has raised its fee by striking exclusive deals with a single network, but doing so alienated rival broadcasters, who threatened to boycott the ceremony.

Academy negotiators thus find themselves between the proverbial rock and hard place. Sure, the networks love being honored with awards, but tight-fisted executives aren’t of a mind to spend more for anything as their stock prices tumble. Yet seeking a more lucrative deal elsewhere--perhaps even at a cable network--would not only deny some viewers access to the show but also undermine it as a unified celebration of television’s best.

For all these headaches, the academy does considerable good that shouldn’t be overlooked. Its charitable foundation oversees college internships and awards as well as the Archive of American Television--a noble endeavor that remembers the industry’s pioneers (even if current TV executives have forgotten) by conducting and preserving lengthy interviews with them.

Moreover, though fans often quibble over choices and oversights--including a historic stodginess when it comes to recognizing new talent--the Emmys can at least point to a relatively pristine voting process and telecast, setting them apart in notable ways from other TV awards. That includes the People’s Choice and TV Guide Awards--where winners are tipped off in advance to ensure their attendance--or the Golden Globes, which despite gaining prestige since moving to NBC still seem to correlate strongly with the size of stars’ “Q” popularity scores and studio gift baskets.

Installing a president empowered to implement goals and bring continuity to the organization would certainly be a step in the right direction, as would securing a TV deal providing a respectable bump in pay that doesn’t require shifting the Emmy telecast to the Outdoor Life Network.

So load up the coffeemaker and set the alarm for before dawn if you’re desperate to know who’s up for an Emmy. If you’re awaiting answers regarding the academy’s behind-the-scenes dramas, however, you might just want to stay in bed.

*

Brian Lowry’s column appears Wednesdays. He can be reached at brian.lowry@latimes.com.