Great find.
DOn't know if entire article was already posted:
From SHE magazine January 2005
They may have been in the works for years, but only recently have gay and lesbian TV networks begun to make headlines. Is it because of the LGBT advertising dollar or, is it because there is more tolerance for our community? .
"I think that the presence of gay and lesbian shows helps to create a greater awareness in the mainstream of the experiences of LGBT people," says Meredith Kadlec, vice president of development for Here! a satellite service dedicated to gay and lesbian programming. "Ideally, greater awareness of our experiences can help breed tolerance. At the end of the day, however, LGBT people are a part of the mainstream."
LGBT viewers now have more options when it comes to seeing gay people on TV, and don't have to rely solely upon mainstream networks to provide it, but watch programming made by and for members of the LGBT community. Q Television Network (QTV), the television network for the gay and lesbian community, premiered its complete schedule of programming on RCN in Manhattan, Boston and San Francisco on November 1, 2004. It will convert to a subscriber-based channel at the end of January 2005. Here!, which is available on satellite and cable systems, premiered in August 2003. Dyke TV is available on satellite, and viewers can also watch segments online. In The Life Television, which has been broadcasting for 13 years, airs on over 130 public television stations nationwide, including all of the top 20 viewer markets, reaching over one million viewers per episode.
With the increase in gay and lesbian television networks, it would seem that LGBT programming is easier now than in previous years.
"One major difference between now and then is that there was really a huge momentum in the movement and there was a sense of urgency to get things done and to fight for our rights." says Jules Rosskam, executive producer for Dyke TV, the first lesbian cable access TV show for and about gay women, which aired its first episode in June 1993 on a small Manhattan cable channel and now airs on over 78 public access cable channels throughout the country. "I just think it is our time. The gay, lesbian and hopefully soon after, the transgender movements are coming into their own. I think, historically speaking, the movement of the world is continually towards a more liberal inclusive one and we are just part of that momentum."
But others in the business think this increase of programming may in fact be more about the battle for the LGBT dollar.
"In the '80s, no one would touch my show and no advertiser would come near it, and today they are falling all over you to be on the air with you. It's a tremendous economic difference," says Melinda Tremaglio, co-host of Q Television's Women on Women, a weekly 60-minute lesbian talk show dedicated to women's issues.
And Nadine Baldasare, supervising producer for In The Life, a national television series in a newsmagazine format airing monthly on PBS says, "Because of a saturated mass market, networks are shifting to more niche programming. Channels have expanded far beyond the four network system and according to advertising research, the LGBT community is one of the most affluent markets that remains untapped.
Other television insiders agree. "Estimates indicate that there are between 20 and 30 million gay and lesbian individuals in the U.S, with an estimated combined buying power of $500 billion," says Frank Olsen, Q Television's CEO and president. "In other words, there's a market for gay and lesbian television. I can't speak for other stations, but it is key as to why Q Television is moving forward now and is in greater demand."
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