The board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has selected Sunday, March 5, as the date for the 78th Academy Awards telecast in 2006, Academy President Frank Pierson announced Thursday. The show will fall a week later in the calendar than in 2004 and 2005.

Mr. Pierson said the return to a March telecast was a one-year expedient to avoid a conflict with the closing ceremonies of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, which are scheduled for the original Oscar air date, Sunday, Feb. 26. “It didn’t seem fair to make viewers have to choose between these two special events,” he said.

Mr. Pierson said late-February broadcasts of the Oscars will resume in 2007.

The 2006 and 2007 broadcasts, as well as 2005’s broadcast on Sunday, Feb. 27, will be carried live by ABC.