SINGAPORE: The region's top broadcasting talents and programmes were honoured at the Asian Television Awards ceremony at the University Cultural Centre on Thursday night. In total there were 33 categories.

Korea's Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation's Channel 11 won three awards, including terrestrial channel of the Year. Discovery won the cable and satellite channel of the Year 2004 in a close race with regional multi-channel rivals whose local production slates have also soared in recent years.

As had been reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, NDTV and Channel [V] were two Indian channels whose shows were recognised. Joining them was Discovery India. Asha Gill won for best entertainment presenter for the show Lonely Planet Six Degrees . Discovery Asia's documentary Mysterious Hanging Coffins of China. won a trophy. Discovery's arch rival National Geographic Channel (NGC) Asia also got documentary recognition courtesy Body Snatchers of Bangkok. In all NGC Asia won five awards. It swept the technical and creative categories.

The best social awareness programme went to PT Surya Citra Televisi's Pijar. CNN anchor Veronica Pedrosa was adjudged the best news anchor. CNBC Asia's Asian Wall Street Journal won the best news show. Disney which will shortly launch two channels in India won in the animation category for Legends of The Ring of Fire Why the Sun Chases the Moon.. MTV Asia's awards show won in the best entertainment (One-off/Annual) special category.

Selena Tan, an actress in a MediaCorp production, won the award for Best Comedy Performance by an Actress.
Selena won for her role in Violet's Old Flame, an episode of Daddy's Girls. But she was not in town to receive the award.

Japan also won big, with six broadcasting stations collecting at least seven awards in all. This year, the ATV awards committee received more than 1,500 entries from 15 countries. But only 155 entries were shortlisted, with MediaCorp receiving 20 nominations.