WASHINGTON—The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) joined thousands of frustrated Armenians across the U.S. and around the world this week in expressing frustration with NBC’s short and silent coverage of Armenia’s Olympic team during its coverage of the 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremonies in London on July 27.
In a letter sent to NBC CEO and President Stephen Burke, ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian noted, “We were troubled by the absence of any commentary or background—scripted or otherwise—about Armenia, a nation with a history of thousands of years, and a proud legacy of participation in the Olympic games. In the place of information, your viewers were treated to a single line: ‘Armenia, now walking in,’ and then nothing more about Armenia during the very short on-screen time devoted to broadcasting only a single member of the more than two dozen athletes on the Armenian team.”
The ANCA letter called for an explanation and apology, as well as a commitment by NBC to provide meaningful coverage of Armenia and her athletes during the remainder of the games.
The ANCA first voiced the community’s concerns on its Facebook page, at facebook.com/ancagrassroots. These concerns have been echoed by Facebook and Twitter posts from around the world.
The full text of the letter is provided below.
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July 30, 2012
Stephen B. Burke
Chief Executive Officer and President
NBC Universal Media, LLC
GE Building
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York City, NY 10112
Dear Mr. Burke,
I am writing, on behalf of your many U.S.-based viewers of Armenian heritage, to share with you our disappointment over the very short and inexplicably silent coverage of the Republic of Armenia’s team during your broadcast of the opening ceremonies of the London 2012 Summer Olympics.
We were troubled by the absence of any commentary or background—scripted or otherwise—about Armenia, a nation with a history of thousands of years, and a proud legacy of participation in the Olympic games. In the place of information, your viewers were treated to a single line: “Armenia, now walking in” and then nothing more about Armenia during the very short on-screen time devoted to broadcasting only a single member of the more than two dozen athletes on the Armenian team. The inadequacy of the coverage provided to Armenia, relative to that provided nearly every other country, was underscored by the hundreds of community complaints we continue to field on this matter. NBC’s dismissive treatment of Armenia was disrespectful not only to the citizens of Armenia, but to a world-wide diaspora that includes over 1.5 million Armenian-Americans. Such actions undermine NBC’s longstanding relationship with its viewers who care about Armenia. We call upon you to explain and apologize for the shortcomings in NBC’s broadcast of the Armenian team, and to ensure proper coverage of Armenia and her athletes during the remainder of the Olympics.
Thank you for your consideration of our concerns.
Sincerely,
Kenneth V. Hachikian
Chairman, ANCA
One more time it shows that NBC commentators are so illiterate and wortles people.
I was so frustrated myself. My kids were in front of the TV waiting impatiently to see the Armenian athletes marching. I thank ANCA for the letter.
I was very disappointed by the way the Armenians athletes were disrespected at the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. NBC should apologize to these athletes for not showing them or giving any background information. It is time that Armenia is recognized as much as the other nations.
Given the interest of millions of Armenians, it’s also stupid.
However, it’s not the first time- in a recent Summer Games they simply cut away entirely from the Armenian team, and I believe it was in Beijing, where the national team went on to get 6 medals.
Maybe someone else can identify which Olympiad cut away from the Armenian team. By the way, take heart – at the last Games someone pointed out that Jamaica and Armenia had the highest ratio of medalists to population.
And: one of the last champions of the Ancient Games, in about 361AD was Armenian Price Vartazad, in boxing. Good then, good now.
I remember this. They did it to other countries as well when they were going to commercials. I don’t remember however if the Beijing Olympic ceremony was broadcast live or not. Does anyone remember?
You are right on jda about Prince Vartazad (although I did not know his name). In fact he won boxing at the last 2 Olympics and his victories played a huge role in discontinuing the Olympics. Of course the “experts” like to say it was the advent of Christianity that led the Greeks to discontine the games. In reality, boxing was a huge event and having an Armenian prince win it two Olympics in a row was more than their pride could bear.
It is a shame on the poor coverage by NBC on the Armenian Athletes at the London Olympics. It seems the Turks have won again by possibly brainwashing NBC not to give any coverage on the Armenian Athletes. We thank the ANCA for protesting the poor coverage.
Let’s not attribute malice to what may be stupidity or mediocrity. NBC has been demonstrating the latter all over the place when covering the London olympics.
I’m also disappointed at the minimal info NBC provided on Armenia. The question begs to be asked: What Public Relations information on Armenia
and the Armenian team was sent to the Olympics or to NBC? I know its a David
vs. Goliath type situation… we just need to learn how to hit the giant between the eyes.
I missed the beginning and was trying to find something about the Armenian team on-line. I wondered why I couldn’t.
I support each word of this letter entirely.
Thank you very much, Mr. Hachikian
Meanwhile they skipped over Azerbaijan completely with a commercial break. Everything is always a Turkish-Azeri conspiracy theory.
RVDV is right but partially. They did show the entire Azerbaijani team (at least, I could see a big group of them marching and what they were wearing) but went over it very fast. To be fair, they did not say much about them either except that next was Azerbaijan. They did the same to a few more countries, too.
Although I am quite disappointed, I don’t think any country or any party is to blame for this besides NBC. Was it intentional? Maybe. I must say that the silence of the commentators was quite awkward. No wonder that so many of us noticed it.
Costas was was also quite non-diplomatic when the Pakistanis entered. He said “world leaders are keeping a wary eye on this country.”
” Was it intentional? Maybe.”
Why would it be intentional? What could NBC have against Armenia? I assure you the Turkish lobby is not that powerful, nor do I believe they would actually spend time and effort to ensure Armenia would get snubbed.
