Exclusive: Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Interactive Media Peer Group Revises Membership Eligibility Requirements

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Interactive Media Peer Group (IMPG) recently contacted [itvt] to let us know 1) that it has revised its membership eligibility requirements; 2) that it has appointed three new Awards Working Group co-chairs for next year's Primetime Emmy Awards for Interactive Media.

According to IMPG co-governor, Geoff Katz, the new IMPG membership eligibility requirements:

• Expand IMPG membership eligibility to reflect more accurately the broad range of job descriptions that make up the interactive media industry. "IMPG-eligible job descriptions now include business development, marketing and advertising professionals primarily involved with the creation and distribution of interactive media," Katz told us in an email.
• Add detail to the definition of interactive media to include programming distributed to consumer electronics devices via 3G and 4G (mobile broadband) networks.
• Add detail to the definition of "interactive media" to include interactive media programming available on connected consumer electronics devices.
• Eliminate the requirement for "director and above" in job titles to demonstrate an applicant's level of experience.
• Update the definition of "active status" to require verifiable employment for a minimum of 36 of the past 48 months in a senior position in the interactive media industry.

The full text of the new membership eligibility requirements, which were approved by the Academy's Board of Governors, is below:

IMPG Membership Eligibility Requirements

Persons involved in the creative development, business development, production, maintenance, distribution, marketing, and advertising of "interactive programming," i.e., programming [content] which enables the viewer to both view and simultaneously manipulate, alter, interact with or affect the content by means of remote delivery services, such as but not limited to broadcast, cable, satellite, broadband, 3G/4G which are generally available to a majority of US homes through television sets, computers, mobile and connected consumer electronics devices.

Active Status: Verifiable employment for 36 months of the past 48 months in a senior position and responsible for the development, production, maintenance, distribution, marketing or advertising of interactive media programming.

Associate status: Verifiable employment for 12-36 months of the past 48 months in a position directly involved with the development, production, maintenance, distribution, marketing or advertising of interactive media programming.

Meanwhile, the IMPG's new Awards Working Group co-chairs are:

• John Gilles, VP and general manager at Code and Theory.
• Marc Johnson, director of digital experience strategy at United Future.
• Michael Gregor, CEO at Velope.

"In order to continue the momentum we have coming out of the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards, the IMPGEC met and agreed to appoint three new co-chairs to lead the IMPG Awards Working Group for 2011--starting immediately," IMPG co-governor, Katz, explained in an email to [itvt]. "The co-chairs represent the creative, production and technical foundation of the IMPG membership base, are accomplished and well known leaders in the interactive media industry, and we're proud to have their full commitment and focus on what is arguably the most important agenda item on the Peer Group and the Television Academy's calendar for 2011: The 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards."

Katz also had high praise for outgoing Awards Working Group co-chair, Suzanne Stefanac: "As an IMPG Executive Committee member Suzanne Stefanac has served as IMPG Awards Working Group co-chair since 2007," he wrote. "During her four-year tenure, Suzanne was responsible for the definition of the IMPG areas of competition, effectively built consensus with the National Awards Committee, and helped win approval from the Board of Governors for the change of status of IMPG 'finalists' to official Primetime Emmy Award Nominees. Suzanne successfully ran the IMPG Primetime Emmy Awards process--from call-for-entries through Blue Ribbon Panel judging and Nominees' reception--for the last four contest cycles. Suzanne has decided to step down as co-chair of the Awards Working Group. We are truly grateful for her contributions to the Television Academy (so are the eight Emmy Award winners she's been responsible for recognizing!) and we all look forward to her continued active participation in the IMPG moving forward."