CABLE SURPASSES BROADCAST WITH RECORD NUMBER OF PRIMETIME EMMY NOMINATIONS

Cable Surpasses Broadcast With Record Number

Of Primetime Emmy Nominations

HBO's Angels in America Takes Greatest Number of Nominations


Washington, DC -- Eighteen cable networks garnered a record 220 Primetime Emmy nominations today from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), surpassing for the first time broadcast networks, which earned 206 nominations. Also, for the fifth time, a cable network – Home Box Office (HBO) – dominated the nominations with 124, more than any other network (NBC followed HBO with 65).

“These awards are further evidence that cable has become the leader in developing innovative and creative television programming,” said Jill Luckett , Vice President, Program Network Policy, National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA).

“The Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau reports that half of all primetime television viewers watched ad-supported cable networks during the official 2003/2004 TV season, with cable topping all national broadcast networks combined during this programming period.  Cable's programming clearly is drawing not only viewers, but also critical acclaim,” Luckett said.

HBO's Angels in America picked up the most Emmy nominations of all 2004 programming category contenders (21), followed closely by HBO's The Sopranos (20) (NBC's The West Wing followed with Emmy nominations in a total of 12 categories.).

Other cable network nominees include A&E Network with 24 nominations; Showtime with 18 nominations; USA Network with nine nominations; Comedy Central and FX with seven nominations; Bravo, Nickelodeon, SCI FI Channel, and TNT each with four nominations; Cartoon Network, Discovery Channel and The History Channel with three nominations; Lifetime with two nominations; and AMC, Disney Channel, IFC, and VH1 each with one.

Cable networks produced a clean sweep in 12 award categories, securing all nominations for:

•  Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour Or More);

•  Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special;

•  Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special;

•  Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special;

•  Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special;

•  Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie;

•  Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie;

•  Outstanding Made for Television Movie;

•  Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special;

•  Outstanding Single-Camera Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Movie;

•  Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series; and

•  Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special.

Many cable programs were recognized in multiple categories, including Deadwood (HBO) and Sex And The City (HBO) each with 11 nominations; And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (HBO) and Something the Lord Made (HBO) each with nine nominations; Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO) with eight nominations; Carnivale (HBO) and The Reagans (Showtime) each received seven nominations; Ike: Countdown to D-Day (A&E) and The Lion in Winter (Showtime) each took six; and In Concert: Paul McCartney in Red Square (A&E), Iron Jawed Angels (HBO) and Nip/Tuck (FX) each took five, among others.

Nominations for the 56th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards are for programs from the period of June 1, 2003, through May 31, 2004. The 56th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards Presentation will be televised on Sunday, September 19, 2004, from the Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium.

NCTA is the principal trade association of the cable television industry in the United States . NCTA represents cable operators serving more than 90 percent of the nation's cable television households and more than 200 cable program networks, as well as equipment suppliers and providers of other services to the cable industry. 

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