Now that I no longer work for Q I can finally post my thoughts. The OTHER Frank reference with my screen name is that I am Frank Hagan. That's HAGAN - not HAGEN). As I did on my first day on Chrisanne's show, I again want thank our viewers and investors for having faith in Q. I am not in the position (or have direct knowledge of) anything about the current stock situation. What I can dispell a few popular IHub myths. Lloyd Fan is NOT Frank Olsen -- not even close. Lloyd is a man with a huge heart that tried to do all he could to keep Q alive - and you need to know that. Frank Owe and his cronies deserve everything bad, foul, legal (add the adjective or noun of your preference) that you can say about him. If you want to know where the money is, someone said it in here long ago -- "follow the fat man..."
I tried to put a new schedule together (without the cash to buy new shows) but faced existing expiring program licenses and other problems with poorly contracted deals. I looked at what was available and wondered "who the hell was in charge of buying stuff here?" I was amazed at how little there was in "the vault" to work with. To keep costs down -- till we had money to play with -- I ran public domain stuff to fill in the ever expiring blank holes of programming. BUT -- for the first time since they were on the air -- the Q schedule was finally put in "near to" or totally in compliance. Why run all the PSA's? Every station promo in the vault had Scott Withers in it. I swear there was more tape on him than Clinton, Bush and the Pope combined. He must have inserted himself in every imaginable piece of footage. With him gone from Q -- we removed him from 90% of the schedule. Q's Live talk existed on a string budget (again, thanks to Frank Owe) and those who were working there were as creative as they could be and let me tell you -- THEY WORKED THEIR ASSES OFF to keep Q going. Reichen was becoming more of an issue show and he was great at it! No more faked E MAILS or employee calls painted to be real.
PS: he wasn't "cancelled" - he, like all the others there, was "let go." Robbie Laughlin is one of the funniest people I have ever worked with and Chrisanne? LOOK OUT COMEDY CENTRAL - she could give John Stewart a run for his money. Scott and the NEWS TEAM were the most professional I've ever seen -- and Steve Kmetco? If the rest of broadcasting was as professional as he was -- TV would be an easier world to work in. To see them and their producers, cameramen, directors and tech staff cut afer working so hard was a painful moment for me - BUT (unlike Frank Owe) NO ONE LIED TO THEM WHEN IT HAPPENED. They were kept fully informed.
Lloyd and Carol were doing everything possible to keep Q alive, (and still are) but thanks to previous management NOT KEEPING RECORDS or conviently "losing" them, it was impossible to bring in ANY investors. Carol Hinnent is one of the best people in Cable TV I've ever met and she also had her heart and soul in the right place. SHE CARED! I see bashers in here going after them (shame on you). You're going afther the wrong Q Management. I also see HansenC posting internal documents to feel self important. Screw you dude - you said you worked with all these people -- so you could have removed their names before you posted that information -- if not out of respect -- at least out of your so called "friendship...") I am amazed at your heartlessness towards them. I have no idea who you are BUT I KNOW YOU ARE AN ASSHOLE. To the supporters we still have in here -- I thank you! To those who bash? It's your right to do so -- but you need to be fully informed - not supposition disguised as information.
For the Q programming record? Jack E Jett was offered a Sat night 90 minute show, but we all couldn't come to terms (and, at this point, it's just as well and I wish him well.) Nick Oram's show was hugely over budget and out of control (but slickly cut) and Honey (we love Honey) was coming back with a new talk show before the second bottom started falling out.
Q may have a breath or two left in it -- and if it does come back - I would go back to work there in a heartbeat. I also don't blame the GLBT community for not supporting the station. I was in markets where they DO and I saw the potential of Q growing. There are GLBT viewers that appreciate what Q brought them -- and there are more out there and they would become viewers if we could bring Q to them. That possibility may have (and I repeat) MAY have ended.
I can also personally speak about one "thing" -- Frank Olsen. Never met him. I doubt if I would want to. What this man did to the potential of Gay Broadcasting is a shame. What he did with Q and investors money is probably criminal (but I am not with the SEC or a lawyer so my opinions on that are worthless). That is up to you to do something.
To all of you in here, thanks for some funny posts, thanks for the support, thanks for the "short seller" bashing -- but please keep in mind, not every "former" employee is disgruntled... The ones that are -- and are in here posting BS -- have the right to do whatever they want (as do I). The difference with me? I'm not twisting truth or lying to add any fuel to the fire. I'm just someone that was very proud of my time at Q and I hope I get the chance to do it again.
OH! -- Sorry - but I will not respond to any private E MAILS on this post.
Frank Hagan
(former)
Programming Director and General Manager
QTN
