News anchor Jason Takhtadjian connects news, sports and Armenia

The Armenian community is made up of remarkable people who are elevating causes and making a difference in the world. Among such people is Jason Takhtadjian, a news anchor for KCAU-TV in Sioux City, Iowa.

Takhtadjian was born in Glendale, California and moved to Las Vegas during his elementary school years. He remembers Glendale as a beautiful mosaic of diversity. He faced culture shock in Las Vegas, where it seemed like nobody spoke Armenian, while his tatik and papik (grandparents) spoke Armenian at home. His home was always filled with the Armenian language, customs and foods. Takhtadjian was always fascinated with history, math, science, sports and geography, and his grandfathers introduced him to soccer. He joined the Armenian Church Youth Organization in Las Vegas as its Armenian population grew.

Takhtadjian enrolled in the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he planned to study mechanical engineering, since he was enamored with aerospace engineering, space and flights. After a semester, he knew it was not the route for him. He returned to sports and switched his major to journalism. He started his own podcast for the UNLV radio station and worked in anchoring, producing, editing, filming and writing.

Takhtadjian was part of an Armenian duo (along with David Stepanian) providing color and play-by-play commentary for UNLV Runnin’ Rebels men’s basketball games. He was one of the few thousand people in attendance during the first Las Vegas Raiders home game during the pandemic, and his first NFL game as a journalist. Since no fans could attend, only players, owners and media personnel were present. After graduating in May of 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic was in full effect, he started working at KCAU 9, Sioux City, Iowa. After a year, he was also appointed as the weekend anchor and producer.

There are some Armenians in Des Moines, Iowa, but Takhtadjian has only met a couple of Armenians in Sioux City. His first experience with reporting on Armenian issues was in 2022, when he did a weekend piece on the Armenian Genocide. Takhtadjian tried to localize the issue by focusing on local politicians and their recognition of the Armenian Genocide. During the blockade of Artsakh, he connected the 120,000 people living in Sioux City and surrounding areas to the 120,000 Armenians of Artsakh and looked for voices of solidarity.

Takhtadjian told the Weekly that it was challenging to move away from his family to Sioux City, which is nearly 2,000 miles away from Las Vegas. Sioux City is very quiet and peaceful, but he misses the Armenian community. While he enjoys reporting the news, he would love to return to his real passion: sports. He hopes to move closer to Las Vegas or Los Angeles but is open to relocating anywhere to pursue sports journalism.

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Takhtadjian is also a contributor to the Armenian Sports News page that started in 2021 on Instagram, run by Weekly contributor Andre Khachaturian. He connects sports with Armenian culture and interviews athletes. He interviewed the basketball player Andre Mkrtchyan Spight at UNLV in 2017 and again this year before the Pan Armenian games. He also interviewed Rex Kalamian, the Pro Player Personnel Scout for the Brooklyn Nets and head coach of the Armenian national basketball team.

Another important interview was with the head of Armenian National Committee of Artsakh, Gev Iskajyan, during the forced displacement of the indigenous people of Artsakh. They had planned a Zoom call, but it didn’t work out because of the poor internet connection under blockade. Instead, Takhtadjian asked questions via WhatsApp, and Iskajyan responded with audio files. Takhtadjian said it was rewarding to get to the voice of the people from a primary source during such a difficult time. He also used information from Mary Asatryan, who was the assistant to the Artsakh Ombudsman.

Takhtadjian’s advice to those pursuing journalism is not to be a one trick pony. Journalists need to learn how to run social media, use a camera, utilize radio, and most importantly, write well. During the NBA Summer League in 2017, he had the privilege to speak with sports journalist Stephen A. Smith. Smith told Takhtadjian to develop multiple skills and showcase his versatility as a journalist. “You can be witty and be handsome or pretty, but you need to make sure that you can write well,” Takhtadjian said.

Takhtadjian is grateful for all the opportunities he has had working as a journalist in Sioux City as well as within the Armenian community. He loves the growth of Armenian journalists and meaningful content about Armenian issues. “We have an opportunity to share the message of Armenians in a positive light. Right now, we need to see more positivity. It’s interesting to see all of the Armenian content that is out there,” Takhtadjian said.

Takhtadjian will make us even more proud in the future with his passion for incorporating sports, news and Armenia.