Oscars to go host-less for the second year in a row

Deadline

ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke made it official this morning, announcing that the 92nd Academy Awards will go without a host following the success of last year's host-less ceremony. The Oscars takes place in a month, on Feb. 9, so it would've been almost impossible to name a host at this late a date. "Together with the Academy, we have decided there will be no traditional host, repeating for us what worked last year,” Burke said. “(It will have) huge entertainment values, big musical numbers, comedy and star power.” ABC and the Academy are expected to follow a similar blueprint as last year, with big-name stars giving the show a burst of energy that a host would usually provide. Last year's more-streamlined host-less ceremony saw a 12% uptick in viewership.