Housewives top Globes
August 8, 2005
They surrender! The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is bowing to the Sunday
night ratings of the ABC hit "Desperate Housewives" and moving its 63rd
annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony to Jan. 16 -- a day later than planned.
Association president Philip Berk said the switch was requested by NBC, whose Globes
broadcast this year was trounced in the ratings. While Globes voters were toasting
"Desperate Housewives," which was named best comedy series and delivered a Globe
to Teri Hatcher as best comedy series actress, the hit show caused the Globes' ratings to
hit their lowest point since the ceremony began airing on NBC in 1996, Reuters reports.
"Speaking on behalf of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, we are not as heavily
invested in ratings as they are," said Berk, while NBC's statement said: "We wanted to
offer the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's premier event -- the Golden Globes --
a more elevated platform on Monday night ... and give audiences a better opportunity to
watch all the night's glamour without facing Sunday night's intense competition."
The ceremony again will take place at the Beverly Hilton -- on what will be next year's
Martin Luther King Day. Acknowledging that this is a concern, Berk also said that he
discussed the issue with several people -- he specifically cited Samuel L. Jackson -- and
decided that the show could pay respect to the civil rights leader by acknowledging the
holiday during the broadcast.
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