Osborne to preside over Oscar red carpet

BEVERLY HILLS , Calif., Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Oscar nominees and presenters are to be greeted on the red carpet by Hollywood movie historian and TV host Robert Osborne, it has been announced.

Red carpet guest arrivals are expected to begin at about 3 p.m. PST Sunday and conclude at the start of the Oscar telecast at 5 p.m. PST.

"Robert is the king of Oscar's red carpet," Sid Ganis, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, said Tuesday. "He adds even more excitement and glamor as he welcomes our guests. He's superb!"

Osborne's red carpet celebrity chats will be audible to the other arriving guests, as well as to the bleacher fans on the opposite side of the carpet. It will be his fourth stint on the red carpet for the Academy, Ganis said.

In addition to writing a column for The Hollywood Reporter, Osborne is the prime-time host of Turner Classic Movies and a frequent host of Academy events in New York and Los Angeles.