AZN Television


AZN Television was an American cable TV channel which promoted itself as "the network for Asian America". It was run by International Networks, a wholly owned subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. The channel's programming targeted the fast-growing, young, affluent, English-speaking Asian-American community. Genres included the most popular Asian films, dramas, documentaries and music as well as a diverse slate of original programming. Until the 2005 reformatting, it had a broader schedule, which also had European and Middle Eastern programming which were gradually dropped when the channel was bought by Comcast. It competed in certain markets with ImaginAsian Television.

History

The International Channel

The channel was launched as the International Channel in July 1990, and was initially owned by a joint venture of Liberty Media and JJS II Communications, LLC. The channel was led by George Leitner; as of March 1992, the channel was already popular among certain ethnic enclaves with potential, and had seen growth due to its rights to the 1992 Cricket World Cup, shared with Netlink. In 1996, the two companies founded the International Cable Channels Partnership, Ltd., which oversaw the channel. The channel was sold to Comcast when it purchased its parent company, International Networks in July 2004.

Comcast takeover, repositioning as AZN Television

Under Comcast, beginning in the final quarter of 2004, the network began a transitional phase to cater more towards Asian audiences, beginning the gradual removal of European and Middle Eastern programs from its schedule, before removing them completely by the second quarter of 2005. This repositioning was officially announced in January 2005, aiming to expand access to easily-accessible Asian programming in English, while its former audiences moved to international channels distributed by ICN. On March 28, 2005, Comcast rebranded The International Channel to AZN Television, which now focused purely on Asian and Asian-American culture. The name AZN came from the mobile phone shorthand slang for "Asian".
In order to better accommodate its new target audience, the channel added a third timezone and readjusted its Asian programming to new timeslots.
The channel also increased its original productions, including the sketch comedy series Asia Street Comedy, short film showcase Popcorn Zen, the Cinema AZN newsmagazine and documentaries on topics related to the community. The foreign programming was narrowed down to just Asian content, drawn in from countries such as India, Thailand, Singapore, Japan and other countries.
In late 2005, news of mass layoffs at the network prompted fears that Comcast would shut down AZN. However, the network remained on the air and continued to sponsor the annual Asian Excellence Awards, which highlights Asian American achievement in film and television. The network planned to premiere a new original show in September 2006, about four Asian-Americans tackling college application, the only such show announced.

Shutdown

In January 2008, Comcast announced it would be shutting down AZN and moving the Asian Excellence Awards show to E! The channel went off the air on April 9, 2008, at noon. The network was shut down as foreign language tiers with international networks, which have their own charges and feature content on networks International Channel struggled to balance onto a 168-hour weekly schedule, became much more popular, cost-effective, and had better quality controls, and more importantly, had programming originated on their own domestic networks.

Programming

Dramas and sitcoms

Abarenbou Mama.

News

Al Jazeera Headline News American Muslim Hour Antenna Satellite News
  • Balitang America with Cara Subijano China News from Beijing Deutsche Welle News Fujisankei News Global Report News Hodo 2001 / Hodo 2002 Insight International Report News Journal de France 2 LBC News News Desk From Seoul NHK News Oriental Horizons Pardres Philippines Tonight Polsat News Power News Romanian Voice Russian News from Moscow: Vremya Russian News: NTV America Télématin Telegiornale TV Asia News TV4 Daily U.N. World Chronicle The Week in Review
  • ''World Report''

Variety/music

  • Asap Variety Music show Philippines Amanat Antakshri Arabic Variety Asian Variety Show Canape Chinese Top 20 Cinema AZN Culture Club French Feelings Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ Hindi Variety Hungary 2001 / Hungary 2002 inDialog Inside Britain Italian Variety Jerusalem OnLine Joyful Gathering Kev Koom Siab Khubsoorat Korean Music Countdown Kung FauxLate Night V Mexico de Mis Amores Mix Music Bang Music Video Heaven Pasand Apni Apni Pilipinas, Game KNB? popjapan.tv Punjabi Variety Rang TV Revolution Russian Variety Sa Re Ga Ma / Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Search World Best Stateside Super Gourmet Mission Tanin Tea Time Unsolved Mystery Victoria to Uyen Show What's Up Thailand Yeh Hai Mere Apne
  • ''Zee Premiere Show''

Anime

Anime shows were broadcast in Japanese with English subtitles, or English dub.Armored Trooper VOTOMSBakugan Battle BrawlersBlack HeavenBlack JackDarkside BluesDeltora QuestDescendants of DarknessDragon Ball GTDragon Ball ZEl-Hazard: The Magnificent WorldEl-Hazard: The Alternative WorldFushigi YugiHoshin EngiKishin CorpsKirby: Right Back at Ya!Kuma no Putaro Last ExileLegend of Himiko L/R: Licensed by Royalty Lost UniverseNarutoPatlabor Princess RougeProject A-ko Record of Lodoss War Revolutionary Girl Utena Roujin ZSlayersSlayers Next Slayers Try Sol Bianca: The LegacySonic XSpace Pirate MitoTai Chi ChasersTenchi Muyo!Tenchi in Tokyo Tenchi Universe The Irresponsible Captain TylorTsukuyomi -Moon Phase- Urusei Yatsura World of NarueWrath of the NinjaYu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters

Other

Asia's Best Kept Secret Asian Excellence Awards Asian Wok Basta't Kasama Kita Bayani My Britain Children's Animation Cross Talk Game K N B? Gourmet Moments Get Drunk In ChinaGilette World Sports Groundling Marsh India Vision Italian Soccer LiAo Talk Show Math Tinik The Message NBA Timeout Pocoyo Sineskwela Stir TV Strut ToonHeads Unicef Winx Club Wool 100 Percent
  • ''World of Rugby''