ARMENIA FUND’S 10TH ANNUAL TELETHON TO AIR NOVEMBER 22

armradio.am
05.11.2007 16:16

Armenia Fund’s 10th International Telethon is set to air on
Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 2007 from 8am-8pm PST (16:00-04:00
GMT). This year’s program will once again reach millions of households
in the United States, as well as international viewers across all
continents via satellite and cable. The 12 hour live program will
stream on the internet at

Armenia Fund’s Telethon, a Thanksgiving Day tradition since Armenia’s
independence, will once again unite Armenians across the globe
around one goal – helping the Armenian homeland stand strong on its
feet. Every year for the past 10 years, this gargantuan effort brings
together more than 50 professionals and 200 volunteers.

"It takes about 6 months to put the show together", said Armenia
Fund US Western Region Executive Director, Sarkis Kotanjian. "The
Telethon is a collaboration of video production teams in Yerevan
and Los Angeles. Television is a unique medium to visually report
back to the community on the projects that have been accomplished or
are currently underway thanks to donations from the previous year’s
Telethon. It is also a great way of letting people see for themselves
today’s needs of Armenia and Artsakh and let them know how they can
become a part of the solution of many problems", added Kotanjian.

This year, for the first time, the Telethon will air from the studios
of the Los Angeles affiliate of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS),
KCET in Hollywood. The program will go on live on KSCI-LA Ch. 18 in
the Greater Los Angeles area. The state of the art facility has decades
of experience in hosting live telethons, including the Jerry Lewis MDA
Telethon, Chabad Telethon and various PBS telethons. The studio, which
is a non-profit organization itself, utilizes cutting edge technology
and is equipped to produce programs in high-definition format.

"We got telethons down to a science, but that’s technical. The most
important task is to create the emotional attachment of the viewer
to the program. I want our audience to think with their hearts,
not their minds.

What comes from the heart goes to the heart…", said Telethon
2007 Executive Producer Michael Levin. Levin and his production
team draw years of experience in producing nation-wide telethons at
KCET. "I traveled extensively through almost every region in Armenia
and Nagorno Karabakh. I saw the direct positive impact that Armenia
Fund’s projects had on people’s lives. The rebuilding of an independent
Armenian nation is an important cause and I am honored and proud to
be part of the effort," added Levin.

The Telethon will feature special guests from Armenia and Artsakh.

Newly-elected President of Artsakh, Bako Sahakyan and Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian will appear live during the program.

The musical program has been developed under the meticulous attention
of Stepan Partamian, the Telethon’s Music Producer, who also led the
production of the "Spirit of Armenia", a first ever Armenian concert at
the Hollywood Bowl in July drawing international acclaim. "The concert
at the Hollywood Bowl presented a quality display of the global reach
of the Armenian culture. Music has a universal appeal and Armenian
music is so rich, colorful and emotional. On the day of the Telethon
it will add to the spirit of unity, when every Armenian around the
world is pitching in to create a better future for the Homeland",
said Partamian.

The telethon will feature close to 40 musical performances, drawing
an all-star lineup of Armenian performers from Armenia and the
United States.

The participation of music stars from Armenia was made possible through
Armenia Fund’s partnership with the Eyeflash Entertainment Company,
the organizers of this year’s Annual Armenian Music Awards. The program
is set to take place at the Gibson Amphitheater on Friday, November 23,
following the Telethon. "We are grateful to the Armenian Music Awards’
team and personally to Mr. Grant Chorliyan for the opportunity to
feature the biggest stars on Armenia’s music horizon during Telethon
2007," said Kotanjian.

The Telethon’s centric theme will focus on human stories in the
context of responding to the urgent needs of rural Armenia and
Nagorno Karabakh.

Proceeds from the Telethon will benefit Armenia Fund’s Village
Development Program. The newly adopted program will focus on
revitalizing a cluster of villages in the Tavush Region of Armenia
and the Martuni Region of Artsakh. To ensure long-term sustainability
and generate income for the villagers, the multilevel infrastructure
development program will incorporate an economic component as well. The
implementation of the Village Development Program will be coordinated
with the US Government’s Millennium Challenge Corp., the World Bank,
and the UNDP.

The 10th International Armenia Fund Telethon will air in all major
Armenian-American communities in the US, as well as internationally
on H1-Armenian Public Television () across all
continents. Horizon 24 Hour Armenian TV, the largest Armenian
Diaspora TV network (), will also air the
Telethon in its entirety, on its cable and satellite networks. For
more information, please log on to

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress