Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) organized Oscar ceremony for the first time at Hotel Roosevelt, in Hollywood. At that point of time, it was entirely a private affair, held out of the public eye. Only the people associated with the film fraternity were invited to witness the event, which assumed unimaginable grandeur later on. With the passing time, the popularity of the Academy Awards increased to immense proportions. In the present context, the award ceremony is watched by millions of TV viewers across the globe.
Initially, radio broadcast of Oscar awards ceremony used to take place. It was only in 1953 that ceremony was broadcast on television for the first time. In 1953, Oscar ceremony was televised for the first time on television, through NBC Television Network. The channel continued to broadcast the event until 1960, when the ABC Network took over, televising the festivities through 1970. It was during ABC's contract, in 1966, that the broadcasting of Academy Awards ceremony took place in color.
NBC once again took over the broadcasts in 1970 and their contract extent for the next five years. Since 1976, ABC has been broadcasting Academy Awards ceremony and their contract extends till 2014. Since its inception, the award ceremony was being held in late March or early April. It was in 2004 that it was moved ahead, to late February or early March. Today, Oscars are telecasted internationally, from the Kodak Theatre, to millions of movie fans, in over 200 countries.