CURRENT AFFAIRS & NEWS NOMINEES ANNOUNCED FOR 2011 INTERNATIONAL EMMY® AWARDS

NOMINEES SPAN 6 COUNTRIES AND UNTV; FIRST NOMINATION FOR ICELAND

New York, August 18, 2011 – The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences today announced the nominees for the 2011 Current Affairs and News categories. Winners will be announced at a Ceremony at the Frederick P. Rose Hall of Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City on September 26, 2011. The international winners will be honored alongside their American news and documentary counterparts.

The 8 Nominees span 6 countries, Brazil (2); Germany; Iceland; Japan; The Philippines and The United Kingdom.

This is the first nomination for a News program from Iceland and Current Affairs program from UNTV.

“The Academy is proud to be bringing these riveting stories to the global stage,” said Bruce L. Paisner, President & CEO of The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. “The 2011 nominees offer unique perspectives from all parts of the world on the events that have shaped the year and touched audiences.”

THE 2011 INTERNATIONAL EMMY® AWARD CURRENT AFFAIRS & NEWS NOMINEES:

CURRENT AFFAIRS:

21st Century: Cambodia – A Quest for Justice
UNTV
United Nations
From Nazi Germany to Rwanda, the world has attempted to bring some measure of justice to the victims of mass atrocities. But there has never been an international tribunal like the one in Cambodia, where a reign of terror decimated more than one quarter of the population more than three decades ago. This is a report on the first case heard by this unique court.

The Assassination of Jean Charles Meneses
Discovery Networks Latin America
Brazil
The Assassination of Jean Charles Meneses retraces the events that led an elite force from the London Metropolitan Police to mistake the Brazilian immigrant for a suicide bomber about to detonate. Jean Charles, a young electrician, was shot dead inside the train in Stockwell Tube Station. Through reenactments, based on the testimonies of those involved in the operation and interviews with specialists, former members of the London Metropolitan Police, and Meneses’ family, the report goes behind the scenes to understand what happened on that day and its tragic developments.

Back from the Brink: Inside the Chilean Mine Disaster
NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corp.)
Japan
The Chilean mine disaster trapped 33 miners 700 meters underground in August 2010. Ten days following the rescue, NHK sends a camera into the mine to obtain footage to capture the severity of the ordeal. How did the men survive 70 days underground? How did the effort to rescue them proceed above ground? The program uses detailed interviews with the miners and those involved with their rescue to portray this return from the brink of death.

Unter Piraten
infonetwork GmbH
Germany
They seize tankers, cargo ships, and even passenger liners, take hostages and demand million-dollar ransoms. For years, Somali pirate gangs have been threatening the security of the busy shipping routes in the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. Antonia Rados and her cameraman film in a Somalian pirate stronghold and investigate the causes and effects of this million dollar industry.

NEWS:

Jornal Nacional: War on Drugs
TV Globo
Brazil
After a four-day battle, Brazilian security forces took control of Complexo do Alemão, a major drug dealer’s stronghold in Rio, where close to 400,000 people live. It was the biggest operation of this kind, with elite police units and military troops. On November 25th, 2010 TV Globo went live, showing criminals escaping. Jornal Nacional’s team was formed by twenty journalists in five different coverage spots.

RUV News: Volcano Eruption at Eyjafjallajokull
RUV Icelandic National Broadcasting Service
Iceland
Early morning on April 14, 2010, news broke of a massive volcanic eruption at Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull glacier. RUV News went to the area to cover the eruption, evacuation of people and livestock, massive floods caused by melting glacier, and ash rain. For the weeks that followed, RUV News covered events on ground and the impact around the world.

Sky News Live at Five: Inside the Taliban
Sky News
United Kingdom
Alex Crawford and Stuart Ramsay used their contacts to gain access to Taliban in Kunar Province, Afghanistan. Their reports include one on a unit laying a roadside bomb. They negotiated access to the Talibans’ inner circle, showing how young children are groomed to be the next generation of fighters, and filmed Taliban who want to stop fighting, but are too scared of the consequences from their own side.

TV Patrol: Manila Hostage Crisis
ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation
The Philippines
On August 23, 2010, eight Hong Kong tourists were killed during a dramatic hostage drama in Manila that lasted for almost 12 hours. There were 22 tourists from Hong Kong and three Filipino nationals on board the Hong Thai tourist bus when it was hijacked at around nine in the morning.

About The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is a membership based organization comprised of leading media and entertainment figures from over 50 countries and 500 companies from all sectors of television including internet, mobile and technology. The Academy’s yearly schedule of events includes the prestigious International Emmy® Awards Ceremony held in New York, The International Digital Emmy® Awards at MIPTV and a series of industry events such as Academy Day, The International Emmy® World Television Festival and Panels on substantive industry topics. The Academy was chartered with a mission to recognize excellence in television produced outside of the United States and it presents The International Emmy® Awards in the following fifteen categories: Arts Programming; Best Performance by an Actress; Best Performance by an Actor; Current Affairs; Children & Young People; Comedy; Digital Program: Children & Young People; Digital Program: Fiction; Digital Program: Non-Fiction; Documentary; Drama Series; News; Non-Scripted Entertainment; Telenovela; TV Movie/Mini-Series. For more information go to www.iemmys.tv.

