iWorld
‘Made for TV, as seen on YouTube’ at Asia TV Awards
NEW DELHI: The 18th Asian Television Awards (ATA) will work with YouTube in organising a seminar titled “Made-for-TV, As Seen on YouTube”.
The seminar will be held on 5 December at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, Singapore, as part of the annual ATA showcase, organised by Television Asia Plus, a publication of Contineo Media.
“Made-for-TV, As Seen on YouTube”, one of the premium tracks for the Showcase, will feature representatives from the Asia Pacific YouTube team. Currently confirmed is YouTube APAC director of partnership and operations Gautam Anand, who will present a keynote and engage in panel-style discussions in the presence of conference attendees. Also presenting will be YouTube APAC manager of content partnerships Wiwi Goh.
“With more people going online every day, including here in Asia, digital media is increasingly crucial for content creators. With a platform like YouTube, creators can find new ways of distributing their content to new audiences and build up fan communities around the world,” says Gautam Anand.
The seminar will address how YouTube can empower content producers and content rights owners/ broadcasters to not only build audiences, but monetise both legacy and new content. Included in the seminar are case studies and panel discussions, with practical tips on how best to reach audiences via YouTube. Attendees will also be acquainted with YouTube’s Content ID tools that can help track, block and even monetise content, allowing one to best structure content creation strategies on the online platform.
The “Made-for-TV, As Seen on YouTube” seminar is part of the ATA Showcase, a full-day conference of seven tracks opened to all trade members and aspiring media professionals. At the Showcase, each year’s award nominees; regional directors, producers and creative talents, will come together and engage in an intimate theatre-style dialogue. These industry professionals will share their experiences in content production, technical expertise, as well as post production. Attendees can choose from six other Showcase tracks – “Scripted Programming”, “Formats/ Reality”, “Sports Programming”, “Factual/ Documentary”, “Children/ Preschool” and “Technical & Creative”; which will collectively introduce a wide variety of nominated ATA projects that cover the entire broadcast spectrum from production, to performance, to post-production. Some of the speakers from the 2012 ATA Showcase included representatives from Beach House Pictures, The Moving Visuals Co., Most Wanted Pictures, The Group Entertainment, Ochre Pictures, Southern Star Entertainment, Media-Stable, Fuji Television Network, Inc., FOX International Channels, Turner Broadcasting System Asia-Pacific, YouTube, and Viki.
“The ATA Showcase is our attempt to give producers and content creators a voice to articulate their experiences in producing their nominated works. We are confident that attendees will benefit tremendously from the rich experiences of these industry professionals,” said Contineo Media CEO Raymond Wong. “In addition, our collaboration with YouTube is a testament to our commitment to not only empower content creators, but also to arm them with knowledge and expertise to take their content from existing broadcast platforms to new and emerging digital ones that are truly the next drivers of industry growth.”
Registration for the full-day ATA Showcase has already started.
iWorld
Samay Raina returns with Still Alive, confronts 2025 controversy in bold comeback special
Comeback set tackles controversy, blending humour with raw storytelling
MUMBAI: Samay Raina is set to release his new stand-up comedy special, Still Alive, on YouTube on April 7, 2026, marking a high-profile return following a turbulent year.
The trailer for the special dropped on April 5, offering a glimpse into what Raina describes as a raw and unfiltered set that leans as much on honesty as it does on humour.
Positioned as a comeback of sorts, Still Alive draws heavily from the controversy surrounding his show India’s Got Latent in early 2025. The episode led to legal trouble, multiple FIRs, and a lengthy six-hour interrogation by the Maharashtra Cyber Cell, placing the comedian at the centre of intense public scrutiny.
Rather than sidestep the episode, Raina leans into it. The special reflects on the fallout and his personal journey through it, blending observational comedy with moments of emotional candour. Early audience feedback from live performances suggests the tone is less about rapid-fire punchlines and more about storytelling with bite.
The special was filmed during his global Still Alive & Unfiltered tour, which ran from August 2025 to early 2026. The tour saw Raina perform across major international venues, including the Madison Square Garden Theatre in New York, a milestone that places him among the youngest Indian comedians to take that stage.
The title itself signals resilience. “Still Alive” is a nod to navigating both legal and public backlash while choosing to remain unapologetically authentic, a theme that appears to anchor the set.
With the special set to premiere online, all eyes are now on how audiences respond to a performance that promises equal parts reflection and wit. For Raina, the message is clear. He is not just back, he is ready to be heard on his own terms.
