In 2003, Astro Ria launched a show based from Mexican TV series La Academia, called Akademi Fantasia.

The show became so popular in Malaysia and Brunei that spin-off versions were made in Indonesia and Thailand.

In its third season, 14 contestants instead of the original 12 were competing for the competition and the winner, Mawi became an instant music celebrity.

Astro Ria also hosts various prestigious annual events in the entertainment world such as the Era Awards broadcast, the Malaysian Film Festival, the Space Series Awards and also aired UMNO General Assembly live from the Putra World Trade Center (PWTC).

Its main news program Awani 7:45 was also simulcasted on this channel every day at 7:45 pm MST.