NEWS & DOCUMENTARY Emmy® AWARD
Frequently Asked Questions
01. What are the main eligibility requirements for programs broadcast over-the-air, cable or satellite?
01. What are the main eligibility requirements for programs broadcast over-the-air, cable or satellite? Top 02. Are webcasts and other kinds of broadband programming eligible for entry in the News & Documentary Emmy Awards? Top 03. What kinds of broadcasts are eligible in the New Approaches categories?? Top The New Approaches categories recognize creative and innovative approaches to the practice, presentation and delivery of news & documentary programming. They are open to over-the-air, cable, satellite and internet broadcasters, and are intended to recognize new ways of doing documentaries and broadcast journalism, from new approaches to traditional broadcasts, to the use of new media (associated websites, interactivity etc.), to other creative and innovative means of practicing these crafts and presenting programming to the viewer. For journalists and documentarians working in non-traditional media, these categories recognize that their craft often differs from traditional broadcast television in approach, presentation techniques, and delivery, and give online journalists the opportunity to demonstrate the ways they are using new media to create excellent programming.
04. How much does it cost to enter? Top The cost of entry varies according to the following criteria: Entries postmarked by February 27, 2008 Entries postmarked between February 28 – April 10, 2008 05. Why are there two entry deadlines?? Top The News & Documentary Emmy Awards has two entry deadlines: In order to encourage entrants to submit early, entries received by 2/27 receive a lower entry fee. 06. Can I enter both the News & Documentary Emmy Awards and another Emmy competition such as Primetime or Sports? Top No. Entries in News and Documentary may not be entered in any other national Emmy Awards competition in the United States, such as Primetime or Sports. However, a local program that later receives national distribution may compete in both regional and national awards competitions. 07. How many times can I enter? Top 08. Can I enter in more than one category? Top Yes, but with the following qualifications: 09. Can I enter a series? Top A show like Nightline, or FRONTLINE, or the American Experience or NOW may not enter as a series. Such shows may enter individual reports or programs, but they may not enter for recognition of the entire series. However, a documentary series like Ric Burns’s New York, or a series of reports on a single topic, like Nightline’s 5-part series on the Congo, may be entered as a series. Where an entry includes a series of broadcasts on a single topic, the entrant may choose to do one, but not both, of the following: 1) enter the series of broadcasts as a series 2) enter individual episodes as separate entries. If entering as a series the entrant may a) choose a single episode to represent the entire series or b) choose up to five excerpts from different episodes to represent the series. 10. How many segments, excerpts or reports can I include on my submission DVD? Top In Program categories 1-19, submissions may include up to five as-aired excerpts of continuous programming. For example: 1. A nightly newscast (Anderson Cooper 360, World News Tonight etc.) may want to enter its ongoing coverage of, say, the Surge in Iraq. Numerous reports may have been aired over the course of the entry year, however, for the purpose of assembling a submission, the entrant must choose five excerpts of continuous coverage to represent the program’s coverage. So, for example, if a report by a correspondent on a given broadcast is followed by an interview with a politician or analyst on the same subject, that footage can also be included as part of one excerpt. 2. Some broadcasts run longer than the maximum running time allowed in a given category. Maximum running times vary from 15 minutes to one hour depending on the category. While the maximum running time in most long form categories is one hour, many documentaries may run 90 minutes or longer. Likewise live coverage of a breaking news event may run indefinitely, while the maximum running time in the live coverage category is 1 hour. A broadcast of a regularly scheduled newscast like PBS’s NewsHour may devote an hour to one topic but may need to edit its coverage down to 20 minutes to meet the maximum running time requirements for newscast categories. In order to edit a broadcast that runs longer than the maximum allowable running time in a given category, do the following: 3. Finally, some entries may be part of a series—for example, Bill Moyers’ 5-part documentary series on the Chinese Experience in America, or Nightline’s 5-part series on the Congo, or ABC News’s multi-part series on healthcare. Where an entry includes a series of broadcasts on a single topic, the entrant may choose to do one, but not both, of the following: 1) enter the series of broadcasts as a series 2) enter individual episodes as separate entries. If entering as a series the entrant may a) choose a single episode to represent the entire series or b) choose up to five excerpts from different episodes to represent the series. There is no segment limit in Craft categories 24-31. Craft entries may include as many as-aired segments or excerpts as are necessary to demonstrate excellence, provided the running time of the submission does not exceed 15 minutes. 11. The running time of my program is longer than the maximum running time for the category I want to enter. How do I edit it? Top In categories 1-19, submissions may include up to five as-aired excerpts of continuous programming. No entry tape may contain more than five excerpts (except in craft categories 24-31, where there is no segment/excerpt limit). Some broadcasts run longer than the maximum running time allowed in a given category. Maximum running times vary from 15 minutes to one hour depending on the category. While the maximum running time in most long form categories is one hour, many documentaries may run 90 minutes or longer. Likewise live coverage of a breaking news event may run indefinitely, while the maximum running time in the live coverage category is 1 hour. A broadcast of a regularly scheduled newscast like PBS’s NewsHour may devote an hour to one topic but may need to edit its coverage down to 20 minutes to meet the maximum running time requirements for newscast categories. In order to edit a broadcast that runs longer than the maximum allowable running time in a given category, do the following: 12. What is internal editing? Top By internal editing we mean re-editing the content of continuous programming in order to enhance the submission. The content included on a submission DVD should be what the viewer saw at the time it originally aired. Obviously some broadcasts must be edited down to meet the maximum running time limits for certain categories. In those cases, entrants may submit up to five as-aired excerpts of continuous programming (except in craft categories 24-31, where there is no segment/excerpt limit). 