I Want M

  
 

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Gay TV

Adeiphia Launches LOGO in VT

BY Scorr SHERMAN

new cable TV channel
that has recently arrived in
Vermont has some conser-

vative and religious groups wor-
ried. Concerned Women for
America are, as you might imag-
ine, concerned. “This is a sad day
for America’s children,” says their
Dr. Janice Crouse. The American
Family Association warns that TV
viewers are about to see “scenes of
men kissing men and women kiss-
ing women.” And Focus on the
Family cautions that “At any time
of the day or night an unsuspecting
child can be subjected to the mes-
sage that homosexuality is a nor-
mal, natural and appealing lifestyle
choice.”

The cause of this right
wing hysteria is the debut of
LOGO, a new cable channel offer-
ing 24 hours a day of program-
ming devoted to the lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender
communities.

LOGO, which comes
from MTV Networks, plans to
offer a variety of gay-themed pro-
gramming, including reality
shows, comedies, LGBT movies,
documentaries, and a host of other
targeted shows.

_ A sampling of LOGO’s
programs at the time of this writ-
ing included “First Comes Love,”
starring actor/comedian Scott
Thompson (Kids in the Hall) who
“challenges gay and lesbian cou-
ples to fulfill a long-held wish to
have the wedding of their dreams,”
“The Best of the GLAAD
Awards,” and the movies Flawless,
The Brandon Teena Story, and
Jefifre-y.

Upcoming shows
include astand-up comedy pro-
gram called Take My Life Partner
Please, and Noah ’s Arc, a comedic
drama about the life of an African-
American gay man in Los Angeles
and his three best friends.

LOGO has a news part-
nership with CBS, and it plans to
produce original co-branded con-
tent with publications including
The Advocate, Out and The Out

Traveler. The network also runs an
ongoing original documentary
series, Momentum, which focuses
on the variety of distinct and dif-
ferent lives within the LGBT com-
munity, from a gay rugby team
and gay rappers to lesbian surfers
and gay Muslims and Latinos.
Adelphia Cable in

Vermont has been carrying LOGO
since its June 30 premier. LOGO
is available as part of Adelphia’s
entry-level digital package, which
adds approximately 50 additional
channels to their basic analog
package, for about $12 more a
month (plus equipment rental).

 

“Because of the variety of perspec-
tives and experiences inlthe gay
community, the audience appeal
and future programming ideas for
LOGO are boundless. We are
excited to make this channel avail-
able very soon to many Adelphia
subscribers who are eager to have
this option in Vermont.” A

Adelphia says they are
working hard to let people know
that LOGO is available. The com-
pany was a sponsor of this year's
Gay Pride festival and had a
prime-location booth at the vendor
venue in City Hall. According to
Andrews “People [at Pride] were
really enthusiastic about the pro-
gramming. I think it’s something’
that’s time has come.”

Adelphia’s basic digital
package reaches more than 50,000
households in Vermont. Adelphia’s
spokespersons state they are not
aware of any negative feedback
about LOGO, nor do they antici-
pate any here in VT.
However, if they do get

 

The four leads of LOGO’s new "comedic drama" Noah's
Arc: black gay life in LA. (Photo: Anthony caravan) A

Local cable operators
can choose which channels they do
and do not include in their pro-
gramming. According to Julie
Andrews, Marketing Manager of
Adelphia, adding LOGO was a
logical decision. “It’s pretty clear
we have a strong gay and lesbian
community in Vermont, and we
strive to provide relevant program-
ming to all our subscribers. We’d ,
be remiss if we ignored that
group.”

Lisa Birmingham,
Adelphia’s Director of
Government and Community
Affairs, agrees. “Vermont is a
vibrant place, with diverse tastes,
interests and households. Adelphia
is committed to serving our entire
state by offering a broad range of
choices in programming.”

Brian Graden, President
of Entertainment at MTV
Networks Music Group said this
before the channel’s premier.

V such calls, Adelphia intends to

educate the callers about their abil-
ity to block unwanted content.
“We have an ongoing info cam-
paign called Control Your TV
(www.controlyourtv.org) which
educates parents on how to block
channels or other unwanted pro- _
gramming,” Birmingham said.
“There are all kinds of options that
enable customers to select what’s
available in their household.”

Of course, Adelphia can
also remind their viewers that
while their digital package now
offers one LGBT channel, it also
has at least five religious channels.
Which is to say: There’s some-
thing for everyone, and “every-
one” finally includes us. V

With his husband working out of
state, writer Scott Sherman watch-
es a lot of cable TV at home in
Richmond.

  
 
   

   

 

   

5 C m C] i" 0
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is pleased to announce our Year 2005
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Grants
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support and strengthen Vermont's gay, lesbian,
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