AZN Television

AZN Television

AZN Television logo
Ownership
Owner	International Networks (Comcast)
History
Launched	1990; 34 years ago (1990) (as International Channel)
Closed	April 9, 2008; 16 years ago (2008-04-09)

AZN Television (formerly called International Channel) was a 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. It competed in certain markets with ImaginAsian Television.

This section needs expansion with: formation of channel, programs acquired, rebranding to AZN. You can help by adding to it. (March 2015)

The channel was launched as the International Channel in 1990,^[1] and was initially owned by a joint venture of Liberty Media (which had a 90% stake) and JJS II Communications, LLC (which had the remaining 10% stake).^[2] 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 (now International Media Distribution) in July 2004. In March 2005, Comcast rebranded and refocused the International Channel to AZN Television, which now focused purely on Asian and Asian-American culture.^[3] In late 2005, news of mass layoffs at the network prompted fears that Comcast would shut down AZN.^[4] 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. In January 2008, Comcast announced it would be shutting down AZN and moving the Asian Excellence Awards show to E!^[5] The channel went off the air on April 9, 2008, at noon.^[6][7] 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.^[6]

Anime shows were broadcast in Japanese with English subtitles, or English dub.^[14]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to AZN Television.

• Farewell to AZN Television from YouTube