Ironically NBCs Olympics website has the following nice writeup on Armenians and Olympics:
“Armenia: Olympic Tradition
Armenia first competed in the Olympics as an independent nation in 1996, having represented the Soviet Union through the 1988 Games and then the Unified Team in 1992. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognized Armenia as a member in 1993, and 32 athletes competed in the Atlanta Games.
Armenian Olympians of note include: Igor Ter-Ovanesyan, the long jump bronze medalist in 1960 and 1964, who, upon witnessing Bob Beamon’s 29-2½ leap at the 1968 Games, claimed: “Compared to this jump, we are as children”; Albert Azaryan, a three-time gymnastics gold medalist (1956 men’s team, 1956 rings, 1960 rings); and Igor Novikov, who won two golds (1956 and 1964 men’s team) and two silvers (1960 men’s team and 1964 individual) in modern pentathlon. The last recorded champion of the ancient Olympics was Prince Varastades, who won the boxing competition at the 291st Olympic Games (approx. 388 A.D.) before becoming king of Armenia.
In Atlanta, Armen Nazaryan won the nation’s first (and only) gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling, while the other Armenian medal also was claimed on the wrestling mat as Armen Mkrtchyan took a silver in freestyle.
In Sydney, the only Armenian to win a medal was Arsen Melikyan, who won bronze in the 77kg/170 lbs weightlifting competition. Another weightlifter, Ashot Danielyan, was stripped of his bronze medal in the 105+kg/231+ lbs weight class after testing positive for a banned substance.
Despite some wrestling medal hopefuls, Armenia did not win a medal in 2004.
Armenia won six medals (all bronze) at the 2008 Games in Beijing.”
I thank the ANCA for taking this action.
This is why sometimes I am embarrassed to be Armenian. WAH WAH WAH… they didn’t praise Armenia, let’s get the CEO to apologize for a non-issue and demand more coverage on Armenia while majority of the world don’t care about Armenia in the games. Let’s organize a mob with pitchforks against some delusional conspiracy theory.
I saw the opening ceremony, yes it was kind of odd, being silent and showing one athlete (but I don’t even think the remaining 24 were there, they mentioned athletes don’t march because of events the next day!). Regardless, who cares?
The next day on CNBC they showed a match between Hakopyan and an American boxer. Unfortunately Hakopyan lost, but it was an exciting match. The crowd was excited yelling HAY-AS-TAN HAY-AS-TAN, the American crowd then yelled U-S-A, then Armenia fans yelled AR-MEN-IA.
A televised match between Armenia and U.S.A. What more do you want? They probably showed more matches with Armenia, I don’t know as I didn’t have time to follow the Olympics afterwards.
But seriously, fellow Armenians, please use your brains and stop politicizing non-issues.
One thing I’m curious about, how does Turkey have a Kenyan on their running team. Sneaky, sneaky… :)
Reading the comments I was amazed to find out how sensitive we have become to things in general …. to feel slighted at every turn whenever things do not go our way. Yes, all of us felt disappointed that NBC did not spend more time showing the Armenian Olympic team. But so what ? NBC is being fairly and squarely criticized by the general public for its coverage of Olympic events. When these people deprive us, US television audience, from following the Olympic events LIVE, do you think they care if a tiny segment of the population is up in arms for the way they handle the program? Please do not waste your outrage at such pitful things and save it for bigger events!
What you said Hamasdegh. Often times i stumble over my own words. You expressed what I was trying to say, very well.
I cannot agree here.
Armenian community is the most successful one in The UK and being one of the smallest, contributes greatly to the country.
Another thing, they all speak so much about equality, diversity and inclusion that it was surprising to find such unfair treatment.
I am not sure if it was planned, but certainly unthoughtful.
NBC is an American company and they were doing their own commentary and the UK had nothing to do with what’s broadcast. NBC’s Olympics website had a very nice history of Armenians in the Olympics. They screwed up on the parade of nations. In fact NBCs delayed broadcast was edited to make it shorter.
Besides, what does the success of the Armenian in UK have anything to do with it? Every country that’s participating, large or small deserves a respectful introduction during the parade.
Out of curiosity, how successful is the UK Armenian community, and how did you measure that it’s the most successful one?
there was a survey carried out a few years ago and the results appeared in papers. I read it at the time.
And to be honest I don’t really care if it has something to do with The UK or anyone else.
I watched it on BBC and mentioned The UK.
Astvatsaturova,
That would be an interesting paper to read.
Sorry, I can not find in net now.
To go off on a tangent … does anyone know of a list of Armenians representing countries other than Armenia? I saw quite a few in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. I believe one was representing Ukraine.
This is a non-issue. We have more important fish to fry.
As of now no Armenian athlete from Armenia has medaled. The bright spot has been the Armenian who won Gold for Russia.
The NBC commentators on the broadcasts simply read what is put in front of them.
I am sure most of them, if not all of them, do not know where Armenia is ,nor many of the countries that participate.
Finally, NBC in general , is a biased oganization that has become the puppet of the current administration.
Vart Adjemian
I wish we didn’t make so much of this. We weren’t the only ones given minimal attention. Also the broadcast of the opening ceremonies was edited when shown in the US due to other factors than bias. Doesn’t this complaint make us seem myopic and silly? I agree that this is a non-issue. Good luck to all Armenian competitors. Let excellence be our focus, not slights by the fickle media.
Proves the general self-centered arrogant attitude of Armenian Dashnaks, period.