A new WWE hire has been deemed ineligible for future Emmys due to his involvement in a scheme that has led to ESPN returning more than 30 ill-gotten awards.
Lee Fitting was recently hired as the new WWE Head of Media and Production following Kevin Dunn's retirement after decades at the helm of WWE's production.
Fitting was let go from ESPN in December, but prior to his departure, Fitting was a senior vice president of production who oversaw “College GameDay” and other properties.
A new report from The Athletic reveals that ESPN had been inserting fake names in Emmy entries taking the awards won by some of those imaginary individuals, and having them re-engraved before giving them to on-air personalities. This tactic allowed for those working on College GameDay to be recognized. The hosts were not eligible for inclusion in a credit list until 2023.
ESPN changed the names of several of the hosts and labeled them as affiliated producers, according to The Athletic, with Kirk Herbstreit being referred to as "Kirk Henry" and Lee Corso as "Lee Clark," among other made-up names.
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences contacted ESPN to verify names in 2022, and ESPN admitted to using fictitious names.
Now, Lee Fitting has been deemed ineligible for future Emmy participation as part of the punishment handed out for the scheme.
Fans can learn more about Fitting's new WWE role at this link.
