Emmy Show Placed on Indefinite Hold

By Stephen M. Silverman

10/07/2001 at 04:00 PM EDT

Sunday night's 53rd Emmys ceremony, already postponed once due to the Sept. 11 attack on America, has been put on hold indefinitely in light of the U.S. and British missile attack on Afghanistan, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and CBS announced nearly four hours before the event was scheduled to begin. This marks the first time in the ceremony's history that such a cancellation has occurred, said CBS News anchor Dan Rather, who added, "It will unquestionably be rescheduled for another time." CBS spokeswoman Susan Marks did not elaborate on the network's decision, saying only, "The event is canceled." The three-hour show, which was to have been broadcast live over CBS, was originally to have taken place on Sept. 16 but was pushed back to Oct. 7. It was announced that the show was to have maintained a somber tone in light of last month's tragedy on American soil. Besides host Ellen DeGeneres, who faced having to walk the fine line between humor and respect, the ceremony was to have opened with remarks by veteran newscaster and chronicler of history Walter Cronkite. In addition to taking place at L.A.'s Shrine Auditorium, the Emmys were also set to accommodate East Coast members of the TV Academy by opening up NBC's Studio 6A in New York's Rockefeller Center for nominees and fellow academy members who did not wish to travel to California.