EMMY AWARDS Officials change rules for nominees

Changes were also implemented in 2004.
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Emmy officials are revamping their awards rules for the second time in two years, trying to give newcomers a better chance against the long-running series and familiar stars that can monopolize the annual TV awards show.
Under the revised approach, blue-ribbon panels will play an instrumental role in determining the nominees in the categories of drama and comedy series and lead actors and actresses in the series.
"This new voting initiative hits the issue of a narrow nominations' process head-on and significantly increases the potential for the widest and most diverse selection of nominees possible," TV academy chairman Dick Askin said in a statement Tuesday.
The Academy of Television Arts & amp; Sciences' board of governors implemented changes in 2004 in a similar bid to freshen the competition. Last year, ABC's freshman series "Lost" was named best drama.
How it works
With the new rules, panels will pick the five nominees for comedy and drama series from 10 front-runners as decided by a vote of the academy's general membership. Videotapes of shows will be used by panelists to make their decisions.
An additional change will be implemented in the comedy and drama series acting nominations. The performers who have made the first pass at picking the nominees will be joined by directors and casting executives.