New Southbound Policy Portal

(From left) Magaitan Lhkatafatu, director of Taiwan Indigenous TV’s News Department; Isuth Balincinan, producer of “ITA See the World;” and Laway Futol, the show’s host, display the trophy for best news program at the 23rd Asian Television Awards Jan. 11 in Malaysia. (Courtesy of News Department of TITV, Indigenous Peoples Cultural Foundation)

A Taiwan news program produced by an indigenous station, a miniseries and a TV channel were honored at the 23rd Asian Television Awards held Jan. 11-12 in Kuching, Malaysia.
 
The country’s biggest winner was Formosa Television, which claimed best terrestrial broadcaster as well as best original screenplay for its 2018 miniseries “Schrodinger’s Cat.”
 
Taiwan’s Rexen Cheng won best leading actor for his role in the two-episode thriller, which revolves around a murder case that takes place in a hospital. Cheng, who plays a man manipulated into suffering a nervous breakdown in the show, thanked his family, friends and Formosa TV in his acceptance speech.
 
Government-supported Taiwan Indigenous TV was awarded best news program for “ITA See the World.” Launched last January, the biweekly broadcast covers topics related to Austronesian peoples spanning arts, culture and language preservation, climate change and medicine.
 
Isuth Balincinan, the show’s producer, said the honor recognized the professionalism of all the workers at TITV and that her team will continue to make high-quality shows.
 
Operated under the Indigenous Peoples Cultural Foundation, TITV offers a variety of programs including entertainment, sports and youth culture. News is broadcast in each of the languages of Taiwan’s 16 officially recognized tribes.
 
Launched in 1996 by Singapore-based Television Asia Plus magazine, ATA is regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated events within the Asian TV industry. The 23rd edition included more than 40 award categories for performers and production teams in the region. (CPY-E)