New for DirecTV will Dish offer this?

[dswoody1]

:goodjob: by Peter Marchese
Gay.com / PlanetOut.com Network

It may not be a 24-hour cable television channel, but satellite broadcaster DirecTV is hosting a new pay-per-view service dedicated to providing content aimed at the underserved gay and lesbian audience.

Beginning on Aug. 29, Regent Entertainment and Here Films will launch "here! Pay Per View" (hPPV) -- a new service offering recent gay and lesbian-themed movies, with pay-per-view premieres, and a wide range of special programming.

The venture, announced on Monday, is spearheaded by two of Hollywood's big names in gay and lesbian-themed theatrical motion pictures, Stephen Jarchow and Paul Colichman. The duo is responsible for "Gods and Monsters," which won the Academy Award for adapted screenplay, and for supporting other gay and lesbian productions through Here Films, operated by the Los Angeles film production company Regent Entertainment.

"There have been too many excuses as to why there wasn't a gay channel," said Colichman. "So the idea was first to get started, because we knew the community was there."

At this point, the cost for each feature will be $3.99 and will be available only to DirectTV's 11.4 million customers. Colichman believes DirectTV should be congratulated for championing a television service for the gay and lesbian community. However, he explains hPPV is only a gay TV seed that he's looking to develop into a full-fledged gay and lesbian channel.

"We will continue to formulate the subscription service, which would soon allow customers to buy a group of movies or even an entire channel over the next 12 to 18 months," said Colichman.

Scott Seomin, entertainment media director for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), is also optimistic about the future of hPPV.

"We're obviously very happy that this is happening with DirecTV," said Seomin. "We're also very happy here at GLAAD because the people behind Regent are very smart businessmen and make very strategic business decisions, and that leads me to believe this channel will succeed."

This new service comes in the wake of the recent statement made by Viacom regarding the indefinite delay of a 24-hour, gay and lesbian cable channel co-produced by Showtime and MTV Networks. A separate but similar gay channel announced by MDC Entertainment has also not yet come to fruition.

But just because hPPV is the first U.S. gay television service doesn't mean it will be the last. Instead of pushing other gay channels out of the market, Seomin thinks the launch of hPPV could actually help other channels get off the ground.

"If it succeeds, it will be copied," said Seomin. "When this starts making a profit -- and since it's pay-per-view it will -- its model will be copied by other entities."

In a landscape with no gay TV, Colichman welcomes the competition.

"Our goal is to prove the viability of the community," said Colichman. "So we deserve to be served by several channels in the future ? but someone needed to put their stake in the ground and say 'Let's start!'"

Initially, here! Pay Per View will offer four to six movies per month as well as music specials.

The service will launch with the television premiere of the highest-grossing independent gay and lesbian film of 2002, "Sordid Lives," a comedy about unconditional love, acceptance and coming out in a Texas family members converge for the matriarch's funeral.

Posted July 9, 2003

[Scott Greczkowski]

There was once word that Triangle TV was coming to Dish, Triangle TV was a subscription Gay and Lesbian channel. The news of this caused some major backlash from the public (especially on the forums) and the channel never materialized.

It will be interesting to see how this channel does on DirecTV. I am under the belief that a person can watch what they want behind the doors of their homes on TV weather that be straight TV or Gay and Lesbian oriented programming. My figuring is if you don't like it or it is against your morals or beliefs then don't order it or watch it.

I wish the new channel luck.

[JStanton]

There was once word that Triangle TV was coming to Dish, Triangle TV was a subscription Gay and Lesbian channel. The news of this caused some major backlash from the public (especially on the forums) and the channel never materialized.

I hope this channel not only gets carried but is very successful just to piss off the 'backlashers'.

- Jim

[bkwest]

Just get showtime... I find they are showing more GLBT movies and series. But I feel that Queer As Folk is gone... 13 episodes this season... bah ... Also Free Speech TV has some gay programing. Bravo has the Queer Eye... Showtime has "The L Word" coming...

[dtcarson]

Regardless as to one's opinion on homosexuality/heterosexuality/asexuality/whatever; why is it that potential consumers, expressing their opinion on an offering from a major company, are called 'backlashers?' Usually when consumers express their opinion, either verbally or with their wallet, that's recognized as a good thing that can drastically change a marketplace [that's why the fast food/snack industry is beginning to change, and why hybrid cars aren't as big yet as they could be.]
I won't order this channel, but if there's a market for it, and E*/D* can make money from offering it, and people want it, more power to them. Like Scott said, I don't really care what you watch in your own house....Except for 'reality' shows, I don't want you watching that crap ; )
What if the channel were the Nazi channel? Would people expressing their opinions on the forums be known as backlashers?

Although this brings up an additional argument, in a wider sense: Is TV, especially satellite, getting *too* specialized? Golf channel, Game show network, Soapnet, fifteen Sports channels, including 'ESPN Classic' [reruns of old games?], the theoretical Reality channel, this tentative network; what's next, the Commercial Channel? [Hmm, I might watch that--many commercials are more entertaining and better acted than many TV shows.]

[JStanton]

Regardless as to one's opinion on homosexuality/heterosexuality/asexuality/whatever; why is it that potential consumers, expressing their opinion on an offering from a major company, are called 'backlashers?' Usually when consumers express their opinion, either verbally or with their wallet, that's recognized as a good thing that can drastically change a marketplace [that's why the fast food/snack industry is beginning to change, and why hybrid cars aren't as big yet as they could be.]
I won't order this channel, but if there's a market for it, and E*/D* can make money from offering it, and people want it, more power to them. Like Scott said, I don't really care what you watch in your own house....Except for 'reality' shows, I don't want you watching that crap ; )
What if the channel were the Nazi channel? Would people expressing their opinions on the forums be known as backlashers?

Although this brings up an additional argument, in a wider sense: Is TV, especially satellite, getting *too* specialized? Golf channel, Game show network, Soapnet, fifteen Sports channels, including 'ESPN Classic' [reruns of old games?], the theoretical Reality channel, this tentative network; what's next, the Commercial Channel? [Hmm, I might watch that--many commercials are more entertaining and better acted than many TV shows.]

Oops, you invoked Nazism. According to Godwin's Law [1] you automatically lose the argument :D

I don't care who purchases this channel. I probably won't - I'm not the target audience.

I'd classify a backlasher as one who not only doesn't subscribe to the channel, but rants about the decline of western civilization and wants to pull their subscription simple because the channel is available.

I probably also wouldn't subscribe to a Nazi channel (maybe for a month or two for 'know your enemy' reasons), but I'd argue till I couldn't speak anymore for it's right to exist. I don't see the difference between a Nazi channel, FSTV or the books Mein Kampf, Atlas Shrugged or the Roman Catholic Bible for that matter. All of them propose/promote a philosophy/worldview that you might or might not consider evil, but don't you want to know what the other side is thinking? You never know, maybe some of your assumptions will be challenged.

I don't think that it's getting too specialized. If there is money to be made on these niches, let the market decide.

I definately would subscribe to a commercial channel. There used to be a televised commerical award show (the Clios?) but I haven't seen it in a couple years.

- Jim

[1] http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_Law

[RandyAB]

I wonder how many of the 11 million Directv customers will buy this channel? All though for that matter, I wonder how many people actually watch some of the smaller niche channels.