Oscars: Three-hour telecast, popular film category announced

Aug. 8 (UPI) -- The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced in a letter to members a number of approved changes coming to the Oscars.

The changes include a leaner, three-hour telecast that will cut down on the length of the awards ceremony, a new category to recognize achievement in popular film and a new air date for 2020's 92nd Oscars, which will now be televised on Feb. 9, 2020, ahead of its original Feb. 23 date.

The 91st annual Academy Awards will still take place on Feb. 24, 2019, as previously announced.

The Academy said it will craft the three-hour telecast by presenting select categories during commercial breaks. The winning moments will then be edited to appear later on in the broadcast.

It remains to be seen which changes will be implemented for the 91st annual Academy Awards. The popular film category represents the ceremony's first new category since introducing the Best Animated Feature Film award in 2001.

The planned changes come after 2018's 90th Academy Awards earned the lowest ratings for the event on record.

"We have heard from many of you about improvements needed to keep the Oscars and our Academy relevant in a changing world. The Board of Governors took this charge seriously," the letter said. "We are excited about these steps, and look forward to sharing more details with you."