Gay TV

10 Pages 2572 Words

wo questions -- "Can such a channel succeed?" and "Do we need it?"

Given tv's perpetual bottom line interests, it's likely that the first concern has delayed its creation. But it's just as likely that it's not a real issue. Just look at the variety of niche-marketing already available on tv: special channels for African Americans (BET), women (Lifetime, Oxygen, WE), Latinos (Gala, Univision), kids (Disney, Nickelodeon), and Christians (CBN, Pax). Not to mention those channels focused solely on home and gardening, cooking, history, sci-fi, techno-wizardry, health, finances, cartoons, soap operas, Congress, Westerns, mysteries, court proceedings, animals, game shows, shopping, biographies, and science. And this list doesn't even cover the multitude of specialized music video or sports channels.

If channels featuring nothing but golf or hunting and fishing are making it, why shouldn't one catering to a gay and lesbian clientele be equally or more successful? There's even a gay channel precedent: launched last September, Canada's premium channel, PrideVision, has been lauded by television critics and is enjoying good early ratings, due in large part to its inclusion of a variety of program genres.

Perhaps the most persuasive argument to be made has to do with gay men and women's economic status; it's no secret that they have higher average incomes than their straight counterparts and more disposable income, as argued by University of Massachusetts economics professor Lee Badgett in his book, Money, Myth, and Change: The Economic Lives of Lesbians and Gay Men. Add to this the fact that gays and lesbians have become increasingly vocal about our desire to be represented accurately and respectfully in the media, and it looks like a gay cable channel should be able to draw viewers and make a profit. This especially since it is safe to assume that Showtime and MTV will put the full weight of their publicity departments into promoting ...