Oscars chief: New protocols should prevent another envelope flub from happening

USA Today

"Let me tell you, I don't think this error will ever happen again or would happen again," said Dawn Hudson, CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. "We put in a lot of protocols to make sure it won't, but I don't think it will anyway. I think everyone will be very focused on getting that right." As part of the new protocols and safeguards, PricewaterhouseCoopers will add a third “balloting partner” who will sit in the control room with copies of envelopes of all the winners, as well as knowledge of who won. "Think of it as a safety control," says PricewaterhouseCoopers’ U.S. chairman Tim Ryan. Last year’s balloting partners have been replaced, and the new partners will check with the stage manager and the celebrity presenter before handing off each correct envelope. All three balloting partners will also attend the rehearsals and practice what they’ll do if something goes awry. Finally, the Academy has prohibited the balloting partners from using cellphones or social media, which was likely to blame for last year's mistake. "Our singular focus will be on the show and delivering the correct envelopes," says Ryan.