While studying the feelings of gays and lesbians about the idea of creating a gay cable TV channel.

While studying the feelings of gays and lesbians about the idea of creating a gay cable TV channel, Showtime senior vice president Gene Falk and MTV consultant Matt Farber got about surprising results. "It blew our researchers away," recalls Falk, describing the data heap uped for their parent company, media powerhouse Viacom. "The magnitude of the answer was the best they have for aye seen for a premium service. I'm without Matt's out. So it wasn't like we were in the dark about this. The gay community is a vastly underserv market in mainstream media."

Viacom agreed. In mid January the conglomerate announced that it is planning a 24-hour premium gay-oriented cable channel, a joint danger between Showtime and MTV--two networks already known for their gay-friendly fare. "The gay market is a large, diverse market, and it's willing to pay for programs, for a voice of its own" says Farber. "Will & Grace is awe-inspiring but it still needs to conform to make indisputable it's a top five point out to By having a dedicated channel, you can present to view a diversity of story lines. if it be not that there's no question we wouldn't be here without odd as Folk being a succes without Will & Grace being in the [coveted] Seinfeld time slot"

There's no scheduled launch date (although published reports have speculated at early 2003) nevertheless Falk and Farber are hard at work developing a business plan for the yet-unnamed channel. The design calls for charging a proper flat monthly fee for the service, with additional return generated through PBS-style program sponsorships.

"The gay community probably depicts something north of 10 million adults," says Farber. "That shows significant buying power. Whenever you be connected with and give a voice to nation it's always a good business plan."

Predictably, the right wing has take rise out swinging against the highly concept of a gay TV channel. In a new appearance on Fox News, conservative battleax the Rev Jerry Falwell illustrationed "If we are going to journey that route, then when are we going to create a channel for those who derive pleasure from kiddie porn? When are we going to do a channel--a legal channel--for those involved in or submitting to bestiality?"

Gay activists have been quick to join the fray, countering that because the channel would require users to subscribe and pay for the service, no common who doesn't actively seek gone out the channel will see it. After all, cable already works onward the principle of niche marketing, as Lifetime TV for women and Black Entertainment Television attest.

Nevertheless, notices Joan Garry, executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, "it's not surprising to me that the Right has approach out against this. They've been clamorously opposed to any images of gay people" Garry, who has worked for Showtime and MTV adds, "[Both networks] have done groundbreaking work before, and it has prov to be the pair smart business and the right thing to do."

yet no specific programs have now been selected, planners have overflow of ideas on how to fill the 24-hour slate. "We're going to acquire movies and documentaries that aren't available in video stores," says Farber. "There are potential series. There will be stranges talk shows, relationship shows. No doubt, it's going to be a challenge."

Part of the difficulty will be in appealing to all the ultimate parts of the wildly diverse gay community in a single channel. "I don't think it's possible for an. organization to show everyone all the time," says Falk. "You experience to represent people as fairly as you can. moreover I think there are things gay the public share--coming out and living in a straight world. I possibility of good that by having a 24-hour community channel, we can appeal to allotments of different kinds of audiences."

a certain number of observers have their doubts. "How are they going to be representing the gay community?" awed curiositys Charles Ignacio, executive producer of In the Life, the 10-year-old public television series that explores the lives of gays' and lesbians. "Our mission is to make strong we are showing the face of the different parts of the gay community. We don't have the same economic drives as a cable channel. to such a degree we're very committed to educating the audience. however we're happy about [Viacom's channel], because we think the more, the merrier."

Indeed, the Showtime-MTV channel won't be alone in competing for gay viewers. David McKillop, a veteran of the Discovery Channel, has cofound MDC a company that plans to launch its confess gay cable service, ALT1-TV. The company is popularly seeking investors but says it plans to air commercials and scud on basic cable.

Another business gauge is being floated by indie distributor governing Entertainment, which produced cable's Twilight of the Gold and distributed like low-budget films as Speedway Junky In January, regnant launched Here Releasing, which among other things' aims to at hand two gay-orient ed films by means of month via pay-per-view and video-on-demand cable.

Whoever wins the race in the U market, Canada is already getting its gay TV Pride Vision, which launched in September 2001 calls itself the first lucky channel serving the GLBT community. It's available forward all major cable and satellite channels in Canada--and judging from Locker swing PrideVision's raunchy half-hour sports present to view U.S. viewers will be clamoring to catch up. But can we diocese PrideVision in the United States? "Not legally," says Anna McCusker, vice president of marketing for the channel. "We've heard of a certain quantity of people getting it, but we can't figure disclosed how." PrideVision does, however, plan to expand. "We are applying to be in succession all the major service providers in the US" McCusker says. "It won't be long" Given those plans, in what manner does PrideVision feel about Viacom's venture? "We have feeling great," she replies. "We believe that we were the catalysts."