A long-time judge for the Asian Television Awards (ATA), Rajen Garabadu, the Chief Executive Producer of TV18 Broadcast, Ltd., has been associated with the ATA for the past 20 years. Rajen’s roots with the ATA started when he had back-to-back wins at the ATA in 2003 and 2004 (Best Talk Show category) for his work on The Big Fight (April 2003 – April 2005), for which he was both a Producer and Director. 

Following these wins, Rajen was invited to join the ATA as part of the jury panel in 2007 and has been on the judging panel on and off for about 12 years, and now back again for the 26th Asian Television Awards. “I think the very fact that I have been associated with it since 2007 speaks volumes about how invested I am in the whole process of the ATA. It’s very close to my heart and it will always be special,” he told Television Asia Plus.

Being a judge at awards shows such as the ATA requires time and dedication. With over 50 awards set to be given on 10 and 11 December, judges, who are comprised of media executives, have to go through a lot of entries. It’s noteworthy that this esteemed panel dedicates a lot of their time and effort to selecting worthy winners who will become part of Asian TV history. And with Rajen’s deep roots with the ATA, the Chief Executive Producer has seen the changes, especially with the Awards shifting to the digital landscape pushed by restrictions due to the ongoing pandemic.

Previously, judging was done in person at key Asian cities, and Rajen commented, “You get to meet people from different parts of Asia. It was a great opportunity to network with industry leaders and understand how they work and function by the exchange of ideas.” At the same time, with judging being done online, Rajen said that the shift has been a convenient one as it allows him to focus on each entry while still being able to continue with the rest of the day’s work as usual. 

With the ATA receiving so many nominations, Rajen applies his background and experience in the field to make a sound decision in his role as a judge. According to him, he adheres to four different categories when judging an entry: Content, Impact Boldness, Originality, Production and Packaging, and Journalist or Narrator Quality. 

With all the changes in the industry with the arrival of new ways to consume content, one thing will remain the same: Good storytelling will never change. “Ultimately, everyone loves a good story. How good your story is, how original it is, how engaging do you make it to be? How beautiful you present it? I think these are things which will always remain, [and] that it doesn’t change at all. New players will come in and try different things, but some things will remain the same,” Rajen said.

Speaking about what he looks forward to in the ATA, Rajen said that the opportunity as a judge allows him to see what other countries are doing when it comes to presenting the news and how they’re being presented. “This is the time which allows me to delve into how other broadcasters have upped their game and tried something new, so that’s something that always excites me. This is an opportunity for me to go and see a lot of good work being done in so many countries, so it’s always exciting,” he said.

Watch out for more interviews with past Asian Television Awards winners with our coverage of the Asian Television Awards Alumni Spotlight.