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Nine to screen Oscars live to air

Hurrah! For the first time on Australian television, we're going to get the Academy Awards live as they happen in Hollywood.

Get out the champers.

The Nine Network is giving us what we’ve always wanted: the Academy Awards LIVE to air.

Next February Nine will air the Oscars at 12 noon live from Hollywood, following a Red Carpet special.

It is the first time in history the ceremony will screen live in Australia. Previously movie fans have had to wait until the evening version, including trying their darndest not to hear any spoilers.

Nine will also screen the event in primetime later that night, possibly in a shortened, packaged version (to be confirmed).

Nine Programmer Michael Healy, said: “We are thrilled to bring the Oscars live from Hollywood to all Australian viewers, giving audiences the opportunity of seeing their favourite stars collect their Awards as it actually happens.”

Pay TV channels have previously been airing live award ceremonies as they happen including the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Emmy Awards, Grammy Awards and the Tonys.

Start organising your February RDO!

Press Release:
The Nine Network today announced that for the first time in Australian television history, the 81st
Academy Awards® will screen live on free-to-air television in 2009.

Viewers will have the chance to watch all the glitz and glamour of the 81st Academy Awards® from the Kodak Theatre live on Channel Nine on Monday, February 23, 2009.

Nine’s live coverage will commence with all the excitement of the red carpet arrivals at Hollywood’s night of nights, followed by a live broadcast of the official ceremony from 12.00pm noon.

As per tradition, the Academy Awards® will also screen on Nine in prime time that evening.

Nine Network Director of Programming, Michael Healy, said: “We are thrilled to bring the Oscars live from Hollywood to all Australian viewers, giving audiences the opportunity of seeing their favourite stars collect their Awards as it actually happens.”

The 81st Academy Awards®: LIVE on Channel Nine, Monday, February 23, 2009

31 Responses

  1. Last night I got only 4 hours sleep but thought it would be worth it to be able to see Robert Pattinson on stage at the Oscars. I wanted to scream when I realised they’d cut it!!!! Channel 9 have no idea what they are doing, he was invited to boost ratings and some idiot at that network chose to cut it!!! Arrgghhh!!!!

  2. I can’t believe they cut out soo many segments. I was lucky enough to see it during the day but i do feel sorry for all those die-hard Twilight fans who would have stayed up to see Rob Pattinson…and they cut it!!! I agree with Lucy – thank god for Youtube!!!

  3. I can’t believe those dills at 9 edited out 1) the gorgeous Robert Pattison presenting an award, 2) the brilliant Tina Fey & Steve Martin presenting & 3) Ben Stiller’s hilarious mocking of Joaquin Phoenix.

    They would have been the highlights for me….thank god for YouTube given 9 clearly have no clue.

  4. Well that is very nice for Channel Nine but if you work during the day and can’t see it live, what are you left with? Well if you watched the Oscars during Prime time, I’ll tell you what you are left with.. A 3 hour award ceremony with at least 1 hour of the proceedings hacked out of it and a commercial package almost every 3 minutes. Channel Nine may think they one favour with their viewers by broadcasting live but they then treated the rest of their viewing audience that watched in the evening with complete contempt. I am so glad I have cable and if I had known Channel Nine were going to make such a hatchet job of the evening broadcast I would have arranged to watch the live version on Movie Extra!!! Never again Channel Nine!!!

  5. Why the hell would they cut the night-time telecast of the Oscars down. They left out so much! I was working all day yesterday, and wasn’t able to watch them then. I was really looking foward to seeing it last night and then they left out like, 9 awards or something and heaps of segments.

    So effing slack, Australia. Shamed.

  6. I stayed up with my daughter til 12.15 am so she could see Robert Pattinson present at the oscars. What a disappointment! Don’t they realise how popular he is and that he was a major drawcard for audiences? I knew they had to trim it by 30 min but I thought surely the editor would know enough to leave that segment in.
    PS Hugh was wonderful!

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