TV Network for Gays, Lesbians to Debut - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Janice · 06-26-2005, 02:24 PM

http://apnews.excite.com/article/200...D8AVDSB00.html

TV Network for Gays, Lesbians to Debut

NEW YORK (AP) - The man who's molding Logo, the new network for gays and lesbians, grew up in rural Illinois, attended Oral Roberts University and counted that cheesy keyboard solo on "Freeze Frame" as his big moment during gigs with his college band the Ozones. At first glance, Brian Graden hardly seems too hip for the room.

But the 42-year-old Graden is one of television's busiest and most imaginative executives, already responsible for the programming on MTV, VH1 and CMT - and now Logo, which debuts Thursday.

Long in the works, Logo will initially be seen in about 10 million homes with digital cable. Unlike Here and Q, two pay-per-view, gay-oriented networks already operating, Logo will be available in homes that do not specifically order it.

Films such as "Kissing Jessica Stein" and "Philadelphia" and documentaries will fill many of Logo's first hours. The network also has a scripted series, "Noah's Arc," about a homosexual black man and his friends in Los Angeles, a reality series about opening a gay bar and the stand-up comedy series "Wisecrack."

A gay man himself, Graden had hoped to help out with Logo even before he was appointed its president.

Graden's job requires a comfort with Wall Street and Hollywood, two sides of his personality presaged by his educational choices. He went to Oral Roberts with fellow band members in an ill-fated attempt to keep the Ozones alive, then later earned an MBA from Harvard University.

Seeking an internship one summer, he wore his best suit to an interview with colorful TV executive Stephen Chao. Chao said he'd hire Graden as long as he never wore a tie again, and spent the interview quizzing the young man on what he watched on TV, the music he listened to, the movies he saw.

"I came to understand that that's the essence of what you're hiring, the essence of what matters," he said.

Graden now appoints teams at MTV Networks that are immersed in the lifestyles of the audiences they are trying to reach.

The launchpad for his career came when he befriended writers Trey Parker and Matt Stone, helping them to develop "South Park."

He moved to MTV in 1997, and was the executive behind a dizzying array of hits, including "The Osbournes,""Pimp My Ride,""Jackass," and "The Newlyweds." Graden has managed not only to stay on top of MTV's here-today, gone-tomorrow ethos but expand his authority to where he's put between 200 and 300 programs on the air.

"It's one of those things that's increasingly gratifying, to see an executive who truly approaches television from a creative point of view without ignoring the business of all of it," said television producer Michael Davies, whose credits include "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."

A gently prodding phone call from Graden when he heard Davies was pitching an interesting show to another network recently resulted in VH1 getting the project - a late-night talk show still under development - when the other network backed off.

Every holiday season Graden sends to friends not only a card, but an exquisitely curated CD mix of songs. "He lives a creative life," Davies said.

It would be unusual to get country music fans, rappers and fans of Britney Spears or old Jackson Browne videos to agree on much of anything, yet Graden is the man overseeing the mix of networks that appeal to each one.

What's he doing running a country music channel, anyway?

"If you go home (to Hillsboro, Ill.) and visit my parents - not that I'd wish that on anyone - you would find CMT on 24 hours a day," he said. "My parents are finally proud of what I do because they watch CMT. Before, I don't think they understood what I do every day."

Logo may be his biggest challenge yet.

"I don't envy his position," said Paul Colichman, founder of Here, which offers primarily edgy material oriented to gays and lesbians in about 45 million homes.

"He's got competing constituencies," he said. "He's got advertisers who are fearful of offending anyone because they're going after mass groups of people. At the same time, he's got to create a service that is compelling to the gay and lesbian audience who wants to watch it. It kind of depends on their appetite for gay lite."

The decision to remake a Canadian series about planning a commitment ceremony, called "My Fabulous Gay Wedding," illustrates the fine line being walked. The Logo series is instead called "First Comes Love." The title wasn't changed to sidestep controversy, but rather to better reflect a show about relationships, a Logo spokesman said.

Graden said his job is to serve the target gay and lesbian audience and not worry about cultural critics who may look over his shoulder.

"That said, we've also said from early on that the standards for Logo will be that of a general entertainment network," he said. "The assumption that I would have to push certain standards to tell my story instead of yours I don't get, because they're all human stories."

Potential viewers have told Logo that it's important to reflect their community's diversity, he said. So there will be documentaries telling what it's like, for instance, to be a 22-year-old Latino homosexual or a lesbian couple that has been together for decades.

That's different from the other, sharply focused MTV networks; watch MTV and you know it's made for 21-year-olds. Even corporate cousin BET is more interested in young black viewers than the black audience as a whole.