13. Are HDTV broadcasts eligible for entry in the News & Doc Emmys? Top HDTV broadcasts are eligible to enter in the News & Documentary Emmy Awards, provided they meet all other entry criteria. However, at this time such broadcasts are not screened for judges in HD. 14. In the category Music and Sound, can I submit just music, just sound mixing/design, or both? Top 15. Are reality shows eligible for entry in the News & Documentary Emmy Awards? Top Reality shows are NOT eligible for entry in the News & Documentary Emmy Awards. Reality programming may be entered in the Primetime Emmys. See the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences website at www.emmys.org or contact ATAS at 818-754-2800 for more information. 16. What are the requirements for entering in the Business & Financial Reporting categories, and can I enter a program or report in the News & Doc Emmys and the Business Emmys? Top Currently there are 7 categories reserved for Business & Financial reporting. However, these categories have their own entry deadlines and eligibility year (July 1, 2007-June 30, 2008), and winners are honored at a separate ceremony in December. Entrants may choose to enter business-related stories in either the business categories (34-40) or the regular News & Doc categories (1-31), depending on where they think the program or report will be most competitive. However, double entries are prohibited. Entrants may not enter the same program or report in both the regular News & Doc categories and the Business categories, with the following exceptions: • An entry in the Business categories (categories 34 – 40) may also be entered in one of the "Best Of" categories (categories 17 - 19), provided it aired in the proper eligibility year. Because of the rules against double entries, and because of the overlapping eligibility years, entrants should decide well in advance where their business-related stories will be most competitive. If a program or report will be more competitive in the Business Emmys, DO NOT enter it in News & Doc categories 1-16 (though you may enter in categories 17-19 and 24-31). 17. What are the entry requirements for the regional categories? Top The regional categories are designed to give national recognition to exceptional regional news programming, and are reserved for spot/breaking news and investigative reports that have been awarded Emmys by regional NTA chapters in the most recent awards cycle. Because these programs have not aired nationally, winners receive a plaque rather than an Emmy statue. Entry materials for the regional categories will be distributed in mid-April (tba). For more information contact the Director of the News & Documentary Emmy Awards at (212) 484-9424. 18. My film was released theatrically before airing on TV. Is it eligible for News & Doc? Top Documentary films that have had a limited theatrical release, or that were initially released through home entertainment sale or rental, are eligible to enter the News & Documentary Emmy Awards. Entries will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine whether or not the initial theatrical release was limited enough to warrant entry in the News & Doc Emmys. 19. Can a documentary film compete for both an Oscar and an Emmy? Top Yes. The fact that a film is eligible for an Oscar does not disqualify it from entering the News & Doc Emmys. 20. Who is eligible for an Emmy statue?Top In categories 1-19, Reporters, Correspondents and Producers receive the Emmy Statue for winning programs. Senior Producers, Executive Producers, Directors, Anchors and Managing Editors may also be eligible, provided their role was more than supervisory, and that they made a substantial contribution to the creative and/or journalistic elements of the broadcast or report. In the Individual Craft Achievement categories (categories 24-31), those who actually perform a specific discipline receive the Emmy Statue. Supervising or directing the work of others does not qualify for Individual Achievement Awards. An entrant’s job title must correspond to the on-screen credits for the submission. In cases where there is a discrepancy between the broadcast credits and the job title listed on the entry form (for example a producer entering as a researcher). You must contact the Director of the News and Documentary Emmy Awards for approval. Failure to do so may result in disqualification. As indicated elsewhere, any falsification of credits will result in disqualification. Here’s an easy way to find out if a certain job title is statue eligible: b) Search the release for the job title you are curious about (on pc’s, hit Ctrl F, enter a keyword in the Find field—i.e. “field” for field producer—and search for the title). c) If the title is in the release, it’s eligible. If not, contact David Winn at 212-484-9424 or dwinn@emmyonline.tv and inquire as to its eligibility..21. What are production plaques and how do I order one? Top Production plaques and production certificates provide a way to acknowledge the contribution of individuals who contributed to an Emmy-winning program or report but are not eligible for an Emmy statue—such as Associate Producers, Guest Bookers, Assistant Directors, Technical Directors, Narrators, Unit Managers, various craftspeople etc. Production Plaques and Certificates may be purchased by the Executive Producer or Producer of an Emmy-winning program for presentation to those individuals. Order forms will be sent to the main contact for all winning entries after winners are announced in September. For more information contact Mike Grigaliunas at 212-484-9421 or mgrigaliunas@emmyonline.tv 22. What are nomination plaques and how do I order one? Top 23. What’s a duplicate (or commemorative) Emmy and how do I order one? Top 24. How do I become an Emmy judge? Top News or documentary professionals with significant experience at the national level are invited to serve as judges. Entries are screened and judged throughout the months of May and June. Screenings are held in New York at the National Television Academy offices and at Fordham University’s Lincoln Center Campus; in Washington, DC at George Washington University; and at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Who qualifies to be a judge? Screenings will be held:
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