Awards
South Korean service wins interactive Emmy
MUMBAI: The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (Iatas) has announced the winners for the first International Interactive Emmy Awards.
This was organised in partnership with Reed Midem, at the television event MipTV in Cannes, France. A channel, an interactive service and a programme from the UK, South Korea and France respectively won the first ever International Interactive Emmy Award in their category. The inaugural Pioneer Prize was presented to AOL chairman and CEO Jonathan Miller, for his contributions to the field of interactive television.
The award for the best interactive television service went to Hello D, a service provided by CJ CableNet in South Korea. Hello D was the world’s first digital cable broadcasting to succeed in the OCAP. Hello D, a simple and convenient form of interactive digital broadcasting, offers over 100 different channels, 30 high quality audio channels, 21 PPV channels, and a VOD service.
It is CJ CableNet’s digital cable service that offers a variety of information as well as interactive television. Hello D is Korea’s leading digital broadcasting that centers on high quality, easy navigation, and easy access. CJ CableNet is opening the door to a richer lifestyle and is ushering in a new tomorrow in the digital world.
The best programme went to France 5’s Cult. It is a daily interactive one-hour live TV show dedicated to urban culture. Hosted by Ray Cokes, Cult targets the 15 to 35 year old demographic and offers a fast-paced anti-conformist show with a never-seen-before-in-France interactivity. Every viewer equipped with a webcam and a high-speed Internet connection could contribute, participate and react live from their homes during and after the show through the website.
Cult also offers blogging, local news and live video messaging from concert halls using 3G phones. Cult provides an uplifting place for urban young adults and teens where their opinions are taken seriously and interactivity supports multiculturalism.
Scamp in the UK was voted the best channel. It is the first and only dedicated interactive on-demand kids channel in the UK. Kids can view all their favorite shows back-to-back, work their way through all the episodes of a series or add any show to a personal favorites list with a simple button press. For those who haven’t yet learnt their ABCs, Scamp incorporates easy-to-navigate video walls, linking them to programming through all their favorite characters.
Parents can also manage their kids’ viewing in the ‘Scamp for Grown Ups’ area, and the unique ‘Time for Bed’ feature automatically schedules 10 minutes of viewing interspersed with time-for-bed messages to help children wind down.
Iatas president and CEO Bruce Paisner says, “We are proud to be at the forefront of the television industry with these three new International Interactive Emmy Awards”.
The sold-out black-tie ceremony was attended by over 250 international key-players from the television, Internet and mobile industries including sponsors: AETN, AOL, Bold and Beautiful, Colorchips, Ericcson, Homechoice, Intel, KBS, Open TV and Sky.
The International Interactive Emmy Awards at Mip TV was the first ever Emmy Awards ceremony held outside the US.
Awards
Ajay Kakar to chair jury for ad:tech Honours Awards 2026
Industry leaders join jury as nominations surge for marketing tech awards
NEW DELHI: The ad:tech Honours Awards 2026 are gearing up for a bigger second edition, with Ajay Kakar, head of corporate branding at Adani Group, set to chair the jury for India’s technology-focused marketing awards.
Organised in partnership with the International Advertising Association India Chapter, the awards celebrate the growing influence of technology in shaping modern advertising and marketing outcomes. This year’s edition has drawn a strong response from across the industry, signalling rising momentum around innovation in marketing technology.
The organisers say the nominations reflect a wide range of ideas and approaches, highlighting how brands and agencies are increasingly leaning on platforms, tools and data to sharpen their campaigns and connect with audiences more effectively.
Leading the evaluation process, Kakar will head a jury made up of senior leaders from across brands, agencies and technology platforms.
The jury panel includes Amaresh Godbole, CEO, digital technology business at Publicis Groupe; Bishwajeet S, head of marketing and PR at Volkswagen India; Carol Goyal, executive director at Rediffusion and CEO of Aesthetic Intelligence Lab; Kushal Sanghvi, director at Komerz; Lara Balsara, executive director at Madison World; Rana Barua, group CEO India, sea and North Asia; Deepak Oram, senior vice president growth marketing and martech; and Priyanka Khaneja Gandhi, head of marketing and creative solutions at Amazon Ads India.
The ad:tech Honours Awards aim to recognise not just creative campaigns but the smart use of technology that delivers measurable impact and business results. Categories this year reflect the rapidly evolving digital landscape, covering areas such as artificial intelligence, data-driven marketing, content ecosystems, automation, martech and adtech integration, and commerce-led marketing.
The winners will be announced on 17 March 2026 at the Yashobhoomi Convention Centre in New Delhi during ad:tech New Delhi 2026. The event is expected to bring together leaders from brands, agencies, platforms, creators and technology partners for an evening celebrating the ideas and innovations shaping the future of marketing.iconductor industries.
