Astro Awani - History

History

In 2002, the channel existed as Astro News. During that time, it carried programming from Al Jazeera (broadcast in Arabic with live Malaysian translation interpretation on its dual-language button), BBC World, CCTV-9, Eurosport News, the Australia Network (later became a separate channel in December 2007) and DW-TV. It also aired Astro News, a half-hour locally produced news program.

The five channels carried on that channel were since available separately, except when Astro News changes Al Jazeera into Al Jazeera English in its launch in 2006, which was also later became a separate channel, and DW-TV later takes a full-time slot until the Astro News channel ceased transmission on March 1, 2009. DW-TV has also been broadcast in Malaysia through NTV7 for selected programmes only on weekday afternoons in the early 2000s and later on Bernama TV also through selected programmes since 2010. Eurosport News is still airing as programme fillers on Astro SuperSport's channels since circa 2003.

In 2001, was launched as Bloomberg RIA News, as well as Bloomberg Malaysia, a joint production between Bloomberg Television and Astro. This had already dissolved in 2003 and Berita Astro started broadcasting on Astro Ria since then.

Until February 2007, Astro News was co-produced with the national news agency Bernama, with the former taking 12 minutes of the programme for general. The news is also translated into Mandarin Chinese on Astro AEC, Malaysian on Astro Ria and Tamil on Astro Vaanavil. English news was also aired on Astro Prima. In February 28, 2008 was launched form Bernama TV took over the full half-hour production pending a revamp of the internal news team at Astro. Astro Awani was first launched on June 15, 2006 in Indonesia by a joint venture between Astro and India-based NDTV.

The launch of Astro Awani proved to be a significant milestone for NDTV and Astro, as it is the first channel launched by NDTV outside of India. It first distributed throughout Indonesia on PT Direct Vision's platform, Astro Nusantara.

On September 6, 2007, Astro Awani was launched in Malaysia, at the Palace of Golden Horses.

Astro Awani was the only 24-hour international news channels told from a local perspective exclusively in the Malaysian language until February 28, 2008, when Bernama TV launched, offering three other languages other than the national language.

As of December 2010, some of Astro Awani's programmes such as Gala TV and Awani 7.45 are airing on Astro Ria every Monday to Thursday, starting with the recorded version of Gala TV at 7:30 pm followed by the live simulcast of Awani 7.45 at 7:45 pm for 30 minutes.

The launch of Astro Awani proved to be a significant milestone for mio TV and Astro, as it is the first channel launched broadcaster area outside of Singapore. It first distributed throughout Singaporean on SingTel's platform, mio TV on April 15, 2013.

On March 2012, Astro Awani began producing news bulletins for the AMP Radio Networks's radio stations Era and Sinar FM.