Fox is waiting on the outcome of negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) before deciding to reschedule Primetime Emmy Awards telecast, network insiders told TheWrap.
With less than 36 hours left before the end of the Hollywood actors union’s current contract, the Television Academy and Fox are reportedly in conversation about potential new dates to air the 75th annual celebration of the best of the silver screen, with the Academy vying for a November date for the awards show while the broadcast network seems to be in favor of a January.
Fox insiders told TheWrap that there hasn’t been a need for lobbying during discussions with the Academy. Should they need to, the network and Television Academy will move to the date that works best for the show, providing there is an opening on the schedule. As the host network, final decision on the airdate would be in Fox’s hands.
Individuals at Fox and the Television Academy told TheWrap that no decisions have been made and the show is still scheduled to air as planned on Monday, Sept. 18.
Nominees for this year’s Emmy Awards will be announced at 8:30 a.m. PT Wednesday, with a subdued but still present reference to the show’s scheduled Sept. 18 airdate. Should the union call for a strike Wednesday night, Fox and the Television Academy are expected to decide on a new date for the awards show by the end of July.
Moving to January would come with risks for the awards show, as it would ultimately celebrate achievements for a six-month old lineup of nominees, as first noted by Variety. The show, which typically airs just before the start of a new television season in the fall, would also end up airing in the midst of the crowded film awards season, along with a more updated lineup of potential honorees at shows like the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards.
The industry overall is waiting to see if SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP will reach a deal by the Wednesday night deadline, or if Hollywood actors will join the writers on the picket line by the end of the week.
The groups were previously unable to reach a new deal before their existing contract expired on June 30. A strike was temporarily averted when negotiations were extended through Wednesday. But the guild sent strike rules out to members Monday, signaling that extended talks may not reach an agreement before a strike begins.
In the final hours of negotiations, two individuals with knowledge told TheWrap that the AMPTP requested federal mediators to assist in the talks to try to avoid the strike. If no deal is set, actors will reportedly join the picket lines starting Friday.
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