INTO its 12th year, the Asian Television Awards (ATA) has expanded its reach to encompass 16 countries across Asia Pacific for the first time. Australia and New Zealand, having joined the chase for the coveted trophies this year, contributed to a record 1,374 submissions to make the 2007 awards the most competitive and comprehensive ever.Following seven grueling judging sessions across three months, pan-regional network Discovery Networks Asia, Singapore’s MediaCorp and Philippines’ GMA Network have emerged as ATA 2007’s front runners, earning the most nominations across the award’s 29 categories.Topping the ATA 2007 nomination count with 17 nominees in 10 categories is Discovery Networks Asia. Not only is the factual entertainment broadcaster leading the field, it has also improved on its 2006 record of 11 nominations in 7 categories, which made it the second most nominated broadcaster.“We are very clear about what our brands stand for and have strong editorial teams internally to translate this experience through our unique style of storytelling. That way we are able to create consistently high quality programming that is both informative and entertaining, given that we are first and foremost a television company,” said Vikram Channa, Vice President, Content, DiscoveryNetworks Asia, on the company’s standing in the ATA noms.Based on an outsourced model, Discovery Networks Asia works with independent production companies, while its in-house production and development teams shape the shows creatively to the network’s technical and editorial specifications.“For all the productions that have made it to the regional and international levels, we have had to communicate to the independent production houses in the region the style of story-telling synonymous with the Discovery brand to ensure that the feel will be consistent,” continued Channa.Overall, Channa observes that documentary production in Asia historically had been highly localized as most programs have been produced for individual markets. He believes the arrival of pan-regional networks including Discovery has provided opportunities to producers in Asia to go regional and international. “With that, the documentary production business has just taken off and is only beginning to mature in terms of business and creativity,” Channa elaborated. Having led the nominations count Discovery Networks Asia’s Born Again Buddhists (L) and Bobby Chinn for World Cafe Asia (R) in 2006, MediaCorp figures among the leaders in 2007 with 15 nominees in 10 categories. Running six channels that each cater to different audiences, MediaCorp offers a wide variety of programming that runs the gamut of genres including dramas, reality shows and documentaries.For MediaCorp’s English language channel, Channel 5, Kim Wong-Nathan, Senior Programming Director, Programming and Production 5, MediaCorp TV, shared, “The strategy has been to establish closer partnerships with production companies and work with industry players to upskill production expertise.” On the programming front, Wong- Nathan said the channel closely monitors international trends to keep abreast of viewers’ tastes, ensuring its offerings remain current and relevant to its audience.As for its Chinese-language channel, Channel 8, Jomay Wan, Senior Programming Director, Network Programming and Promotions (Chinese Broadcast), MediaCorp TV, believes the key factor in its success is the team’s constant effort to seek out interesting concepts that audiences can relate to. “The experience of the production team is also a priority to ensure high production value in the finished product,” added Wan.The challenges in production and programming faced by MediaCorp’s regional news channel, Channel NewsAsia (CNA), have been the most pronounced as it has to provide content that can accurately reflect issues across the region, with insights and nuances from the ground.“In there lies the challenge for producers who have to depict Asia with its myriad of cultures, which are as diverse and varied as there are numbers of cities and states. Their job is to bring out this diversity and yet, at the same time, discover the ‘intersections’ that bind these cultures as, ultimately, Asian,” explained Woon Chuk Chan, Vice President, Network Programming and Promotions, MediaCorp News.With 10 nominations in 7 categories, GMA Network is third in the pecking order of mostnominated broadcasters. As one of the top two broadcasters in the Philippines, GMA Network provides news and entertainment programs through its 47 fullyowned television relay stations, four affiliate television stations and 34 radio stations across the nation. The network also broadcasts its shows through its global channel GMA Pinoy TV.According to Marivin Arayata, Vice President, Entertainment, GMA Network, the company has managed to maintain high standards in production and programming by implementing strategies geared towards providing customer-focused services, creating and innovating in production and programming, as well as sound management and operational efficiency.Arayata noted, “We have had to ensure we remain responsive to the needs of our viewers by being intimately acquainted with their tastes. While we have provided audiences with what they are used to, we have also constantly sought to innovate.“As we belong to a fast-changing and dynamic industry, the challenge is to keep pace with the developments.” Arayata believes the challenge to maintain the lead in TV ratings within the competitive local arena has also helped push GMA Network’s production and programming standards ever higher.Looking to the Asian Television Awards, Discovery’s Channa is hopeful that the company’s twotime ATA-winning First Time Film Maker series, nominated in the Best Documentary Programme category, will emerge as the victor again. “While we hope to do well across all categories we have been nominated for, it is always special to win the honour of Best Documentary Programme.”He deems the ATA awards as important not just to his company but also to documentary production across Asia. “It is perhaps the most significant award as it gives recognition to creativity from this part of the world,” Channa mused.MediaCorp’s Wan sees the ATA as kudos that has brought together programmes and broadcasters from all of Asia and that it “holds a special place” in the hearts of its executives. “Winning an award is equivalent to a pat on the back from the many other broadcasters in the region,” Wan said.“More importantly, the award has become a source of inspiration for the company and its producers in that they get to see what stories other broadcasters are telling, and how they tell it. This can only contribute towards improving our own productions,” she asserted. As for MediaCorp’s nominees, Wong-Nathan tips Adrian Pang for Best Comedy Performance by an Actor for his role in Maggi & Me, citing his versatility as the clincher. She is also hopeful for the Best Comedy Programme category as its nominee, Parental Guidance, boasts a strong regional cast and storylines that have mass appeal and relevance.GMA Network’s Arayata said, “Winning at the Asian TV Awards puts our company on the map as one of the best broadcasting companies in Asia. It offers not only prestige, but the recognition of the audience’s trust and confidence in our network as well.”While Arayata is confident of all the nominations earned by GMA, she singled out the Best Comedy Performance by an Actor award as her best hope with two nominees in the category. “Michael V has been successful in the same category for the past three years, and Ogie Alcasid, who is also nominated, is one of the best comedians in the Philippines as well,” she said. Looking beyond ATA 2007, all three broadcasters are already lining up initiatives and offerings for the year to come. Discovery Networks Asia will launch a ‘Planet Green’ programming block on Discovery Channel from March 2008 to offer some 50 hours of ‘green’ programming in the year. The shows will include Asian relevant stories produced out of the region as well as global specials drawn from parent Discovery Communications.MediaCorp will focus on its efforts to develop content and formats which have both local and regional appeal. This will include S-POP Hurray!, a music festival programme featuring local and regional musicians and artists, being developed for its other Chinese-language channel, Channel U.Finally, GMA Network will continue to channel its resources to producing even more programming in-house with an emphasis on entertainment as well as news and information.

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