Academy Awards organizers are talking about moving up the date of the show, possibly as early as January.

A statement from the academy says the idea is "being explored as a possibility".

For many years, the Oscars were held in late March but were moved to February in 2004 to shorten what many in Hollywood considered a prolonged awards season.

At the time, organizers said waiting until late March to hand out awards might have been hurting the show's TV ratings, with audiences losing interest by then.

The earliest any date change could take effect would be for the Oscars in 2012. A firm date of Feb. 27 has already been set for next year's Oscars.