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Squelching a Community's Voice

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  • Squelching a Community's Voice

    Squelching a Community's Voice

    BY GAREN YEGPARIAN

    You probably remember a comedy movie that came out a few years ago
    titled `The Cable Guy'. Today's story is a travesty about real life
    cable guys, known as Charter Communications.

    No doubt you've already heard that Charter has unilaterally, and
    without meaningful prior notice, decided to eliminate Horizon TV from
    its lineup of channels. This, despite the fact that Horizon had just
    signed a renewal contract with Charter in December, even accepting a
    25% rate hike! That's quite a steep increase for the kind of economic
    conditions we're in now. (For full disclosure, the publication in
    which you're reading this article is affiliated with Horizon).

    Despite all this, Charter is hell bent on screwing the Armenian
    community through its despicable decision. So it's natural to wonder,
    and ask, `Why?'

    That's what people in the area Charter covers - Burbank, Glendale, La
    Crescenta, and the western part of La Caņada-Flintridge, which house
    what is probably the densest Armenian community in the United States
    - have been doing. They call, complain to, and ask Charter, `Why?'

    Guess what they're getting for an answer. It's not one answer, but
    five mutually contradictory ones! Callers are told:

    Horizon didn't sign the contract (FALSE); or

    Horizon returned the signed contract too late (FALSE); or

    Horizon didn't want to renew (FALSE); or

    There are already too many Armenian channels (FALSE); or

    Another Armenian channel will be opening up (it turns out this is
    true, which adds to the intrigue).

    I don't have to tell you that when someone is lying, or trying to
    cover up, they'll often trip themselves up as Charter has done. How
    can Horizon have not signed the contract (#1), if Horizon returned it
    (#2)? And why would Horizon have returned the contract if they didn't
    want to renew it (#3)? And who is Charter to tell our community that
    there are already too many Armenian channels (#4) and then turn around
    and say that another Armenian channel is starting up (#5) after
    Horizon gets shut down?

    Clearly, Charter's action is causing the public in its coverage area
    harm. This is a key consideration. Here's why.

    The 1934 Communications Act which established the ground rules for
    broadcasting in the U.S. and created the Federal Communications
    Commission has at its heart one fundamental precept: THE AIRWAVES
    BELONG TO THE PUBLIC. That's why all broadcasters rent the wavelengths
    the use from `We the people' through the government.

    Later, cable TV came along and created a dilemma. It required
    extensive and expensive hard-wiring. So, if different providers ran
    cables in the same area, costs would become prohibitive. The solution
    was to grant a monopoly to one provider, and in exchange that provider
    had to give the community they were serving some free channels for
    valuable, enriching, programming, not just commercial stuff. You get
    the idea - the public is entitled to the benefits of the airwaves it
    owns.

    Clearly, Charter Communications is transgressing against this
    fundamental precept of providing the public, in this case the huge
    Armenian public, with programming of merit. Consider that all but two
    of the Armenian channels are commercial outfits with folks making a
    living off of entertainment. One of the non-commercial channels
    provides religiously oriented programming. That leaves only Horizon as
    the provider of primarily community oriented programming - news,
    analysis, politics, culture, developments in all parts of Armenia and
    the Diaspora, etc.

    Of course the management at Horizon is fighting this malfeasance, and
    hard. Our help is needed. There's an online petition which you should
    sign telling Charter clean up its act:
    http://signon.org/sign/save-horizon-nonprofit.

    Protests are being held in front of Charter's offices in Glendale:
    6246 San Fernando Rd. If you read this soon enough online, you can go
    on Saturday, February 2, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, to participate in
    the action. You can help save our Horizon.

    Next Friday, February 8, a protest will be held in front of Charter's
    regional headquarters in Irwindale, (4781 N Irwindale Avenue, 91706)
    again, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. Be there. You've got a week to
    prepare.

    Some of you may live far away from the epicenter of this wholly
    manmade, very suspicion-arousing, disaster and still want to help. Of
    course you can sign the petition. But, if your own cable company is
    Charter, call them and give them an earful about how dissatisfied you
    are.

    We should all be reminding Charter that its contracts with cities it
    serves must be renewed periodically. We should be telling Charter's
    bigwigs that we will remember their odious behavior now and work to
    remove the company as the cable provider anywhere and everywhere we
    can.

    Let's beat back this unwarranted attack against one of the mainstays
    of our community.

    http://asbarez.com/108066/squelching-a-communitys-voice/

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