CO-Media

[jcradio]

QBID/CMDA UPDATE #3

Looks like the PUBLICITY has started.. QBID at .015 a share is now a joke. This price is a steal.


SOURCE =

http://www.southernvoice.com/southernvoice/news/record.html?record=12825

Dish Network backs away from Gay TV
by Eric Erickson
Thursday, 25 January 2001

A partnership between a fledgling gay television operation and the company supposed to transmit its signal to millions of subscribers has fallen apart, leaving the launch of Gay Television Network in doubt.



GTN wants to provide movies like 'It's in the Water'-along with other gay programming-despite the apparent pullout of corporate partner that was to beam the network to gays across the country.
It was a novel, even unheard of concept: Gay television programming around the clock. For years, gay men and lesbians around the country have waited for their Gay TV.

And it was supposed to happen later this month.

But delays have plagued Palm Springs, Calif.-based GTN, which initially said it would launch last November. That was delayed to Jan. 23, then again to early February.

In promoting itself, GTN said it would run gay movies, gay religious services, a gay spin-off of "Good Morning America," even a gay cooking show featuring drag chef Betty Delicious. All gay, all the time-at least first on the weekend, and slowly expanding from a 12-hour broadcast day.

And GTN touted a partnership with Dish Satellite Network, which would help GTN tap into Dish's 5 million digital satellite subscribers.

But this week, Dish said that partnership was premature; GTN said Dish is suffering from "homophobia."

Related Issues
For an overview of this issue see:

Television


"Dish got a case of homophobia," said Frank Olson, president of GTN and it's parent company, Co-Media.

Olson said Dish Network spent four months in Palm Springs, installing fiber optics equipment that would send the signal to gay homes across the country. Some 50,000 people have inquired about GTN, Olson said.

But when GTN issued a press release touting the Dish partnership, the alliance unraveled, Olson said.

EchoStar, the parent company of Dish, said the company had talked with GTN in the past, but that talk of a partnership was premature.

"The press release they put out was in error. We do not have a contract with the Gay Television Network," said Judianne Atencio, EchoStar's communications director. "I have nothing to say about GTN."

But in a Nov. 28 letter to GTN from Mark Jackson, an EchoStar vice president, Jackson writes that "EchoStar looks forward to a long and mutually beneficial business relationship with Co-Media"-one that will last long past the initial terms of a one-year agreement.

A representative in Jackson's office would not comment about GTN and referred comments to Atencio, who did not respond to further questions.

Olson said GTN stands behind a contract it has with Dish.

"I believe we do have a contract. We don't have this whole office full of Dish paraphernalia for nothing," Olson said. "We didn't give out 10,000 Dish bumper stickers at the last Pride festival for nothing. I didn't get it out of the fruit stand. We have an agreement and we expect them to fulfill it."

Despite the recent troubles, Olson said Dish has been easy to work with.

"They've been angels. We believe Dish Network is going to come through and honor their commitments," he said. "We're proud and we're proud of Dish company. We expect them to come through so we can be proud of them again."

Action Info
Gay Television Network
Phone: [phone]
http://www.wearegaytv.com

Dish Network
http://www.dishnetwork.com

Dish Network

c/o EchoStar Communications

Michael Dugan, President

5701 S. Santa Fe Drive

Littleton, CO 80120



Olson's said GTN can still make good on its dream of the all gay, all the time TV network.

"I thought it was the greatest thing. We can sit and watch sitcoms that weren't made for a cross-over audience. They were made for us," he said.