Ray Richmond is contributing to Deadline’s 2010 Emmy coverage.

Word is that the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences could release as soon as today its list of both eligible and ineligible producers on programs nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards. It would dovetail with the common practice of burying controversial or unpopular information just when everyone’s heading out for the weekend. The buzz continues to be that the TV Academy is toning down its stand fueled by the Producers Guild in targeting allegedly undeserving producers and capping the number permitted on nominated comedy and drama series rosters in particular. That said, Ann Farriday, the WGA’s lead field rep in television, tells me that many of the same concerns that have bubbled up in recent years continue to be on the table in terms of the series role of writer-producers and the perception of their being minimized in the process. “We’re hopeful that we see some progress on that this year,” she notes, “but we’re obviously not going to really know until we see the list.” She said it’s her understanding the Academy has opted this year not to re-target producers who already have been once vetted. “This year, it’s more about looking at new producers and those on new shows rather than ones who have already been looked at in the past,” she says. “That’s what the questionnaire sent out to showrunners indicated this time, anyway. I think there’s the hope at the Academy that things will go smoothly this time, and that’s especially true with NBC telecasting it. NBC feels like it’s been through enough this year and doesn’t want any hassles.”