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The Daily News of Los Angeles
February 9, 2013 Saturday
VALLEY EDITION
Charter faces backlash for discontinuing Armenian TV
The Armenian community is taking to the streets over a cable network's
decision to yank the only local 24-hour Armenian television station
off the air later this month, and protests are planned in Glendale
today.
Charter Communications plans to remove Horizon TV from its channel
lineup Feb. 19.
Charter explained its contract with Horizon TV, which has been on the
air 1999, expired Dec. 30.
"For a number of reasons, a new agreement between Charter and Horizon
was not met," Brian Anderson, Charter's regional communications
director, said in a statement.
But Ara Khachatourian, editor of Asbarez, an Armenian-American
newspaper affiliated with Horizon TV, disputed that.
"We engaged in our annual contract negotiations toward the end of
November and early December," he said. "By mid-December, we delivered
a signed contract to continue leasing the channel in 2013, agreeing to
a 25 percent fee hike they were proposing."
Khachatourian, a former general manager of Horizon TV and a leader of
the Save Horizon TV Task Force, said "the voice of the community is
being muted."
He said Horizon TV is like the Armenian equivalent of PBS for about
10,000 households in Glendale, Burbank, La Crescenta and part of La
Canada Flintridge.
He added about 8,000 people have signed paper and online petitions
(http://signon.org/sign/save-horizon-nonprofit) that read, in part,
"This action by Charter is nothing short of bullying a nonprofit
organization which is dedicated to service and betterment of the
community."
William Bairamian, executive director of the Armenian National
Committee of America, Western Region, is among several Charter
customers who plan to cancel their subscriptions if Horizon TV goes
dark.
"The decision by Charter seems shortsighted and doesn't respect the
relationship that the Horizon TV has had with the community for over
two decades," he said.
"(Horizon TV) is something that we can't afford to lose."
"I think this underscores the need for businesses that ostensibly
serve our community to actually understand what the community wants
before making decisions that are meant to serve their own bottom
line," he said.
February 9, 2013 Saturday
VALLEY EDITION
Charter faces backlash for discontinuing Armenian TV
The Armenian community is taking to the streets over a cable network's
decision to yank the only local 24-hour Armenian television station
off the air later this month, and protests are planned in Glendale
today.
Charter Communications plans to remove Horizon TV from its channel
lineup Feb. 19.
Charter explained its contract with Horizon TV, which has been on the
air 1999, expired Dec. 30.
"For a number of reasons, a new agreement between Charter and Horizon
was not met," Brian Anderson, Charter's regional communications
director, said in a statement.
But Ara Khachatourian, editor of Asbarez, an Armenian-American
newspaper affiliated with Horizon TV, disputed that.
"We engaged in our annual contract negotiations toward the end of
November and early December," he said. "By mid-December, we delivered
a signed contract to continue leasing the channel in 2013, agreeing to
a 25 percent fee hike they were proposing."
Khachatourian, a former general manager of Horizon TV and a leader of
the Save Horizon TV Task Force, said "the voice of the community is
being muted."
He said Horizon TV is like the Armenian equivalent of PBS for about
10,000 households in Glendale, Burbank, La Crescenta and part of La
Canada Flintridge.
He added about 8,000 people have signed paper and online petitions
(http://signon.org/sign/save-horizon-nonprofit) that read, in part,
"This action by Charter is nothing short of bullying a nonprofit
organization which is dedicated to service and betterment of the
community."
William Bairamian, executive director of the Armenian National
Committee of America, Western Region, is among several Charter
customers who plan to cancel their subscriptions if Horizon TV goes
dark.
"The decision by Charter seems shortsighted and doesn't respect the
relationship that the Horizon TV has had with the community for over
two decades," he said.
"(Horizon TV) is something that we can't afford to lose."
"I think this underscores the need for businesses that ostensibly
serve our community to actually understand what the community wants
before making decisions that are meant to serve their own bottom
line," he said.