Going Live: Las Vegas plays host — again — to the Billboard Music Awards

Kirk Baird

Monday, Dec. 4, 2000 | 8:36 a.m.

Jennifer Lopez's barely-there-and-barely-held-together green dress. Geena Davis' nearly cellophane outfit. Cher's one-piece ode to her backside.

These distinctive ensembles worn to awards shows had workers gathered around water coolers throughout the country the next day.

Bob Bain hopes for more of the same.

In his fifth year as executive producer of the Billboard Music Awards and a veteran of many other awards telecasts, Bain knows the importance of eye-grabbing attire. And he admits he would love it if some of the performers and presenters would help generate that kind of attention.

Now in its 11th year, Tuesday marks the fifth consecutive time the Billboard Music Awards show has originated from Las Vegas, the last four of which have been broadcast from the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

"We have a lot of huge stars on this show. The cutest women in music are all going to be at this program," Bain said in a phone interview from his office in Los Angeles. "Not only the men at home but also the women at home are going to be very interested in what they're wearing."

That's not to suggest that there aren't limits, he said.

"If everybody showed up naked, people would be talking about it the next day, but that doesn't mean it'll work for the show," he said. "As long as it's in the boundaries of reasonable taste."

And good taste is what the show's all about -- at least to the winners.

The Billboard Music Awards is a quantitative version of other award shows, in that it honors the year's No. 1 artists and songs according to both record sales and radio airplay.

Unlike most award shows, such as the Oscars for movies, Grammys for music and Emmys for television, which are all based on votes by those in the respective industries, there's no subjectivity at play. It's strictly a numbers game.

Perhaps in part because of this, Bain said the Billboard Awards have been popular.

This year's show, which will be co-hosted by teen crooners 'N Sync and comedian Kathy Griffin of "Suddenly Susan," airs (live on the East Coast, and tape-delayed out West) at 8 p.m. on KVVU Channel 5. Tickets to the show are sold out.

Scheduled performers include Creed, Ricky Martin, Sisqo, Mystikal, Faith Hill and the Dixie Chicks, among others.

Besides the fact awards shows are essentially a glorified popularity contest via the general public, how is that the Billboard Awards stand out? After all, this is a time when awards shows appear on TV with the frequency of Al Gore and George W. Bush combined,

Bain said it's simply a matter of acceptance -- both by the music industry and the public -- and that "it has clearly established itself as one of these shows that's in it for the long run."

Even with its growing prominence, Bain conceded the Billboard Awards are not the Grammys. However, he added, it's not the MTV Video Music Awards, either.

Instead, Bain likened the Billboard Awards show to somewhere in between the two, with a certain amount of reverence and professionalism but with a touch of tongue-in-cheek humor thrown in to appeal to the target audience

"We call the show 'hip yet accessible,' " he said. "We try to make it spontaneous like MTV, but also not alienating like some of MTV.

"What we're trying to do is tool this to what we think the Fox audience is."

And that target group, Bain said, is 18 to 49 years old, intelligent, well-read, possess a touch of cynicism and generally wants to be entertained. Not necessarily those you'd expect to tune into such network fare as "When Animals Attack" and "Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire."

Nevertheless, Bain is counting on those same viewers to tune in and see what transpires on the show. Given the fact the production airs live, that could be anything. Even a fire.

Such was the case during the Billboard Awards' first Las Vegas production, which was held at the Aladdin Theater for the Performing Arts. It was 45 minutes before the broadcast and an onset blaze broke out, which forced the evacuation of the audience, he said. By the time the fire marshal allowed everyone back in, it was 10 minutes before show time.

Consequently, Bain said, during the first performance there was no audience, which meant no reverse camera angles to show the television audience an empty theater.

"It was my first experience in Las Vegas and, fortunately, about the worst one I've had since I've been here," he said.

But it's that element of the unknown -- for both the producers of the show and the viewers at home -- that makes this show enticing, he said.

"There's nothing like a live show because of that reason -- that anything can happen," Bain said. "And in a show that has a reputation of being live, I think people tend to gravitate toward it in anticipation of the unexpected."

There's nothing unexpected when it comes to Bain's participation in the awards show.

As in year's past, he will assume his usual duties and position in a truck parked outside the theater.

Working with other personnel in the vehicle and in constant contact with the show's director, it's Bain's job to oversee the production. For example, if the show is running too long, he decides which taped bits to cut or when to cut off a performer. Conversely, if the show runs short, it's Bain who determines how to lengthen it.

Some of his decisions are easy. For example, when an award recipient chooses to stray from what would be deemed acceptable language into more risque fare.

If and when a performer does go too far, there is a five-second delay that allows for offensive or inappropriate words to be deleted before they make their way into the living rooms of America.

But, he added, rarely does it come down to that.

"Actually, we've had pretty good luck," he said. "Most of these acts take the standards issue fairly seriously because it is broadcast television and they're not trying to alienate their way off network television."

That's not to suggest, however, that Bain would shy away from using the services of someone controversial. The bottom line is ratings, and Bain knows in order to get that sometimes requires taking a risk.

"And that's the mandate. That's what we need to do in order to succeed -- to make this interesting," he said.

And some cleavage-sporting outfits can only help.