Some major behind-the-scenes changes at the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences are set to affect the Daytime Emmy Awards. The organization is shuffling its structure, including who oversees the production of daytime's most important annual event.
Variety reports that one executive will now manage the production of all of NATAS' major awards shows, which will be separate from the administration of those awards. Steve Ulrich has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Production and Events -- a newly-created position in which he will handle the planning and production of NATAS' awards ceremonies, as well as the National Student Production Awards.
The most notable change for soap opera fans is that Ulrich will now take over the duties formerly held by David Michaels, a champion of the soap genre who has served as Senior Vice President of the Daytime Emmys and Events, as well as executive producer of the Daytime Emmys, for the last five years.
The leadership change is the latest management move made by NATAS president and CEO Adam Sharp, who joined the organization in 2018. As daytime fans recall, Sharp's first challenge in his new role was dealing with the aftermath of a threatened boycott by the four network soap operas (The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful, General Hospital, and Days of our Lives) after issues stemmed from its voting system. NATAS managed to avoid a boycott by commissioning an independent investigation into complaints over the Daytime Emmys voting process.
According to Sharp, NATAS created Ulrich's new position to "create greater independence and differentiation" between the production of the award ceremonies and the administration of the Daytime, Sports, News & Documentary, and Technology & Engineering Emmy competitions.
"This realignment allows our leadership team to think more strategically across all our programs as we work to serve this growing audience," Sharp said. "Further, it builds on efforts initiated last year to strengthen confidence in the Emmy Awards process by responding to concerns raised regarding common oversight of awards administration and production."
For more information and further details about NATAS' recent changes, read Variety's full report here.
What do you think about the changes NATAS has implemented to its award shows, including the Daytime Emmy Awards? What production changes would you like to see for future Daytime Emmy Award shows? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
