DIS - ESPN's Emmy Fiasco: Returning Awards And Cracking The Whip On Staff For Fake Submissions | Benzinga
In a recent development, a popular sports network, ESPN, finds itself embroiled in a controversy. The network is accused of employing deceptive practices to secure over 30 Emmy awards.
What Happened: A report by The Athletic alleges that ESPN has been involved in a scheme since 2010 to secure Emmy awards for ineligible on-air talent.
The network stands accused of submitting counterfeit names in Emmy entries, procuring awards for these non-existent personnel, and subsequently renaming the statuettes to bestow upon actual on-air personalities.
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS), which oversees the Emmys, unearthed the dubious practice. High-profile personalities from ESPN such as Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, Chris Fowler, Desmond Howard, and Samantha Ponder, have allegedly received these illegitimately acquired awards, however, there is no implication of their knowledge of the improper acquisition.
ESPN is an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS).
The scam came to light upon NATAS’s discovery, prompting an investigation by both NATAS and ESPN. The aftermath saw ...