March 22, 2007
Emmy Caught in Web: War Over 'New Media'
The Wal Street Journal reports that the organizations that hand out the Emmy awards are locked in an ugly family squabble over programming made for cellphones and the Web.
"Now it's ATAS (The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences) vs. NATAS (The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences)
West Coast ATAS is seeking to prevent the New York group from giving out Emmy awards for online and cellphone videos, claiming that the awards could dilute the Emmy brand.
The spat between the two television academies highlights the confusion faced by the old media as it faces the digital future with excitement and dread.
On March 12, ATAS submitted a request for arbitration to the American Arbitration Association, seeking to prevent the New York group from creating any new Emmy awards contests, particularly in the realm of new media."
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