Okay, thank you so much for agreeing to do this interview. Can you tell me more about the early mission of Horizon TV and how the mission has evolved over time? Oh, well,
while talking about horizon TV, TV's mission as a media, and you already need to understand the background history of it. So throughout my journey as a news anchor at Horizon TV, I have witnessed the profound impact that media can have in organizing and uniting communities, particularly within the Armenian diaspora in Los Angeles, present being the longest running Armenian television company in the area, was initially established with a crucial mission to facilitate humanitarian aid for Armenians affected by the devastating earthquake back in 1988 I hope You've heard about that, and that was a huge damage for for the small country. Imagine the economy, issues regarding the fall of Soviet Union and stuff like that. And the time period was really, really tragic for the Armenians party, lack of everything, basically, lack of basic, normal, regular needs of people. And then during the time when our homeland was also facing war and economic crisis, this foundational goal has guided
the work of the TV station
ever since,
and then, when I began my role at Horizon, it was during another challenging period marked by the COVID 19 pandemic and During renewed conflict in Armenia, basically, the pressure was immense as we navigated daily live broadcasts covering outdoor gatherings and studio segments. That time, our team produced an incredible amount of content focusing on critical issues and connecting the community with organizers, field experts and medical professionals. We aim to provide not only information, but also support and resources during these
trying times. So
yeah, and recognizing the diverse and vibrant nature of our community, I propose the establishment of a network to foster collaboration between local government organizations, public health officials and community leaders. This initiative was designed to aid both our local Armenian community and those in Armenia directly affected by the ongoing crisis. And furthermore, I initiated a special media project titled The Armenians in LA, which I learned about that. Could you tell stories, achievements and challenges of our community? If you want more, I can tell about this part in details, if you like, oh, yeah, just a short, like overall synopsis would be okay, okay, I believe it is essential to combat any negative stereotypes and showcase the resilience and contributions of Armenians in Los Angeles. That was our initial goal to start the Armenians in LA and overall, this brings me to the summary of what I wanted to answer. My experience at Horizon TV has been a testament to the power of media as a tool for community engagement, support and solidarity. Let me go back again to the 90s, when horizon TV was first established.
There are arcade footages
as a fact proof that the entire parking lot of Horizon TV, the entire building of the TV, the entire office space has been some sort of huge warehouse where people would bring the aid, the clothes, food, anything that was meant to be shipped to Armenia for those who are affected by the earthquake and the Same happened during the 2020 war for the four days, or in Artsakh during that period when, horizontally, again, began one of the humanitarian aid centers here that was gathering some kind of like clothes, food again, and first aid kits and stuff like that, again, meant to be shipped to Armenia. Basically, once you are in a once you have the media in the community, and once you have the responsibility for your community, for your homeland, and once you have the mission of giving it back,
this is where horizon TV
comes as a huge, huge
comes with his huge mission.
Thank you so much. Yeah. And, of course,
we always try to continue the mission, ensuring that our Armenian community remains informed connected and empowered.
