Academy Will Bring Back Oscar Producers for 2014

The Los Angeles Times on Tuesday afternoon reported that Mr. Zadan and Mr. Meron were rehired by the academy’s president, Hawk Koch, with the support of the group’s governing board.

The move is unusual in that Mr. Koch’s term is set to expire midyear and an incoming president is normally given considerable authority over the choice of the Oscar producers. In an interview, however, Mr. Koch told The Los Angeles Times that he acted early because “continuity is the most important thing” in mounting the annual Oscar telecast.

In February, the last Oscar show got a modest upturn in its overall rating, but attracted a much larger number of younger viewers, as its host, Seth MacFarlane, laced the broadcast with jokes that spurred a fierce debate about their propriety. A song taunting actresses who had done nude scenes, a joke about Abraham Lincoln’s assassination and quips about Jews in Hollywood were among the show’s most controversial moments.

At the same time, Mr. Zadan and Mr. Meron raised eyebrows with an extended tribute to one of their own movies, “Chicago,” and rubbed academy members the wrong way when they used the orchestra to drum some winners off the stage.

At the show’s climax, Ben Affleck, who was the director and a producer of “Argo,” which won the Oscar for best picture, made a point of speed-talking to get his thank-yous squeezed in before Mr. MacFarlane returned for a final song and dance.

But the academy’s leaders have stood by the show, pointing toward its strong ratings and relatively trouble-free production process. “Craig and Neil have great relationships, a sense of showmanship, and a passion for our academy,” Dawn Hudson, the academy’s chief executive, said in a statement.

The Oscar show is broadcast annually on ABC under a long-term contract. The 2014 telecast is scheduled for March 2.

Article source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/17/business/media/academy-will-bring-back-oscar-producers.html?partner=rss&emc=rss