despite the economic climate, this year’s Asian TV Awards have received 1,187 entries from Australia, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, People’s Republic of China, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand. Compared to 2007, the number of entries from countries such as Australia, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Malaysia, Peoples’ Republic of China, Philippines, Singapore and South Korea has risen significantly. Now in its thirteenth year, the number of categories stands at 29, including a new category introduced this year, Best Adaptation of An Existing Format, to celebrate Asian productions of established Western formats such as The Amazing Race Asia and The Contender Asia. For the first time, judging is being conducted on-line. This saves the valuable time of ATA’s some 50 Judges across the region. A Singapore company has been engaged for this task, navigating numerous challenges including huge variations in bandwidth capacity and technological infrastructure in Asia Pacific. Feedback from the judges has been favourable, both in terms of the on-line process, as well as the high standard of the entries. “Already, I have noticed an incredibly high standard of entries. This will be tough but very enjoyable,” says Glenn Connley, senior producer, news and presenter, SportsCenter at ESPN STAR Sports. Rohit Khanna, executive producer at CNN-IBN India, says “I have duly viewed all the entries; as usual they were of the highest quality and therefore it was a pleasure viewing most of the entries. Also the instructions and the software for the judging process were very clear and easy to follow, so congrats to your team for keeping the process smooth and fun to do.” Jacqueline Chan, programme manager at Southern Star Australia agrees that the online process is a good idea; and Jasmin Samat Simon, general manager PT Dunia Visitama Produksi in Indonesia is pleased that the new process cuts down on travelling time and limits the viewing time for the final judging. And “It’s an honor to judge for ATA! The online judging seems very promising!” says John Oliver T. Manalastas, news program manager at GMA Network Philippines. Winner of last year’s Cable & Satellite Network of the Year Award was Discovery Networks Asia, whose vice president content Vikram Channa had this to say. “It was a great honour as the awards recognize the diligence and passion of all involved in nurturing the documentaries from across Asia Pacific. We’re pleased that shows like Born Again Buddhists which showcase the talent of young directors won top honours. Great shows have a certain luminous quality to them and this usually has to do with the ability to tell a powerful story. At events like the ATA, where judges come from broadcasters across the region, the universality of a good yarn always stands out. TV today requires every producer to craft programmes which can hold an audience in a highly competitive multichannel universe. In Asia, significant strides have been made over the past few years in editing, cinematography, and CGI in documentaries. A regional talent pool of top professionals is also emerging. But more needs to go towards developing soft skills including development, writing and direction. For non-fiction content, Asia is a treasure trove of compelling stories that deserve to be told. Several governments including Singapore’s MDA, Malaysia’s FINAS and Taiwan’s GIO have set aside funds to boost media-related activities. The value of nurturing a ‘creative class’ has never been understood better, as many Asian societies move up the value chain.” The Awards event itself has been streamlined this year, run by a totally new team. Professional events partners, Branded and production company Siren Films, have been engaged to organize the event. Once again, Singapore is the host city for the Asian TV Awards. The venue, the Intercontinental Hotel has been chosen for its charming Peranakan architecture, an elegant icon of Singapore’s multi-cultural heritage. Guest of Honour at the Gala Dinner will be Dr. Lee Boon Yang, Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts And the event is once again made possible by the kind support of Singapore’s Media Development Authority (MDA). The Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) was formed on 1 January, 2003 to champion Media 21, a blueprint to transform Singapore into a global media city. Media 21 seeks to create a vibrant media environment by establishing Singapore as a media exchange, exporting Made-by-Singapore content, internationalizing local media companies, nurturing local media talent and developing digital media. More information on MDA can be found on www.mda.gov.sg TVAplus