Emmys 'get new November date'

This year's Emmys have been postponed twice

Organisers of the Emmy TV awards are expected to announce that a third attempt to stage a successful ceremony will be made next month, according to reports.

This year's awards have already been postponed twice after the US attacks.

But they will now go ahead on 4 November in Los Angeles, according to the Associated Press and Reuters, quoting sources close to the show.

Zabel: Holding show is "the right thing to do"

It will be a more low-key affair, held in the 1,800-capacity Shubert Theater instead of its normal venue of the 6,000-plus Shrine Auditorium, they said.

It could be overshadowed by baseball's World Series because that date has been set for a seventh game, if it is played.

An official announcement on the latest arrangements is expected on Wednesday.

The ceremony was originally due to take place on 16 September but was then put back to 7 October after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

It was then called off again when America and the UK began air raids on Afghanistan.

The event has never been cancelled outright

Earlier this month, Bryce Zabel, chairman of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, said holding the ceremony was "the right thing to do".

It is not known whether Ellen DeGeneres will remain as host.

The third attempt at holding the ceremony is likely to be a more subdued than the rescheduled October event was due to be.

That was planned to reflect the sombre mood of the nation, without the usual glitz and amid tight security.

It was also to be unusually staged in two places - Los Angeles and New York - so some stars did not have to fly.

The previous decisions to postpone have cost the Academy and US TV network CBS millions of dollars - but that bill would be more if the ceremony is not held at all.

Mutual decision

Mafia drama The Sopranos topped the list of nominees for the 53rd Annual Primetime Emmy awards with 22 nominations, including one for American TV's top award, best drama.

CBS paid $3m (£2m) to broadcast the three-hour event - and will earn thousands of dollars per minute in advertising revenue during the show.

Postponing the ceremony twice was a mutual decision between the academy and CBS.

But it has never been cancelled outright in its 53-year history.

The only other time the Emmys have been affected by world events was in 1978, when the ceremony was delayed by half an hour because then President Jimmy Carter announced the Camp David Accords.