"We're talking to an audience that has already felt that it has been excluded from the media tapestry for many years," Graden said. "It didn't feel right to create a channel where some people would feel further excluded."

Having a gay or lesbian in charge of Logo was essential, Colichman said. Quietly proud of the moment, Graden said it has symbolic and practical advantages. "It is important and powerful that you have both gay and lesbian voices directly in the conversation for the product you're trying to create because you're trying to serve an audience," he said. "We don't want any of our channels to look like a corporate man was handing down what he thinks an audience would like."

Munsters#1 · 06-26-2005, 03:50 PM

I think it's excellent that the gay and lesbian Americans are making their voices heard. They are honest, hard working, red blooded Americans like you and I.

L&OFan4Eva · 06-26-2005, 03:52 PM

I'm all for the gays, so I might watch and see. Some of my friends are gay and they are the best. Kudos to Viacom for trying to service the community.

ABlairican Pie · 06-27-2005, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by webwarrior762004

They may be hard-working americans, but they are engaging in a lifestyle that is against
what god says and that is morally wrong.

You do realize that some people here do have gay relatives and friends?

Munsters#1 · 06-27-2005, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by webwarrior762004

They may be hard-working americans, but they are engaging in a lifestyle that is against
what god says and that is morally wrong.

Not everyone believes in God. And besides, who are you to say what is right and what is wrong? And why should everyone have to live by what's morally right. Let's live life the way is was meant to be lived, fun and carefree.

Hollow · 06-27-2005, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain ABlairica

You do realize that some people here do have gay relatives and friends?

Let alone some people here are gay.

guess what, webwarrior90210? the world DOES NOT revolve around christianity. i'm not saying god isn't real, but it's just one of thousands of different religious beliefs in the world. homosexual feelings are natural in the first place.

TripperFan · 06-27-2005, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by webwarrior762004

They may be hard-working americans, but they are engaging in a lifestyle that is against
what god says and that is morally wrong.

I don't give a damn what your "God says". He's not God if he discriminates against certain humans. I would never follow a "God" like that.

TripperFan · 06-27-2005, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain ABlairica

You do realize that some people here do have gay relatives and friends?

He doesn't care - take it from where its coming from!

TheGreatPretender · 06-27-2005, 04:55 PM

I thought GLAAD was a tv program. Or is it just an organization?

TripperFan · 06-27-2005, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheGreatPretender

I thought GLAAD was a tv program. Or is it just an organization?

It's the organization for gays and lesbians.

TheGreatPretender · 06-27-2005, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TripperFan

It's the organization for gays and lesbians.

Ah.

bossradio93 · 06-27-2005, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TripperFan

It's the organization for gays and lesbians.

For the folks who don't know the acronym for GLAAD:
Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).

Their website is here.

And I'm a big supporter of Lesbians and Gays.

Munsters#1 · 06-27-2005, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by webwarrior762004

They may be hard-working americans, but they are engaging in a lifestyle that is against
what god says and that is morally wrong.

If God was real, there wouldn't be this much crime, poverty, pollution, and ignorance in this world.

bandito · 06-27-2005, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Munsters#1

If God was real, there wouldn't be this much crime, poverty, pollution, and ignorance in this world.

God is real. If more people followed His word there would be less crime and ignorance in this world.

Munsters#1 · 06-27-2005, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bandito

God is real. If more people followed His word there would be less crime and ignorance in this world.

Then why don't he just snap his fingers and make everything right?

