Pridevision doubles up
April 7 relaunch will split net into two seperate channels
The 3-year-old channel has struggled to persuade platforms to carry it, despite its category one license that mandates carriage on cable and satellite.
It's been a cautionary tale for fledgling gay channels worldwide, according to one of PrideVision's owners, Les Tomlin.
"Our model was closely followed as an example of what didn't work as opposed to what did work," Tomlin says.
Now it's set for an April 7 relaunch that will see it split in two.
OUTtv will become the new place to see lifestyle programming, while gay porn will move to pay channel HARD.
PrideVision has had a tough time ever since original owners Headline Media Group and Alliance Atlantis Communications launched it in September 2001.
Platforms, wary of the content, made viewers opt-in for the free preview period, banished it to the spectrum's stratosphere and/or refused to bundle it with other specialty channels.
Instead of fighting for its license rights, Headline Media instead offered the channel as a stand-alone premium pay service, similar to ethnic or porn services, costing C$8.95 ($7.35) a month.
The strategy, says Tomlin, was a nonstarter.
"It's a lot for a digi channel, and there's an access problem for people who are in the closet," he says.
With just 20,000 subscribers, the channel's revenues and quality of programming spiraled downward.
Alliance Atlantis bailed, taking a $22.4 million writedown, and Headline Media put it on the block in 2003.
A consortium headed by Bill Craig, of Internet TV streaming company iCraveTV, along with gay and lesbian media group Pink Triangle Press and several others picked it up in 2004 for $2.1 million.
"Anywhere from 5% of the population is gay and 25% of people are gay friendly," Craig said at the time. "In this world of niche programming, that is a heck of a niche, and it needs to be developed."
PrideVision execs are now taking a more aggressive stance and forcing distribs to carry it. "We've had to be very clear in our position: We want to have it carried as per mandate," Tomlin says.
Under threat of action from Canada's broadcast regulator, distribs have been coming onside, one by one -- some more reluctantly than others.
PrideVision now has a deal with Rogers, Videotron and Cogeco, and is in negotiations with Shaw and satellite service providers ExpressVu and Star Choice.
The launch of OUTtv on the basic tier will increase PrideVision's subscriber base to 700,000.
Its new programming includes "The Gay Republicans" and "Was Hitler Gay?" as well as new Canuck shows "Lesbian Life" and "OUTstanding Docs."
Tomlin, who also is prexy of Peace Point Entertainment Group, saw a niche in gay programming and went for it. PPEG produces gay travel show "Bump!" aired on PrideVision, which recently sold to gay webs PinkTV in France and the Here! channel in the U.S. He now has four gay series in development.
"I wouldn't say we're going to specialize in gay programming exclusively, but it's a growth area for us," he says.
His potential market is expanding as more gay channels open up. In addition to tiny Q Television in the U.S., there's Viacom's Logo, the first ad-supported gay TV web in the U.S., which is skedded for a June launch. PinkTV plans a launch in Belgium, and GayTV is in the works in Italy.
"It's an interesting time to be in the business," Tomlin says.
