Regional Emmys

[rkolsen 1679]

I've read on DCRTV.com numerous times people under the mailbag section seem to slam the Capital Emmy Awards based on the fact that stations have to pay for the consideration to be nominated. The National Capital / Chesapeake Bay Chapter encompasses all of Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia.

 

The entry fees are $115 for the first entry, $140 for the first additional entry and $165 for each entrant after that. Then there are different fees for three categories two are at $350 and one is at $150. Of course all of these are the fees form members of the regional chapter and provided you get your entries in on time. Needless to say these prices will keep a lot of stations and independent producers from submitting their work. The only stations that really could submit it a lot more come from the "large market" spectrum basically meaning Washington and Baltimore (which could be a stretch being DMA 26 but aren't large markets considered top 50?), I also think it also includes Hagerstown (which would be even more of a stretch and I don't know why Nielsen counts it as part of the Washington market).

 

When the nominees were announced they also noted the total number of entries. The station with the most entries was WRC with 64 total which means they spent at least $10,485 but they only got 24 nominations meaning they wasted $6,600. The second runner up was WUSA with 56 entries at $9,350 but only got 10 nominations wasting $8,745. Meanwhile lower rated stations like WMAR, WBFF submitted 39 and 65 respectively but only got 4 and 13 actual entries. http://www.capitalemmys.tv/sites/default/files/2013%20Emmy%20Nominations%20FINAL.pdf

 

The whole way this is setup just screams of a scam to me. The chapter received 825 entries total and if each entry was the only entry for each group (i.e. 1 entry per station/group) they would make $94,875 but it didn't end that way so they made a whole lot more. The pay per entry thing just doesn't seem right to me because it enables groups who may not deserve the award to get recognition especially in categories where they were the only submittal. Basically it's saying you have to pay to play and reap the awards of winning. A better way would be to allow people to submit entries for themselves or (better yet) other organizations with out fees but then again that wouldn't pay for the statuettes that every person gets - the only way to break even would be to raise the dues and the cost of admission to the dinner from $60 and $145/plate.

 

What are all of your views on regional Emmys? Do you agree with me that they are just self congratulatory and narcissistic? And do other chapters follow this same model? Are there other suggestions to getting rid of pay to play.

[TheRob 920]

In my region, the Emmys cost slightly less-- $85 dollars per entry, for members. If it is more than one person on an entry, I think each additional name is $60 or something like that. At my station, we have no award budget. Every award we wish to enter (not just regional Emmys), we pay ourselves. Most of us don't bother entering anything more than the Emmys. We don't even belong to the association of broadcasters in one of our two states. Attending the award ceremony also costs money.

 

I skip entries most years since producers in my region are limited to the best newscast. I feel my money is best spent elsewhere.