06-26-2005, 02:24 PM	#1
Janice Retired Admin - Hollywood Swingin' Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 03, 2001 Location: Beantown Posts: 36,389	TV Network for Gays, Lesbians to Debut http://apnews.excite.com/article/200...D8AVDSB00.html TV Network for Gays, Lesbians to Debut NEW YORK (AP) - The man who's molding Logo, the new network for gays and lesbians, grew up in rural Illinois, attended Oral Roberts University and counted that cheesy keyboard solo on "Freeze Frame" as his big moment during gigs with his college band the Ozones. At first glance, Brian Graden hardly seems too hip for the room. But the 42-year-old Graden is one of television's busiest and most imaginative executives, already responsible for the programming on MTV, VH1 and CMT - and now Logo, which debuts Thursday. Long in the works, Logo will initially be seen in about 10 million homes with digital cable. Unlike Here and Q, two pay-per-view, gay-oriented networks already operating, Logo will be available in homes that do not specifically order it. Films such as "Kissing Jessica Stein" and "Philadelphia" and documentaries will fill many of Logo's first hours. The network also has a scripted series, "Noah's Arc," about a homosexual black man and his friends in Los Angeles, a reality series about opening a gay bar and the stand-up comedy series "Wisecrack." A gay man himself, Graden had hoped to help out with Logo even before he was appointed its president. Graden's job requires a comfort with Wall Street and Hollywood, two sides of his personality presaged by his educational choices. He went to Oral Roberts with fellow band members in an ill-fated attempt to keep the Ozones alive, then later earned an MBA from Harvard University. Seeking an internship one summer, he wore his best suit to an interview with colorful TV executive Stephen Chao. Chao said he'd hire Graden as long as he never wore a tie again, and spent the interview quizzing the young man on what he watched on TV, the music he listened to, the movies he saw. "I came to understand that that's the essence of what you're hiring, the essence of what matters," he said. Graden now appoints teams at MTV Networks that are immersed in the lifestyles of the audiences they are trying to reach. The launchpad for his career came when he befriended writers Trey Parker and Matt Stone, helping them to develop "South Park." He moved to MTV in 1997, and was the executive behind a dizzying array of hits, including "The Osbournes,""Pimp My Ride,""Jackass," and "The Newlyweds." Graden has managed not only to stay on top of MTV's here-today, gone-tomorrow ethos but expand his authority to where he's put between 200 and 300 programs on the air. "It's one of those things that's increasingly gratifying, to see an executive who truly approaches television from a creative point of view without ignoring the business of all of it," said television producer Michael Davies, whose credits include "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." A gently prodding phone call from Graden when he heard Davies was pitching an interesting show to another network recently resulted in VH1 getting the project - a late-night talk show still under development - when the other network backed off. Every holiday season Graden sends to friends not only a card, but an exquisitely curated CD mix of songs. "He lives a creative life," Davies said. It would be unusual to get country music fans, rappers and fans of Britney Spears or old Jackson Browne videos to agree on much of anything, yet Graden is the man overseeing the mix of networks that appeal to each one. What's he doing running a country music channel, anyway? "If you go home (to Hillsboro, Ill.) and visit my parents - not that I'd wish that on anyone - you would find CMT on 24 hours a day," he said. "My parents are finally proud of what I do because they watch CMT. Before, I don't think they understood what I do every day." Logo may be his biggest challenge yet. "I don't envy his position," said Paul Colichman, founder of Here, which offers primarily edgy material oriented to gays and lesbians in about 45 million homes. "He's got competing constituencies," he said. "He's got advertisers who are fearful of offending anyone because they're going after mass groups of people. At the same time, he's got to create a service that is compelling to the gay and lesbian audience who wants to watch it. It kind of depends on their appetite for gay lite." The decision to remake a Canadian series about planning a commitment ceremony, called "My Fabulous Gay Wedding," illustrates the fine line being walked. The Logo series is instead called "First Comes Love." The title wasn't changed to sidestep controversy, but rather to better reflect a show about relationships, a Logo spokesman said. Graden said his job is to serve the target gay and lesbian audience and not worry about cultural critics who may look over his shoulder. "That said, we've also said from early on that the standards for Logo will be that of a general entertainment network," he said. "The assumption that I would have to push certain standards to tell my story instead of yours I don't get, because they're all human stories." Potential viewers have told Logo that it's important to reflect their community's diversity, he said. So there will be documentaries telling what it's like, for instance, to be a 22-year-old Latino homosexual or a lesbian couple that has been together for decades. That's different from the other, sharply focused MTV networks; watch MTV and you know it's made for 21-year-olds. Even corporate cousin BET is more interested in young black viewers than the black audience as a whole. "We're talking to an audience that has already felt that it has been excluded from the media tapestry for many years," Graden said. "It didn't feel right to create a channel where some people would feel further excluded." Having a gay or lesbian in charge of Logo was essential, Colichman said. Quietly proud of the moment, Graden said it has symbolic and practical advantages. "It is important and powerful that you have both gay and lesbian voices directly in the conversation for the product you're trying to create because you're trying to serve an audience," he said. "We don't want any of our channels to look like a corporate man was handing down what he thinks an audience would like."

06-26-2005, 03:50 PM	#2
Munsters#1 Member Senior Member Join Date: Jun 29, 2004 Posts: 2,928	I think it's excellent that the gay and lesbian Americans are making their voices heard. They are honest, hard working, red blooded Americans like you and I.

06-26-2005, 03:52 PM	#3
L&OFan4Eva Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 02, 2005 Posts: 477	I'm all for the gays, so I might watch and see. Some of my friends are gay and they are the best. Kudos to Viacom for trying to service the community.

06-27-2005, 04:55 PM	#9
TheGreatPretender just because Forum Veteran Join Date: May 22, 2004 Location: Trying to think of a creative, witty location. Posts: 7,628	I thought GLAAD was a tv program. Or is it just an organization?