(HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIF.) March 9, 2006 – KOCE-TV, Orange County’s local PBS station, is taking a moral stand as the only station in the Southland, including Los Angeles to air the highly-publicized program, “The Armenian Genocide.” The acclaimed program, which shares the under-reported story of the Ottoman Turks’ brutal slaying of more than one million Armenians during one of the largest genocides in history, will premiere on KOCE-TV Wednesday, April 26, 2006 at 9:00 PM.

To date, despite overwhelming evidence and against the opinion of the overwhelming majority of historians, the Turkish government denies an Armenian genocide ever took place. However, in the face of this adversity, KOCE-TV has taken a moral stance by airing the documentary and recognizing the opinion of the overwhelming majority of historians that genocide did indeed take place.

“KOCE-TV is proud to be recognized as the only station in the Southland, including Los Angeles to air ‘The Armenian Genocide,’” said Mel Rogers, president and general manager of KOCE-TV. “This film and its topic are significant, and KOCE-TV feels it is important that the genocide suffered by the Armenians not be forgotten, denied or glossed over. It is part of the mission of public television to stimulate responsible discussion and illuminate complex issues. Since most Americans do not fully understand the issue in all its complexity, we are committed to offering the program which we sincerely hope will help viewers better understand this chapter in world history.”

KOCE-TV Shares the Largely Untold Story of the Turks’ Atrocious Crimes against Humanity
“The Armenian Genocide” is the unprecedented and powerful complete story of the first genocide of the 20th century. The one-hour documentary which features extensive never-before-seen historical footage explores the ongoing controversy of the Armenian genocide and explains why the Turkish government denies the events ever took place. The documentary, written, directed and produced by Emmy Award-winning producer Andrew Goldberg is narrated by Julianna Margulies, Ed Harris, Natalie Portman, Laura Linney and Orlando Bloom.

Filmed in the United States, France, Germany, Belgium, Turkey and Syria, the program features discussions with leading experts in the field including Pulitzer Prize-winning author Samantha Power, and New York Times best-selling author Peter Balakian, and Kurdish and Turkish citizens in modern-day Turkey who speak openly about the stories told to them by their parents and grandparents.

“As Turkey seeks to join the European Union, 90 years later, this film can give people a much better understanding of why this issue is such an important and current part of the international conversation about Turkey's role in the world today,” said Goldberg.

About Emmy Award-Winning Producer Andrew Goldberg
Andrew Goldberg’s television credits include PBS, ABC News, E!, CNN, and countless others. In addition to documentaries, he has also written and produced commercials for such companies as Bell South, Sephora/Louis Vuitton, AT&T and PetSmart. Goldberg‘s recent documentary productions include, A Yiddish World Remembered for PBS which won an Emmy in 2002, and The Armenians, A Story of Survival, which aired on PBS stations nationally in 2002 and was awarded the CINE Golden Eagle.

About KOCE-TV
KOCE-TV, one of the most watched PBS stations in America, has an estimated 4.5 million viewers* each month, and offers a mix of both local and national programs. In addition, KOCE Classroom serves more than half-a-million K-14 students. The winner of hundreds of awards including Emmys and Community Service Awards, KOCE continues to be a leading resource for education, culture and local issues in Southern California. For more information, please visit www.koce.org.

* This figure was calculated by KOCE's program consultant and is based upon information obtained via PubTV Online.