- OUTtv
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OUTtv 
OUTtv logo Launched September 7, 2001 Owned by Shavick Entertainment (55.9% & managing partner)
Pink Triangle Press (24.94%)
Peace Point Entertainment Group (15%)
Re:Source Media (4.16%)Country Canada Broadcast area National Replaced PrideVision TV (2001-2004)
HARD on PrideVision (2004-2005)Website OUTtv Availability Satellite Bell TV Channel 609 Shaw Direct Channel 574 Cable Available on most Canadian cable systems Check local listings, channels may vary IPTV Bell Aliant TV Channel 778 Bell Fibe TV Channel 609 MTS Channel 295 Optik TV Channel 187 SaskTel Channel 108 OUTtv is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel that airs entertainment and lifestyle programming for LGBT audiences.
OUTtv's licensee is OUTtv Network Inc. which is 55.9% owned by Shavick Entertainment, 24.94% owned by Pink Triangle Press, 15% owned by Peace Point Entertainment Group and 4.16% owned by Re:Source Media. OUTtv has offices in both Toronto, Ontario and Vancouver, British Columbia.
Contents
History
As PrideVision
Launched on September 7, 2001 as PrideVision TV by Headline Media Group, it was Canada's first 24-hour LGBT cable television channel.[1] (and the second to be established, the first being the Gay Cable Network in the United States). The channel was a lifestyle and general entertainment channel consisting of dramas, comedies, feature films, talk shows, as well as pornographic films, and more. It was one of 21 television channels that were granted a category 1 (mandatory carriage) licence by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) on November 24, 2000. Levfam Holdings Inc. (otherwise known as Headline Media Group) owned 70.1% of the licence while broadcaster Alliance Atlantis owned the remainder.[2] In February 2001, before the channel launched, Alliance Atlantis sold its entire interest in the licence to Headline Media Group, becoming the sole owner of the licence.[3]
PrideVision had considerable difficulty building an audience in its early years due to the channel being marketed by many television service providers (TSP) as a standalone premium service in the adult tier of TSP channel's listings, rather than a general interest channel packaged along with other similar specialty channels. This was in part due to that fact that PrideVision aired pornographic films and other adult content at midnight EST and beyond — this particularly affected cable and satellite providers in Western Canada, where due to time zone differences, adult programming airing at midnight in Southern Ontario for example, was airing as early as 10 p.m. PST in British Columbia.
While being mostly marketed as a premium service, considerably reducing the number of potential subscribers, the channel also faced particular resistance from Shaw Communications, the largest cable television provider in Western Canada, which was accused of constraining the availability of PrideVision during the first few months in operation. During a three-month long free trial preview period that was mandated by the CRTC to help launch the slew of new digital specialty channels launching at that time, Shaw customers who tuned to PrideVision were prompted with a screen and had to navigate through various others to ultimately come to the conclusion that they were to be charged a one cent fee to view the channel. This process would have to repeated every time a customer turned back to PrideVision, including the one cent fee.[4] This process was not required for any other similarly-licensed specialty channel.
PrideVision took their concerns to the CRTC, which ultimately sided with PrideVision, in that the CRTC believed PrideVision was being treated unfairly and that Shaw must comply with its decision and offer a free preview of PrideVision to its customers, much like it did with other category 1 channels.[5]
Mounting issues with distribution, disputes with TSPs, slow growth among digital channels as a whole among the industry,[6] and faced with criticisms of providing a weak mix of programming[7], PrideVision was losing a considerable amount of money. The channel's subscriber base grew much more slowly than expected, with only 20,000 subscribers by the end of 2002[8] compared to channels such as IFC, which had roughly 700,000 subscribers in the same time period.[6]
To help grow its subscriber base, PrideVision offered another free preview period to its distributors, and launched a promotional campaign with the slogan "With only 20,000 subscribers we are impotent! Help PrideVision TV GET IT UP!", stating that the channel was in danger of going out of business if it wasn't supported. Many in the gay community interpreted this as the company blaming them for the channel's problems, although the owners denied this.[7] Despite this, PrideVision's subscriptions did increase slowly. In an effort to reduce its losses, staff at PrideVision were cut from 25 to 10,[8] most of its original programming was cut, and the street-level studio on Church Street in Toronto was closed in December 2002.[9]
On December 3, 2003, Headline Media Group announced that they were selling a majority of PrideVision to a consortium led by broadcaster William Craig. Craig would own the majority share in the company and act as managing partner, while Pink Triangle Press and various other independent production companies and investors held minority stakes. Headline Media retained a minority stake in the company.[10] The transaction was finalized later in 2004.
