From the Chairman
John Shaffner
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
It hardly seems possible that we are moving so swiftly into the new year.
We are once again in awards season, with the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Grammys and Oscars passing at breakneck pace.
While the Golden Globes and SAG Awards recognize excellence in television as well as film, all of these events are at heart very much about television.
They demonstrate the power of television to reach the largest possible audience and the continuing impact of the medium on our culture.
The response to the recent tragedy in Haiti also illustrates the undeniable power of television.
The telethon Hope for Haiti Now, organized by George Clooney, Anderson Cooper and Wyclef Jean and simulcast on dozens of networks, raised more than $50 million. Clearly, this traditional format continues to succeed by bringing us together, focusing on a need and giving us a way to help.
Congratulations to all who brought this to the screen. We are honored to call you our colleagues.
We at the Television Academy were also pleased to recognize some distinguished colleagues at our most recent Hall of Fame ceremony.
The gala, produced by Lee Miller and Kevin Hamburger, was spirited and stirring — we laughed and we cried. But most of all we felt gratitude for the talents of our honorees: Candice Bergen, Charles Lisanby, Don Pardo, Bob Stewart, Dick and Tom Smothers and the late Gene Roddenberry.
Our current issue of emmy celebrates the accomplishments of the many television professionals who bring us the phenomenon Lost. The ABC series, now in its fifth and final season, has kept us on the edge of our seats with its intriguing stories and stunning visuals.
Another superb storyteller you’ll read about here is John Wells, my fellow alum from Carnegie-Mellon University. John, known for the tour-de-force series ER and The West Wing, is now immersed in Southland, his new drama on TNT.
Emmy magazine readers, please make certain to see the piece “Opening Doors,” a discussion of the efforts to increase disabled characters in primetime series. While many disabled persons still face employment challenges in the industry, there is progress to report.
I, too, look forward to reporting progress as I proceed in my second term as chairman of the Television Academy.
My guiding principle is, as always, our mission statement: to promote creativity, diversity, innovation and excellence through recognition, education and leadership in the advancement of the telecommunication arts and sciences.
High on our agenda, of course, will be the renewal of the Primetime Emmy contract, which will provide the resources for the good works of the Academy and its foundation on behalf of the television community.
Meanwhile, the Academy leadership and I remain focused on a Primetime Emmy competition and telecast of the highest quality and on serving our membership with provocative and relevant activities.
We will continue to shine a spotlight on excellence through the Television Academy Honors and our diversity events, which recently included a panel on American Indians in television and a salute to Millicent Shelton, the first African-American woman nominated for a Primetime Emmy for directing a comedy series.
Here’s to a productive and successful year for us all!
John Shaffner
