PricewaterhouseCoopers Entrusted with Entertainment Industry's Best Kept Secret for 73 Years Running

Brad Oltmanns and Rick Rosas Lead Academy Awards (R) Balloting Process for 2nd Consecutive Year

Continuing its distinguished 73-year association with the Academy Awards, PricewaterhouseCoopers today announced that Brad Oltmanns and Rick Rosas will lead the balloting process for the 79th Annual Academy Awards.

For the second consecutive year, Oltmanns and Rosas are the only two people in the world who will know the identity of the winners before the live telecast on ABC at 5 p.m. PST (8 p.m. EST) on Sunday, February 25, 2007.

"PricewaterhouseCoopers facilitates complete confidentiality and security of the Academy Awards voting process by counting every single ballot by hand," said Sid Ganis, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

"Trust, integrity and tradition continue to be the core of the Academy Awards balloting process and that of our relationship with PwC, one of Hollywood's longest standing relationships."

PricewaterhouseCoopers' engagement with the Academy represents a tremendous honor for the firm. In 73 years, only 12 partners have counted the ballots. To promote secrecy, Oltmanns and Rosas lead a closed-mouth group of accountants who work on the project from a secret location for several days. There are approximately 6,000 voting members, which translates to approximately 1,700 "person-hours" each year to count and verify the ballots.

"PricewaterhouseCoopers has created an intentionally low-tech process of hand tabulations that is proven to maintain the highest level of security and secrecy for seven decades and counting," said Brad Oltmanns, managing partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers - Los Angeles. "This assignment is one that truly represents an honor, privilege and thrill of a lifetime."

"We are committed to our enduring engagement with the Academy and safeguarding Hollywood's most enduring secret," said Rick Rosas, tax partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers' Entertainment and Media practice. "We take great pride in this important role of being the Academy's ballot partner and in the fact that there has never been a security breach during our 73-year relationship."

Now in his third year in a lead balloting role, Oltmanns has served PricewaterhouseCoopers for 27 years, and is in charge of managing its entire 1,000-person staff in Los Angeles. Rosas has served the firm for 11 years and was appointed tax partner in 2001. This is his sixth year leading the Academy's balloting process.

How it Works

PricewaterhouseCoopers mails eligible Academy members the nomination ballots in December, final ballots in February, and receives and processes all ballots. The balloting partners then manually tabulate the responses according to Academy rules.

As a precautionary measure, two complete sets of envelopes bearing recipients' names are prepared and brought by PricewaterhouseCoopers partners to the ceremony via separate, secret routes. As a second precautionary measure, the PricewaterhouseCoopers partners also memorize the names of the award winners.

Identities of Oscar recipients are kept confidential until they are announced during the live telecast, during which Oltmanns and Rosas remain backstage and hand the envelopes to award presenters immediately before they walk onstage.

For additional information including photos and video, visit: www.pwc.com/balloting.

Fun Facts from 73 Years of Oscar (R) Balloting

420,000+: The approximate number of ballots counted by PricewaterhouseCoopers in 73 years on the job.

2,449: The number of winners' envelopes stuffed since the envelope system was introduced in 1941.

1,700: The approximate number of "person-hours" it takes the PricewaterhouseCoopers team every year to count and verify the ballots by hand.

73: The number of years PricewaterhouseCoopers has conducted the Oscar balloting.

55: The number of broadcasts PricewaterhouseCoopers' partners have appeared on since 1953 -- the year the Oscars were first televised. The partners used to come on stage to hand-deliver the envelopes -- hence, "and the envelope please" -- but this is now done just offstage.

24: The number of awards categories tabulated at a secret location known only to the members of the small PricewaterhouseCoopers ballot team.

7: The number of days it takes to count the ballots for nominations.

3: The number of days it takes to count the final ballots.

About PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers' Entertainment and Media (E&M) practice is comprised of a network of more than 3,000 practitioners providing audit, advisory and tax services to help clients manage risk, maximize shareholder value and support M&A activities. It addresses business challenges for its clients, including developing strategies to leverage digital technology; marketplace positioning in industries characterized by consolidation and convergence; and identifying new sources of financing. Known as an industry thought leader, the E&M practice publishes the annual Global Entertainment and Media Outlook and other surveys and white papers highlighting current and future trends in the industry.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (www.pwc.com) provides industry-focused assurance, tax and advisory services to build public trust and enhance value for its clients and their stakeholders. More than 140,000 people in 149 countries across our network share their thinking, experience and solutions to develop fresh perspectives and practical advice.

"PricewaterhouseCoopers" refers to the network of member firms of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, each of which is a separate and independent legal entity.

Source: PricewaterhouseCoopers
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 31, 2007 /PRNewswire/