New Gay Channel Logo Launches Thursday

NEW YORK () -- Logo, a television network for gays and lesbians is set to make its debut on Thursday. The network will initially be available in about 10 million homes with digital cable.

Currently, two gay-oriented pay-per-view networks called, Here and Q, are already in operation, yet Logo will be available to every home.

Logo's lineup will include films like "Kissing Jessica Stein" and "Philadelphia," as well as documentaries.

The network will also broadcast 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 a stand-up comedy series named "Wisecrack" are also in the development.

The man behind the channel is Brian Graden, 42. Graden is himself a gay man, and has substantial experience programming for MTV, VH1 and CMT.

Speaking about the objective of launching gay television network, Graden told the Associated Press, "We're talking to an audience that has already felt that it has been excluded from the media tapestry for many years. It didn't feel right to create a channel where some people would feel further excluded."

According to Paul Colichman, founder of Here, making Logo popular will be Graden's biggest challenge.

"He's got competing constituencies," The Associated Press quoted Colichman. "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."