Show goes on for Radio Music Awards

Kirk Baird

Friday, Oct. 26, 2001 | 8:37 a.m.

Even as the world stopped on Sept. 11, it has begun to return to normal -- however slowly.

But that hasn't helped award shows.

The Latin Grammy Awards show, which was to air the night of Sept. 11, canceled its broadcast. This after already moving the event from Miami to Los Angeles due to security concerns over anti-Castro protesters.

And the Emmy Awards, originally slated to be broadcast Sept. 16, were first moved back three weeks to Oct. 7. The timing, however, was still off, as Oct. 7 marked the day the United States began military strikes against Afghanistan.

After much discussion about whether to cancel the show altogether, the Emmys opted to schedule again, this time for Nov. 4.

On Sept. 11 Paul Joseph, executive producer of the 2001 Radio Music Awards, considered the options for his awards show.

"Probably back when (Sept. 11) happened, we looked at each other and said, 'What are we going to do now?' " Joseph said recently from his office in Los Angeles.

It wasn't long before he had an answer in the form of the old showbiz axiom: The show must go on.

So the RMA, which is being broadcast live tonight on ABC (Channel 13) from the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts, is one of the first awards shows to be held since the attack.

Joseph said he is pleased with the decision to proceed with the event, which will be seen live on the East Coast and tape-delayed until 8 p.m. on the West Coast.

"Everybody keeps saying get back to normal and have fun. This is what America needs," Joseph said. "We're real excited about being the first awards show back on the air."

Created three years ago, in part by Joseph, the RMA honors the achievements of recording artists and radio personalities in five radio musicformats: Top 40/pop, pop alternative, hip hop/rhythmic, alternative/rock and country.

The awards are voted on by 600 radio personnel nationwide -- including disc jockeys and program and music directors -- as well as the general public.

Unlike other music-award programs where the artists typically thank everyone and everything but radio for their success, Joseph said the RMA acknowledges the role radio played in that process as well.

"I'll watch awards shows where the (recording) stars thank TV," he said. "But radio made the stars. We needed to do an awards show that was voted on by radio, who creates the stars and then can take credit for it."

Some of the stars scheduled to perform during tonight's three-hour show include Mariah Carey, Mick Jagger, Lenny Kravitz, Elton John, Stevie Nicks, Sugar Ray, O-Town, Mary J. Blige and Jay-Z.

In addition, there's a full spectrum of presenters: Afroman, Bell Biv DeVoe, Destiny's Child, Dwight Yoakam, India Arie, Jessica Simpson, Master P, Nelly Furtado and Papa Roach, among others. Christina Aguilera will serve as show co-host with Gavin Rossdale from Bush.

As for lining up such participants, Joseph said in light of the current fear of another attack, it was actually pretty easy.

"There were a couple of problems, a couple of instances. Tim McGraw was on the show, but (his wife) Faith Hill was pregnant and he didn't want to fly right now. We understood that. You have to be reasonable in those things," he said. "At the same time we had others say they were coming and that it was very important for Americans to see them flying.

"Ninety-eight percent of the stars we asked are coming and they are excited about (the show)."