Shortly after the new owners of PrideVision took over, plans were announced to launch a 24/7 gay adult male subscription service in 2005. It was said that a new 24 hour adult channel was needed to launch in order to secure better cable distribution for the general interest programming that was carried on PrideVision.[11]
Re-branding as OUTtv
Logo of HARD on PrideVision. Same logo and name was then moved to the adult service launched on April 12, 2005
In November 2004, PrideVision, in preparation for the launch of a new 24-hour adult subscription channel, was temporarily renamed HARD on PrideVision, exclusively airing adult content in primetime (9pm-6am EST) while lifestyle and entertainment programming aired during the remaining time period.[12]
PrideVision's owners were granted a licence by the CRTC for the adult channel on on March 4, 2005.[13] The channel was tentatively named 617. The expected launch date was April 7, 2005; however, the new channel launched five days later on April 12 due to difficulties with TSPs. On that date, HARD on PrideVision was renamed OUTtv with a new 24/7 schedule consisting of entertainment and lifestyle programming, while the new adult channel launched as HARD on PrideVision with a 24/7 schedule consisting of adult content. This was done to create a seamless transition from one service to the other and to create the illusion of PrideVision evolving into a 24 hour adult service; however, this is not the case.
Original OUTtv logo (2005-12-05 - 2008-02-29)Even with the launch of the new adult subscription channel and the removal of all adult content from the newly re-named OUTtv, the channel was still facing resistance from Shaw Communications and its national satellite television service, Shaw Direct, then known as Star Choice. Both distributors wanted to remain packaging OUTtv as a standalone premium service rather than a general interest specialty channel which most other major television providers had done.[14] OUTtv filed a complaint with the CRTC; however, both parties settled their disagreement before the matter was taken to a hearing before the CRTC and had agreed on a packaging deal. A similar deal was made with Bell later that year.[15]
Shavick Entertainment's acquisition
On July 19, 2006, Shavick Entertainment, a film and television producer based in Vancouver, British Columbia, announced they would acquire the majority interest in both OUTtv and HARD on PrideVision from William Craig. Shavick also announced plans to rename OUTtv, upgrade the technology infrastructure, and provide a wider variety of programming to the channel. Shavick listed their Hollywood-based partner Regent Studios, owners of American LGBT channel here!, as a major content provider to the channel.[16]
As of January 2011, no further announcement has been made as to the proposed renaming of OUTtv and it is unclear at this point if plans to rename the channel have been abandoned. However, sister channel, HARD on PrideVision was renamed HARDtv in November 2006. Also, on December 3, 2009, the CRTC approved an application that would see HARDtv sold and spun off into its own company, 4510810 Canada Inc, a company owned by Pink Triangle Press (55%) and Peace Point Entertainment (45%). The transaction closed at a later date.
International distribution
In mid-2006, OUTtv ventured into its first international market when it reached a deal with SelecTV to distribute OUTtv in its lineup in Australia through a package called CurveTV. However, in early 2007, OUTtv and the package CurveTV was discontinued due to a low number of subscriptions.
On April 4, 2008, a localized version of OUTtv launched in the Netherlands through a licensing agreement with the newly-formed Dutch company, OUTTV Media Group.[17]
See also
References
- ^ "PrideVision TV: Canada's GLBT Television Station". lesbianlife.about.com. http://lesbianlife.about.com/od/lesbiansontv/a/PrideVisionTV.htm.
- ^ Decision CRTC 2000-456; CRTC; 2000-12-14
- ^ Decision CRTC 2001-54; CRTC; 2001-02-09
- ^ Struggle for your TV set; Xtra!; 2001-10-04
- ^ Crtc Rules In Favor Of Gay-themed Channel; AllBusiness.com; 2001-10-02
- ^ a b "Digital channels inching towards profits". Playbackonline.ca. http://www.playbackonline.ca/articles/magazine/20050117/digi.html?word=PrideVision.
- ^ a b Gays Snub Pridevision; Windy City Times; 2003-04-23
- ^ a b "PrideVision & prejudice". www.diversitywatch.ryerson.ca. http://www.diversitywatch.ryerson.ca/media/cache/citizen_jan23_03_pridevision.htm.
- ^ PrideVision shutters studio; Playback Magazine; 2002-12-19
- ^ Headline Media Group sells PrideVision to Bill Craig; Channel Canada; 2003-12-09
- ^ Pridevision Announces Expansion and the Launch of a New Gay Channel; Channel Canada; 2005-02-12
- ^ PrideVision changing its format in preparation of new adult-only channel; Channel Canada; 2004-11-09
- ^ Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2005-89; CRTC; 2005-03-04
- ^ OUTtv hearing; Playback Magazine; 2005-05-23
- ^ OUTtv settles with Shaw; Playback Magazine; 2005-08-01
- ^ Shavick Entertainment Acquires OUTtv; Canada's Must-Carry Gay & Lesbian Television Network to be Expanded and Upgraded by Leading Production Company; BNET; 2006-07-19
- ^ OUTtv Signs Licensing Deal to Create the Netherlands` First Gay Lifestyle Television Network; Echelon Magazine; 2008-04-24
External links
Categories:- LGBT-related television channels
- LGBT-related media in Canada
- Television channels and stations established in 2001
- Canadian digital cable television networks
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