Production Company Stripped of Second Local Emmy

The Burbank production company that last week voluntarily relinquished one of two local Emmy Awards it won May 18 has been stripped of the other by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Both winning programs were deemed to have been ineligible for consideration in the 1990 awards for best programming produced by and for stations in the Los Angeles area.

Santa Fe Communications, which specializes in religious/inspirational programming, had won Emmys for two programs broadcast on KDOC Channel 56 in Anaheim: best information segment, for a story in its series “A New Beginning,” and a “special class” award for the program “John Michael Talbot--Quiet Reflections.”

After ruling the programs ineligible Friday, the Academy awarded the Emmy for best information segment to the producers of “Elementary Energy,” from the KCET Channel 28 series “Take Five: Science & Society.” It had been the second highest vote getter in the category.

Santa Fe’s other Emmy was not given to anyone else because it came in a category for which multiple winners were possible from the outset.

Barbara Valentine, the executive producer of “A New Beginning,” had notified the Academy last week that she was returning the Emmy after discovering that the winning segment had been broadcast in 1991, not 1990, as originally intended, and thus shouldn’t have been eligible. “It’s an unfortunate incident,” said Tom Thompson, co-chair of the Academy’s Los Angeles area awards committee.

Thompson said that “John Michael Talbot--Quiet Reflections” was ruled ineligible because the producers “sent in a reel with 12 segments, when only seven of those had aired (in 1990). But the entry was judged on all 12.”

The Academy’s action against Santa Fe came after questions about eligibility were raised following the Emmy ceremonies. Academy officials said that they had not been aware previously of any potential discrepancies.

Other questions that had been raised involved whether the Santa Fe productions should even have been considered local programming to begin with because the company purchased the air time from KDOC and also syndicates its shows nationally on a cable network. But Thompson said that these issues “became moot” when the shows were found to have had ineligible air dates.

The definition of “local” programming, however, will be examined for next year’s Emmy contest.

Ray Seager, Santa Fe Communications’ general manager, had no comment about the Academy’s decision to take away its second Emmy. But he said, “We’re looking forward to entering the 1991 awards.”