Arts & Culture - Armenian Reporter

Gracing the Armenian airwavesTatevik Ekezian hasbecome a staple on bothradio and televisionby Sarah SoghomonianTime – it seems like there is never enoughof it. There is always something more thatneeds to be done.Tatevik Ekezian can attest to this. The27-year-old is always on the go, jugglingmultiple jobs. “It can be overwhelmingat times,” she said. “It’s very straining.”Tatevik was born in Yerevan, but hascalled Fresno, California, home sincethe age of nine. It’s a community shesays she is proud to be a part of.While thousands of Armenians callthe Fresno area home, Tatevik saysthere aren’t always enough ways tobring everyone together. That’s whereshe comes in.Tatevik is the host of HyeOozh ArmenianRadio. The program airs Saturdaymornings on KFSR-FM, the radio stationof California State University, Fresno.While a student at Fresno State, Tatevikgot involved in HyeOozh. After shegraduated with a degree in psychologyin 2004, she stuck around, continuing tohost the show.“Armenian music on FM airwaves ispretty amazing,” Tatevik said. “Peoplelive for that Saturday morning. They listento it in their stores, in their cars. Itis amazing.”While growing up, Tatevik would listento Armenian music, but she neverhad any desire to go into radio. “WhenI started the show, I didn’t know what Iwas doing, but I taught myself and gotfamiliar with the music,” she said.In the beginning, Tatevik hosted theshow with two other people, but for thelast three years she has done it alone. “Atthis point, if I leave the HyeOozh show,there is no one to take it over,” she said.“I can’t do that to the listeners. It’s aboutkeeping the community together.”HyeOozh has a following. The show isbroadcast online at kfsr.org. “I have listenersin Glendale, Belgium, the EasternUnited States, just about everywhere,”Tatevik said.One of the challenges for the youngradio host is dealing with all the differentArmenian dialects. “I think in English,so it’s hard to switch to Armenian,”she said.Growing up in Yerevan, Tatevik spokeEastern-Armenian. While studying atthe Armenian Community School inFresno, she learned Western-Armenian.Now she uses both to speak with listenerswho call in. “It’s great that I’m able totalk to everyone that calls in,” she said.“But it can be intimidating.”Tatevik volunteers her time for Hye-Oozh. And she doesn’t mind. During theweek she works in advertising and marketingat the Valley Yellow Pages, a localphone book company.“I’ve dabbled in a little bit of everything,”Tatevik said. “I love people. I love to communicate.I feel my calling is essentially tohelp people. I don’t have any set goals. I’msort of just flying by the seat of my pants.”Taking life a day at a time has beengood for Tatevik. Doors have opened forher and she has walked through them.Her work with the Armenian radio programhas led to work on television. “I’venever really been stage shy,” she said.Hosting the Armenia FundTelethonIn 2005, Tatevik was asked to appearon that year’s Armenia Fund Telethon,which raises money from the worldwideArmenian community for developmentprojects in Armenia. The all-day event,held on Thanksgiving, has been aired annuallysince 1997.“It’s a huge responsibility,” Tateviksaid. “I had never hosted anything onTV before.”A lot of preparation goes into puttingthe show on the air, but once the showgoes live, anything can happen.Tatevik remembers her first telethon.She says it was hard to stay calm becauseshe knew the audience was huge. “I keptgetting phone calls from family memberssaying they were watching,” shesaid. “That made me shake even more.”To make things worse, producersasked Tatevik to do a live interview withArmenia Fund representatives in Argentina.The catch: she had to speak Spanish.“My Spanish is good, but not thatgood,” Tatevik said.In the end, the experience was veryrewarding. “Everything is done professionally,”Tatevik said. “Armenia Fund[has] just fabulous people to work with.”Three years after Tatevik’s first stinton television, she is somewhat of a seasonedprofessional, working on projectsfor Armenian cable television channelsin Southern California.Tatevik’s busy schedule recently goteven crazier. Most weekends she drivesto Los Angeles to tape episodes of “MClub,” an Armenian music video showairing on Horizon TV on Charter Cableand satellite.“It’s been really, really fun,” Tatevik said.“Only problem, my schedule doesn’t leavemuch time for a personallife.”“M Club” is similar to MTV’s “Total RequestLive.” Fans vote for their favoritemusic videos over the phone and via theInternet. And guess who counts all thevotes? That’s right: Tatevik does thatpart too.“We want to make sure it reflects whatpeople want,” she said. “That’s the mostimportant part.”Tatevik is thinking about making themove to Los Angles and pursuing a fulltimecareer as a television host. Butmaking that jump is scary, she noted.Either way, one thing is positive. Tateviksays her family is there to supporther. She says she draws inspiration fromher parents Pabken and Anahit and herbrother Mher.“I think bigger things are to come,” Tateviksaid. “I set high standards for myself.I want to make a difference and havefun.”fconnect:hyeoozh.comAbove: Tatevik asone of the hosts ofthe Armenia FundTelethon. Far left:Hosting HyeOozhArmenian Radio. Left:Tatevik with Armenianpop singer Andre.C10 Armenian Reporter Arts & Culture April 12, 2008