Ernst & Young Achieves 20-Year Milestone for Counting Ballots

Ernst & Young Achieves 20-Year Milestone for Counting Ballots

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- This year marks the 20th year in which Ernst & Young LLP will oversee ballot tallying for the 60th Annual Primetime Emmy(R) Awards to be telecast on ABC at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 21, 2008. Ernst & Young's Media and Entertainment leaders John Nendick and Andy Sale will deliver the winning results to the ceremony in locked briefcases.

"We're proud of the two decades of trust we've built with the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences," said John Nendick, Ernst & Young's Global Media and Entertainment Leader based in Los Angeles. "While the technology for ballot tabulation has evolved in the course of our 20-year involvement with the Primetime Emmy Awards, our focus on confirming the accuracy and confidentiality of the results has remained much the same."

Ernst & Young manages the Primetime Emmy ballot process -- starting with the nomination phase in June and concluding with the hand delivery of each winner's envelope to the award presenter seconds before they go on stage on September 21. The firm devotes more than 2,000 hours to tabulating results using a combination of technology and traditional hand-counting methods.

A series of security measures are in place to keep the voting tally confidential until show time. "We employ a number of security protocols in order to maintain the confidentiality of the results," said Andy Sale, Ernst & Young's Media and Entertainment Leader for the Pacific Southwest. "In fact, most of the Ernst & Young professionals who are involved in counting the ballots don't even know the winners until they are announced on the broadcast -- just like everyone watching at home."

About Ernst & Young's Global Media & Entertainment Center

Whether it's the traditional press and broadcast media, or the multitude of digital media, audiences now have more choice than ever before. For media and entertainment companies, integration and adaptability are becoming critical success factors. Ernst & Young's Global Media & Entertainment Center brings together a worldwide team of professionals to help our clients achieve their potential -- a team with deep technical experience in providing assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The Center works to anticipate market trends, identify the implications and develop points of view on relevant industry issues. Ultimately it enables us to help our clients meet their goals and compete more effectively. It's how Ernst & Young makes a difference.

About Ernst & Young

Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 130,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve potential.

For more information, please visit www.ey.com.

Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients.

This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP, a U.S. client-serving member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited.

Source: Ernst & Young LLP

CONTACT: Lisa Rosendorf, Ernst & Young Americas PR, +1-212-773-4734,
lisa.rosendorf@ey.com

Web Site: http://www.ey.com/

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