Courtesy/NATAS
The Daytime Emmys which continue to struggle to regain its former prominence in a daytime industry that has been evolving and changing rapidly over the last ten years, with the loss of so many daytime dramas, the influx of talk, cooking, and lifestyle/reality programming, is considering creating a new award show hybrid featuring elements of daytime programming, news and documentaries, and the sports Emmys.
NATAS chairman Malachy Wenges stated to Variety, he would not replace any of the existing awards shows — but would seek to draw upon the added star power that the news and sports events provide. “Those shows are powerhoused with a lot of talent,” Wienges said.
In regards to The Daytime Emmy Telecast’s future, he emphasized that the Daytime Emmys would continue in 2013 as a televised event, following a year in which the deal for this year’s broadcast to air on HLN — the event’s first presentation ever on cable TV — came together barely a month before the kudofest itself. They produced more than we expected. Last year, we only had maybe three promos before (on CBS). This year, part of the contract with HLN was 300. … It felt like 300 a day.”
Wienges believes getting a TV deal done sooner could help with rehabilitating the profile of the show, and plans to begin sitting down with prospective partners July 1. This year, he said, negotiations for a new TV home didn’t get underway until mid-March, after an arrangement with former producer Associated Television Intl. fell apart. The NATAS chairman dismissed the notion of the Daytime Emmys failing to find a TV home next year by admitting, ” We are wide open. We have two networks that are interested, alphabet networks, and we have three production companies interested, and Turner’s interested. … I’ve already engaged an attorney in Hollywood who’s done probably dozens of these for different venues.”
The NATAS chairman also weighed-in on how he felt the HLN telecast went on Saturday night for the 39th Annual Daytime Kudofest. While saying that had gotten much positive feedback from this year’s edition, he acknowledged that the tributes to departing soaps such as All My Children and One Life to Live, which were noticeably clip-free, could have been improved upon. He cited the time and pace of the show as one issue. This year’s Daytime Emmys, which Wienges decided two weeks ago would not have a host, managed to get every award from this year’s ceremony announced live, while running only eight minutes over its scheduled two-hour broadcast. The only other non-awards moments were an opening bit featuring Anderson Cooper and Oscar the Grouch, and an “In Memoriam” segment.
So what do you think of a hybrid Emmys? And, would you like to see HLN air the show next year with more time to improve upon missing elements? Or would you like to see it on a diffferent cable network, if major network television is not an option? Let us know!
Mary Fergen says: 
Carol 
Chick from Ohio 
Bonnie 
barbara t. Loves one life to live # 1 
Nancy 
Ann 
Lynn A 
david 
SZima