No drama at pay TV awards

By Michael Bodey

THE pay-TV industry left the drama to experts as it handed out its annual kudos at a relatively subdued ASTRA Awards ceremony last night.

After last year’s gauche and camp ceremony left some members of the Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association red-faced, the industry’s main man covering the ALP leadership spill, Sky News reporter David Speers, was called in to preside over a more restrained celebration at Sydney’s State Theatre.

The coveted channel-of-the-year prize, selected from more than 110 broadcast on Foxtel (part-owned by News Limited, publisher of The Australian), Austar and Optus subscription TV platforms, was xyz network’s The Lifestyle Channel.

The channel has had a bumper year, with imported hits including Grand Designs, and new local programs riding the property boom. The channel also nabbed two popular prizes and two industry prizes. Selling Houses Australia and its host, Andrew Winter, were named most outstanding lifestyle program and most outstanding presenter, beating among others Sarah Murdoch and Brendon Julian. Winter and his program also won the publicly voted prizes in those categories.

In acting awards, Ben Mendelsohn was a worthy winner of the most outstanding male performance in the Showcase drama Tangle, while his co-star, Justine Clarke, was named best female actress. Satisfaction’s New Zealand import, Camille Keenan, was named best new talent as the high-end drama network, Showcase, picked up three awards. UKTV’s Australian-British co-production, False Witness, was named outstanding drama beating Tangle and :30 Seconds.

In other major awards, Speers watched as his colleague Kieran Gilbert was awarded the most outstanding performance by a broadcast journalist.

The Sound Relief concert on Channel V and Max was most outstanding music program and FOX8′s Australia’s Next Top Model was named most outstanding light entertainment program, which it also won in 2007.

And the humble The Weather Channel won in two “events”, most outstanding news program or coverage and most outstanding documentary.

Among guests at the awards were Miranda Otto, Gia Carides, Anthony Callea, Matt Day, Matt Shirvington, Alex Perry, Dora The Explorer and ASTRA chairman John Bracks.

Source: The Australian