APATHY MAY BESET EMMYS.

Byline: Valerie Kuklenski Staff Writer

What if Hollywood held an awards show and nobody cared?

Sure, some TV insiders and viewers will embrace the presentation of the 53rd annual Primetime Emmy Awards, now set for Nov. 4 after two postponements.

But Wednesday's rescheduling announcement by CBS and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences came as U.S. Senate and House office buildings near the Capitol were evacuated for anthrax sweeps and American aircraft continued assaulting targets in Afghanistan.

``Right now, I just don't care about it,'' said Tammy Carr, a 40-year-old Los Angeles clerk who says she ordinarily loves awards shows. ``Too many other things are more important. I don't have the interest to sit down and watch the show. And it won't be funny or outrageous like it used to be.''

One industry publicist said she thinks CBS's decision to mount a third production this season was mainly financially motivated.

``I think it's anticlimactic,'' the publicist said. ``I don't think it's of great significance. I think if there weren't a lot of money involved to be lost, they would have moved on. These awards are self-pats on the back to promote shows, and who cares?''

One cable insider agreed the decision to go ahead is about money but said she believes that's a good reason to follow through.

``We all know damn well it means a lot of money to the academy,'' she said. ``The economy's already tough as it is. We don't need any more hardship.''

TV academy Chairman Bryce Zabel said he has not had time to assess the losses already incurred nor to calculate the projected income from this third attempt. Some international telecast rights payments may be lost and there will be fewer ceremony tickets to sell. But, he said, the majority on the academy's board and executive committee approved the third try.

``I think not having the Emmys at all would have been more costly for everyone, but had we thought that was the right thing to do we would have done it,'' he said Wednesday.

The cable insider agreed the Emmys should be handed out in a public way. ``My feeling is that these people who were nominated worked really hard and it's an award that is important to them and their industry, and they deserve to be recognized.''

The program has been moved from the vast Shrine Auditorium to the 1,800-seat Shubert Theatre in Century City. Ellen DeGeneres will host, as she had planned to do on Sept. 16 and Oct. 7. Gary Smith is taking over executive producing duties from Don Mischer, who has moved on to planning the Salt Lake Winter Olympics ceremonies.

``Dressy business'' will be the code of attire, and the Unity Dinner, previously known as the Governors Ball, will be held at the Century Plaza Hotel.

Zabel said security will be very tight as it was on Oct. 7, and noted that Century City has been safe enough for many presidential visits.

``No awards show is worth dying for,'' said longtime TV and film publicist Ed Crane, ``but on the other hand, if security can be done well, we should not give the terrorists any ammunition by shirking what really is a piece of Americana.''