Nellie Andreeva

The Daytime Emmy Awards are in the market for both a network and a producer as Associated Television International, which produced the awards telecast the last 3 years, won’t return. The company’s Jim Romanovich made the announcement today in a lengthy and somewhat controversial statement on Twitter that had not been authorized by ATI and took his bosses by surprise. He stressed multiple times that he and his colleagues are soap fans, a genre that is rapidly vanishing from daytime and the Daytime Emmy Awards. He acknowledged that producing the Daytime Emmy Awards was “quite challenging” and “never a money making project for us.” The Daytime Emmys got in trouble when ABC and CBS didn’t renew their deals to alternate carrying the Daytime Emmys past 2008. ATI stepped in as a producer and made a deal with the CW where the awards show drew a very small audience. For the past 2 years, it aired on CBS in a time buy-type deals. In his post today, Romanovich said that “CBS did want it again as well as two cable networks for second run.” His statement then took a bizarre “what could’ve been” turn. “Creatively this year, we were planning to do a more intimate Golden Globes style production to include a tribute to One Life To Live that really was going to be a souvenir to the daytime fans.” He blamed the decision to pull out on shows the company is working on, including “two very big series for two different networks which will be announced in the next two weeks.” Here is the post:

Regretfully, we have today officially passed on doing The Daytime Emmys for television this year. As fans of the soaps in particular, as well as being daytime producers ourselves, we have immensely enjoyed being a part of your celebration these past three years. In 2009, there was not going to be a Daytime Emmys for television, as you know. It was over. we felt it was important for it to continue on television for as long as possible to give actors, producers, writers and so forth the night of recognition they so deserve. It wasn’t always easy. In fact, it was quite challenging on many levels. Although it was never a money making project for us, it was prestigious, first and foremost, plus we wanted to do something important for the daytime community. I would like to think in some small way we have contributed in the interest of the daytime soap formula being created beyond television as we’re now seeing through various online ventures, such as what Prospect Park had tried to do, and series currently thriving on the web.

But now is the time for the next generation of Daytime Emmys that should be more practical in execution. I would venture a guess that the very thing I had been discussing for several years, the internet, will play heavily into this year’s celebration. As the impact of technology accelerates exponentially year to year, watching a very intimate Daytime Emmys on the internet is where this was ultimately going to be. With that being said, CBS did want it again as well as two cable networks for second runs. Creatively this year, we were planning to do a more intimate Golden Globes style production to include a tribute to One Life To Live that really was going to be a souvenir to the daytime fans. Unfortunately, we are in production for two very big series for two different networks which will be announced in the next two weeks. In addition to these shows, we have another fourteen on the schedule through 2012 that will be taking up much of our focus.

But you are a part of what we do and although we are no longer part of the Daytime Emmys, we will always be a part of the soap world and will continue to develop projects that promotes the genre.

We want to thank NATAS and the entire daytime community for giving us this opportunity and we wish all of them the very best. I have no doubt the awards night will be most memorable, especially this year after losing two great shows. You the fans have a lot to look forward to and your shows need you now more than ever. The soap fans are the greatest and we’ll see you again soon.

TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.