here! Pay Per View Launches on DIRECTV as First Destination Serving the Gay and Lesbian Market

Yahoo Finance/Press Release ^ | 7/7/03 | Direct TV Marcom

[Pro-Bush]

here! Pay Per View Launches on DIRECTV as Nation's First Television Destination Serving the Gay and Lesbian Market

Monday July 7, 1:43 pm ET
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 7, 2003--here! Pay Per View: Award-Winning Filmmakers Paul Colichman And Stephen P. Jarchow Launch First Television Service Specializing In Gay And Lesbian Appeal Movies And Specials here! Pay Per View To Premiere August 29, 2003 Exclusively On DIRECTV® Service Paul Colichman and Stephen P. Jarchow -- two of Hollywood's most recognized producers of gay and lesbian-themed theatrical motion pictures -- have launched here! Pay Per View, a precedent-setting pay per view destination dedicated to serving the country's gay and lesbian audience. here! Pay Per View will launch on DIRECTV, the nation's leading digital multichannel television service provider.

Set to debut August 29, 2003 on DIRECTV channel 170, here! Pay Per View will offer two to six pay per view premieres each month for $3.99 per movie. These premieres will include recent theatrical and video releases, direct to pay per view premieres and a wide range of programming targeting gay and lesbian viewers, whose estimated 8 to 12 percent of the U.S. population and $450 billion annual spending power makes it the most substantial yet underserved television audience in the country.

here! Pay Per View will launch with the television premiere of "Sordid Lives," the critically-acclaimed comedy, released theatrically by here! Films, emerged as the highest grossing independent gay & lesbian film of 2002. Starring Olivia Newton-John, Beau Bridges, Delta Burke, Bonnie Bedelia and Leslie Jordan, "Sordid Lives" puts a comedic twist on a story of unconditional love, acceptance and "coming out" in a Texas family as they converge for the matriarch's funeral.

Said Colichman: "It has been long recognized that the gay and lesbian niche market is dramatically underserved in the television world. Programming such as Showtime's 'Queer as Folk' and NBC's 'Will and Grace' have demonstrated that there is a strong and dedicated market for gay-themed programming. Additionally, these programs have attracted a wider demographic beyond their target markets. here! Pay Per View is an entertainment destination whose time has come. We are dedicated towards designing here! Pay Per View as a program service that will provide entertainment to all viewers, while it fosters understanding of the gay and lesbian community - the true mandate and promise of the television medium."

"As a nationwide digital television platform, we have the opportunity to satisfy the programming needs of a highly diverse viewership," said Michael Thornton, senior vice president of Programming Acquisitions for DIRECTV, Inc. " here! Pay Per View is quality programming that enables us to take advantage of that opportunity."

Founder-principals of independent feature film production-distribution company Regent Entertainment, Colichman and Jarchow are the producing team responsible for the Academy Award®-winning (Best Adapted Screenplay) "Gods and Monsters," starring Sir Ian McKellen, Lynn Redgrave and Brendan Fraser. The pair also produced the multi award-winning "Twilight of the Golds," starring Brendan Fraser and Faye Dunaway and "A Woman's A Helluva Thing," starring Penelope Ann Miller, Angus Macfadyen and Ann-Margret.

The launch of here! Pay Per View follows on Colichman and Jarchow's formation of here! Films, which the executives formally unveiled during the 2002 American Film Market. A fully-integrated company exclusively dedicated to the production, acquisition, distribution and international sales of gay content films. Following its successful release of "Sordid Lives," here! Films is now theatrically releasing "Friends and Family," a comedy starring Tony Lo Bianco, Tovah Feldshuh, Beth Fowler, Edward Hibbert, Meshach Taylor and Anna Maria Alberghetti. The company has also acquired worldwide distribution rights for "Showboy," the directorial and acting debut of "Six Feet Under's" Emmy Award-Winning writer Christian Taylor. "Showboy" follows Taylor's attempts to become a Vegas Showboy following dismissal from his duties as a writer for "Six Feet Under" and features cameos from Siegfried and Roy and Whoopi Goldberg. here! Films also operates a foreign distribution arm representing gay and lesbian films from the Regent Entertainment library, including "Sordid Lives," "Gods and Monsters," and "Speedway Junky," and has acquired foreign sales rights to "The Trip," a gay romantic comedy, set in 1970's America; "Urbania," a darkly humorous portrait of urban legends and one man's plunge into mania; and "Big Eden," a unique drama about home and family.