MEDIA CONTACTS

The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
Eva Obadia
Communications Director
Tel: (1) 212-489-6969
Mob: (1) 646-334-9299
eva.obadia@iemmys.tv

The Lippin Group
Don Ciaramella
don@lippingroup.com
Tel: (1) 212-986-7080

NADAV PALTI, DORI MEDIA GROUP CEO & PRESIDENT TO CHAIR 39TH INTERNATIONAL EMMY® AWARDS GALA

New York, August 15, 2011 – Nadav Palti, Chairman of Israel’s Mapal Communications and Chief Executive Officer & President of Dori Media Group will serve as Gala Chair for the 39th International Emmy® Awards, which will take place on Monday, November 21, 2011 in New York City. The announcement was made today by Bruce L. Paisner, President & CEO of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Mr. Palti will preside at the Gala and speak during the pre-show. During the awards show, The International Academy will present Emmys in ten program categories. The International Emmy® Founders Award will be presented to Nigel Lythgoe, co-creator and executive producer of ‘So You Think You Can Dance’. Additionally the International Emmy® Directorate Award will be presented to India’s media mogul and Founder of ZEE TV, Subhash Chandra.

“Nadav is a Member of The International Academy and a longstanding friend and supporter of our organization,” said Paisner. “He has built one of Israel’s largest media groups and works and travels tirelessly to expand it.”

Palti is Chairman of Mapal Communications Ltd, one of Israel’s largest media groups, which he founded in 1999 with Tamar Mozes Borovitz. Mapal’s subsidiaries include Licensing Dynamics International Ltd. (the largest branding company in Israel), CommunicaTV (a promotion media company offering wide and huge electronic screen large-scale outdoor advertising), CTV Media (operates thousands of plasma screens indoor), and Travelist (Israel’s largest internet based travel and price-comparison services). He has been CEO of Dori Media since 2004. Dori Media Group (DMG) is an international media company, active in all aspects of the TV business with a focus on daily dramas and telenovelas. DMG produces telenovelas and other daily dramas (5500 TV hours so far) at a rate of approximately 500 TV hours per year and distributes them to more than 700 clients around the world. Dramas produced and distributed by Dori Media include global hits such as ‘Rebelde Way’, ‘LaLola’, ‘Ciega A Sitas’, ‘Split’ and ‘Amanda O’. DMG also operates 18 TV channels, three of which are telenovela channels. DMG is very active in the New Media field, producing and distributing both cellular and internet content. DMG is a pioneer in the development of formats for traditional TV as well as for cross-platform new-media. DMG operates from offices in Buenos Aires, Miami, Zurich, Manila and Tel Aviv.

Nadav Palti commented, “It is an honor to be asked to chair the 39th International Emmy® Awards. The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is an organization that is close to my heart, as its raison d’etre is to promote TV and TV creators from all over the world and give them a stage outside their country of origin. They also instill in all of us standards of excellence and professionalism.”

The 2011 International Emmy® Nominees will be announced at a press conference in Cannes at Mipcom on Monday, October 3, 2011. This year’s sponsors, to date, include, Ascent Media, Ernst & Young, Dori Media Group, GloboTV, Microsoft, Phoenix Satellite Television, Reed Midem, Sofitel New York and Variety.

MEDIA CONTACTS

The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
Eva Obadia
Communications Director
Tel: (1) 212-489-6969
Mob: (1) 646-334-9299
eva.obadia@iemmys.tv

The Lippin Group
Don Ciaramella
don@lippingroup.com
Tel: (1) 212-986-7080

NIGEL LYTHGOE TO RECEIVE 2011 INTERNATIONAL EMMY® FOUNDERS AWARD

Veteran British Producer, Executive Producer of American Idol & Co-creator and Executive Producer of So You Think You Can Dance, to be honored November 21, at International Emmy Awards in New York

New York, August 2, 2011 – Nigel Lythgoe, executive producer of television juggernaut American Idol and the co-creator and executive producer of So You Think You Can Dance, will receive the 2011 International Emmy® Founders Award. International Academy President & CEO, Bruce L. Paisner, announced today that Lythgoe will accept the Award at the 39th International Emmy® Awards Gala, on November 21, 2011 in New York City.

“Starting as a TV executive in London, Nigel Lythgoe has made big jumps across oceans and formats to become one of the major television producers of our time,” said Paisner. “The Founders Emmy recognizes these accomplishments, and Nigel’s deep commitment to the art of dance and to the dancers who bring it to life.”

“This is a true honor,” Lythgoe said. “The world of television is becoming increasingly more global, and I am grateful that The International Academy is recognizing the growing importance of performing arts and dance on television throughout the world.”

Born in 1949, Mr. Lythgoe developed an interest in dance at an early age. His first professional job was with the corps de ballet for the national tour of “The Merry Widow,” and he later went on to choreograph the BBC’s Young Generation dance troupe for more than 500 shows. In 2000 Mr. Lythgoe earned himself the nickname “Nasty Nigel” as a judge on hit show Popstars before leaving for Bob Geldof’s television company Planet 24, where he executive produced and directed the U.K. version of Survivor. Additionally, he developed and produced the TV phenomenon Pop Idol of which US version American Idol and Idol Gives Back raised more than $140 million for charity. Lythgoe is the co-creator and executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning series So You Think You Can Dance. Additionally, he executive produced NBC’s Superstars of Dance and Fox’s Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special. In 2010, he took So You Think You Can Dance to the U.K., and in 2011, he launched CMT’s Next Superstar.

Lythgoe is also actively involved with numerous charities. In 2009, he joined forces with director Adam Shankman, Dancing with the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba and actress Katie Holmes to found the Dizzy Feet Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships to talented young dancers, works to elevate and standardize dance instruction in the U.S., and exposes youth in underprivileged communities to the joys of dance education. In 2010, he also launched a grass roots movement to create National Dance Day, to promote dance education and physical fitness across the United States.

National Dance Day just celebrated its second edition on July 30th, 2011.

MEDIA CONTACTS

The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
Eva Obadia
Communications Director
Tel: (1) 212-489-6969
Mob: (1) 917-754-0085
eva.obadia@iemmys.tv

The Lippin Group
Don Ciaramella
don@lippingroup.com
Tel: (1) 212-986-7080