No Green Carpet for Emmys

Fox just got the rug pulled out from under them, so to speak. The broadcasting company, which has been crowing about how "eco-friendly and carbon-neutral" next month's 59th Primetime Emmys will be, has been denied its request to change the color of the stars' walkway into the Shine Auditorium to something a little more verdant.

"They are so bound by 'this is how it's always done' that it's like moving mountains trying to get them to agree," an insider working on the telecast told TV Week.

Both Fox and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences said they'd use recyclable materials for invitations, tickets, posters, and programs; use hybrid and alternative-fuel vehicles for transportation; employ solar and biofuel-powered generators for electricity; and feature locally grown and/or organic foods on the menu.

“We are looking at every aspect of our Emmy season—from nominations to the Governors Ball—and making changes that will reduce our impact on the environment,” said Dick Askin, chairman and CEO of the TV Academy.

The organizers at the TV Academy allegedly decided against the color swap after Macy's, one of the Emmys' key sponsors, insisted that the carpet remain its traditional striking red hue because the color matched Macy's advertising, says TV Week.

Fox reportedly relented, but only after the TV Academy agreed to ensure that the carpet was made from recycled fabric and it would donate the object of contention to a library or school following the awards show, instead of discarding it.

We think that deeper issues are at play beyond the color of what's essentially an extended welcome mat, but that's show business for ya. ::E! News