About here! Pay Per View

Launching Friday, August 29, 2003 on DIRECTV, here! Pay Per View is a national pay-per-view programming service offering quality gay and lesbian-themed recent motion pictures, direct to pay-per-view premieres and a wide range of specials. here! Pay Per View is a venture of Stephen Jarchow and Paul Colichman, founders and principals of Los Angeles-based film production company Regent Entertainment.

About DIRECTV

DIRECTV is the nation's leading digital multichannel television service provider with more than 11.4 million customers. DIRECTV and the Cyclone Design logo are registered trademarks of DIRECTV, Inc., a unit of Hughes Electronics Corporation. Hughes Electronics Corporation, a unit of General Motors Corporation, is a world-leading provider of digital television entertainment, broadband satellite networks and services, and global video and data broadcasting. The earnings of HUGHES are used to calculate the earnings attributable to the General Motors Class H common stock (NYSE:GMH - News).

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contact: SSA Public Relations Los Angeles: Steve Syatt, Dominic Friesen, 818/501-0700 New York: Mike Rudnick, Robin Lawson, 212/679-4750

[MineralMan]

"All they need is a big red "Q" on their chest as the word queer, if I remember right, is in the title of the program.

"

If I'm not mistaken, the name of the program is "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy." It's another personal makeover program, of which there are so many these days. If I'm seeing the trailers correctly, what happens is that four (or is it five) gay men restyle some straight guy's wardrobe and living space, making him more appealing to women.

Could be pretty funny, but I don't watch that much TV, so I'll never see it. But, then, that's my choice, as a television viewer, isn't it? I'll just tune in some other station.

[DoughtyOne]

It would be rather simple, except that for about 18 hours a day they seem to have regular movies on them.

[MineralMan]

"It would be rather simple, except that for about 18 hours a day they seem to have regular movies on them."

Do you watch those movies on that channel? If not, then block it. If you do, then you'll just have to skip the channel at the other times.

Or, are you advocating forcing those companies not to show any homosexual-content movies?

[Pro-Bush]

he-he...I like bush as well!

[talleyman]

I guess Barbra Streisand needs the work

[DoughtyOne]

I believe my posts stated my stance on the programming rather well. I don't need to add to it.

[quark]

...estimated 8 to 12 percent of the U.S. population...

Bogus. The real answer is less than 1%. The homosexuals are so in-your-face about their perversion that it seems like 8-12%.

[Pro-Bush]

...estimated 8 to 12 percent of the U.S. population

I agree...100% Barbara Streisand!

[missyme]

Seems to me you have to Block the Phone the Front Door The Television, hmmmmmmmmmmm I guess this is the only way to rid the annoying nuiscane of telemarketers and Gay junk T.V.

[Old Professer]

Someone once said, "The whole world is queer but me and thee, and sometimes I'm not sure about thee."

[Redwood71]

"Could be pretty funny, but I don't watch that much TV, so I'll never see it."
______________________________________-

Like I said in my entry, it had the appearance of making the straight guy a loser, and the gay guys the big heroes for changing the straight guy until he was now a big man about town. To heroize someone because they are gay, which is part of the inference, is a falacy. More programming of the young minds. And this is not PPV, it can be viewed by anyone with cable.

[presidio9]

apparently you have not been exposed to a program called "Queer As Folk" on Showtime? I had to cancel my subscription when I discovered I was paying for gay pornography.

[MineralMan]

"And this is not PPV, it can be viewed by anyone with cable."

Or not viewed, as you choose. Myself, I won't view it, because it sounds like a stupid program. Others may feel differently, and choose to view it.

Isn't our country wonderful? You get to choose what you watch on television.

[Redwood71]

"Isn't our country wonderful? You get to choose what you watch on television.

---

And unfortunatly you are forced to explain to your kids why they can't watch a program open to the public on cable about the mis-information it expells. I believe in freedom of expression, but there is a limit to what should be uncontrolled. If you want PPV, that's fine. But don't put it where children are placed in the position of trying to comprehend the questionability of it's motives.

[gcruse]

I was just thinking that were it not for Minnesota's CCW laws and queer articles, FR would be a dead forum.

[Scenic Sounds]

I was just thinking that were it not for Minnesota's CCW laws and queer articles, FR would be a dead forum.

Please be fair, Gary. Keep in mind that there is also the occasional Civil War replay thread. ;-)

[Brett66]

I used to have Cinemax a few years ago, they played one too many gay movies and I canned them. I refused to get any movie channels ever since.

[gcruse]

Which side of the Civil War was Minnesota on?

[Scenic Sounds]

Which side of the Civil War was Minnesota on?

Well, that's a queer question, don't you think? ;-)

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Well, that's a queer question, don't you think? ;-)

Way to stay on topic! : )