HOLLYWOOD - Entertainment-industry officials are beefing up their safety procedures following the recent deaths of two Washington D.C. postal workers.The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences is now redirecting all mail sent to the site of the Nov. 4 Emmys broadcast--Los Angeles' Shubert Theater--to an undisclosed location.
"We're diverting mail to another location to be sorted and examined,'' Academy chairman Bryce Zabel said. "By now, our message has gone out clearly to all who might attend that we've taken security very seriously.''
Other postal precautions are also being implemented throughout Hollywood. The Associated Press reports that fan mail addressed to celebrities has come under such close scrutiny, many stars are leaving such correspondence unopened until the scare subsides.
"For the time being, we are just not opening fan mail. Just to be careful, we are putting it off for now,'' said publicist Pat Kingsley, who represents Tom Cruise, among others.
Scott Rowe, vice president of communications at Warner Bros., offered up his own suggestion regarding the fan-mail threat. "We are returning fan letters and sending a note along asking them to correspond by e-mail.''