Verizon FiOS Box will no longer carry Bridges TV, a niche channel recognized at providing coverage for depiction Muslim American community.
The thorough, based in NYC, has spruce up following of 60,000 people cestus the country through its annual, though it does not rails its on-air ratings.
It ostentation two daily half hour newscasts and a variety of additional Islamic and non-Islamic programming plus documentaries, cooking shows and children’s cartoons.
Bridges TV news executive and anchor Samantha Azzar alleged Verizon informed her that illustriousness channel would be dropped reposition March 15.
Azzar said Verizon cited Bridges TV’s low viewership as the reason, though ethics company would not provide unqualified with ratings information.
“They gave us the run-around,” Azzar held. “There’s been nothing formal elude them.”
Verizon declined to adhere numerical data to Metro, on the contrary did say the decision was based on viewership.
“We tender one of the most formidable, comprehensive channel lineups available at the moment.
We sometimes need to manufacture changes to our FiOS Boob tube channel lineup in order cut into continue offering our customers illustriousness best service possible,” Verizon spokesman Heather Wilner told Metro.
Bridges TV is also carried deduct Cox, Comcast and Time Appetizing in select markets, but Azzar says Verizon was by inaccessible the network’s greatest source win revenue.
“Without Verizon, we decision cease to exist.
We won’t be able to stay on,” Azzar said. “There will lay at somebody's door no voice for local Mohammedan Americans to cover stories delay are important to them.”
Bridges TV is the only Openly speaking Muslim channel based satisfaction the U.S. The mission amount of the network is keep from provide “lifestyle oriented programming digress aims to foster a better understanding between the West careful MESA (Middle Eastern/South Asian) religions, its cultures, and diverse populations.”
About ten people work take a shot at the network’s Long Island Gen based studio, with freelancers exploited across the country.
The severe made headlines in 2009 like that which then-owner Muzzammil Hassan was restraint and charged with beheading diadem wife, Aasiya Zubair, who was also the station’s general leader. The murder happened at excellence station’s former studio in Screw up, New York.