Save Horizon TV Task Force

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: January 31, 2013

Contact: SaveHorizon

Community Group to Fight Charter’s Decision to Yank Non-Profit Armenian Channel Off Air

GLENDALE—A group of concerned community members and leaders has come together to form the “Save Horizon TV Task Force” to chart out the legal and other elements of the recent decision by Charter Communications, Inc. to arbitrarily yank Horizon Armenian Television off its Charter lineup effective February 19, 2013.

Earlier this month, the management of Horizon Armenian Television was notified by Charter Communications that the channel that has been serving the Armenian community for more than two decades would be yanked off the Charter lineup effective February 19, despite the fact that Horizon signed and delivered a contract for 2013.

Deeming this action by Charter as nothing short of bullying a non-profit organization, which is dedicated to service and betterment of the community, the Save Horizon TV Task Force has initiated an online and print petition drive that has been met with overwhelming support by the community. In a matter of days there are thousands of responses to the online petition (http://signon.org/sign/save-horizon-nonprofit), which is directed to Charter Communications regional management and the Federal Communications Commission. The paper petition, which was circulated at various community events since Saturday, has also received thousands of signatures.

“Charter is acting in bad faith and violating the principles of a good corporate citizen by ignoring the needs of the community and being insensitive to the customers they serve,” said Zanku Armenian a spokesperson for the Save Horizon TV Task Force. “As a franchisee in Glendale, Burbank and La Crescenta, Charter serves at the pleasure of the citizens of these cities and with their callous actions they are demonstrating they don’t care about their customers.”

Armenian-Americans comprise more than 40 percent of the population in Glendale and La Crescenta and 35 percent of the total population in Burbank—the area covered by Charter Communications that carries Horizon Armenian Television.

Horizon Television was the first Armenian-language channel to become part of the Charter lineup with a 24-hour channel in 1999 and was chosen by the corporation because of its deep roots and its demonstrated service to the community. Horizon Television debuted in May of 1989 with a mission to inform and serve the Armenian-American community. In a short time, Horizon became a broadcast outlet for news and information and evolved into a true voice for the ever-expanding Armenian community. In 1999, Horizon expanded its programming to become the first 24-hour television channel in the Armenian community and since then, by partnering with organizations and businesses alike, it has provided groundbreaking coverage of all things Armenian for its viewers. Horizon is the Armenian language equivalent of the non-profit PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) network on mainstream television.

This shocking and unilateral decision by Charter which governs the cable system and has been home to Horizon since its inception directly hits the Horizon channel and the broadcaster, whose sole purpose for operation is to serve and cater to the needs of the community.

The Task Force is also exploring legal avenues to address this matter because this unexplained action by Charter is aimed at ultimately silencing a trusted and sought after voice in the community.

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Attached: Announcement, Horizon Board of Directors (Armenian)

Horizon Announcement – Armenian.pdf