Eight's 'Horizon' program to air 3 times nightly in 2012

Eight's Emmy Award-winning "Horizon" public affairs program moves to 5:30 p.m., weeknights starting Jan. 2, also airing at 10 p.m. on Eight HD and at 7 p.m. on Eight World. At the same time, Eight is renaming the program "Arizona Horizon" to emphasize its coverage of statewide issues, particularly in the upcoming 2012 election year.

“Moving 'Horizon' to 5:30 p.m. puts it smack dab in the middle of the two-hour window when viewers tune in for evening news,” said Kelly McCullough, Eight’s general manager. “By positioning 'Arizona Horizon' in a time period when audiences are looking for news, we expect that to broaden viewership.”

Celebrating its 30-year anniversary, "Horizon" has developed a loyal cadre of viewers and a reputation as a reliable source of thoughtful and impartial public affairs reporting. Its new time slot just before PBS "NewsHour" will offer Arizona audiences a combined 90 minutes of local/national PBS public affairs programming. PBS is the most trusted source of news and public affairs among broadcast and cable media, according to 2010 research by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media.

Recently, "Horizon" was named the Arizona Capitol Times’ 2011 Leader of the Year in Public Policy and also received its leadership award for covering arts and humanities statewide. In October Ted Simons, managing editor and "Horizon" host, and David Majure, executive producer, took home Rocky Mountain Emmy Awards for their work on the show. Simons also was named “Best TV Host – 2011” by Phoenix New Times.

“At a time when Arizonans are decrying a lack of civil discourse, look no further than 'Arizona Horizon' for the nightly antidote,” McCullough said. “Its 30-year reputation for bringing opposing views together in a thoughtful and respectful debate to discuss critical Arizona issues speaks for itself. And the show’s neutral platform will take on even greater significance leading up to the fall 2012 elections.”

Eight, Arizona PBS is a trusted community resource. For 50 years, the PBS station has focused on educating children, reporting in-depth on public affairs, fostering lifelong learning and celebrating arts and culture. Eight achieves its mission through the power of noncommercial television, the Internet, educational outreach and community-based initiatives. Its signal reaches 86 percent of the homes in Arizona. With more than 1 million viewers weekly, Eight consistently ranks among the most-viewed public television stations per capita in the country.  For more information, visit azpbs.org. Eight is a member-supported service of Arizona State University.