Even by the accident-prone standards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Ampas), the reaction against the plan to relegate four awards presentations to commercial breaks during the live Oscars telecast has been vociferous and damning.
In its quest to halt the slump in ratings for its flagship TV show, the Academy has already been forced to backtrack repeatedly.
Academy president John Bailey had announced the move as part of its attempt to shorten the TV show’s notoriously sprawling running time, under pressure from host network ABC.
However, entertainment industry figures have been reacting with dismay.