And the Emmy goes to ...

I haven't posted in a while ... and really debated whether I should write this or not .... I finally decided to go with it.

I had a couple discussions with former co-workers about the recent Emmy awards, and I shared my feelings with them.

Now, I'm sharing them here.

First off, let me say, this isn't a knock against anyone who's won or been nominated ... congratulations to you all. Many good people earn local news Emmys ... and deserve them.

I, however, don't believe in them.

I always felt that my work in the newsroom on a daily basis should be the standard by which I should be judged, not by how many awards sit on my mantle.

But, there's more to that than just my own strange sense of honor. You see, I believe the Emmys are deeply flawed.

First off, the group that runs the awards, NATAS, always charges an exorbitant fee for entries. And the more names on an entry, the more cash collected by NATAS.

Secondly, there is no standard of judging. The nominations are arrived at somehow ... then the tapes are sent to another market to be judged.

No one makes sure the ENTIRE entry is screened, and no one makes sure HOW they're being screened. For all we know, people just sit in a room, and draw names out of a hat, and bingo ... there's your Emmy winner.

True story ... several years ago my station hosted a "judging" night ... 2 people showed up, me and my News Director. Together, we apparently picked the best newscast in Atlanta.

And trust me, I'm sure that station trumpeted its victory up and down Peachtree Street. If only the viewers there knew, that two tired and hungry news folk in Cleveland made the decision.

Full disclosure, I also have a personal beef with NATAS.

You see, one year, I finally did allow for my name to be entered. It was for "team coverage" of an event I helped lead the charge on. I was very proud of this particular product, and the team that worked on it.

Lo and behold, it was nominated. Then, on Emmy night, the category disappeared. No award was handed out. I called the NATAS folks and asked why, and they couldn't give me a explanation. I then asked for a refund, and they said they couldn't do that. It was at that moment that I decided I had enough of the Emmy fun.

This year, I could have submitted my name for another "team coverage" category, and was urged to do so. I passed, and sure enough, the team was nominated. This time the award WAS handed out, and the station did not win.

So, I guess my resume is short one nomination.

But, considering I've heard arguments over Emmys, seen lingering bitterness over the statues, and, honestly, seen them handed to people who haven't earned them ... I'm not real worried about it.