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PRIDEVISION TAKES A FALL

In 1999, the Canadian Radio and Television Commission (CRTC) received 250 applications for licences for digital TV channels. One of the 250 applications was from a homosexual channel, PrideVision.

To support its application, PrideVision gave "evidence" of its support stating:

There is currently a lack of programming targeted to the gay and lesbian community. This service will fill that void for the millions of Canadians who want informational and entertainment programming based on gay and lesbian issues and perspectives.

This service will meet the needs of millions of friends and family members of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons. These viewers will appreciate programming that accurately and fairly portrays the interests and lifestyles of their loved ones.

Focus group participants were clear in their demand for high-quality programming that would appeal to a 'mainstream' gay and lesbian audience, rather than sensational programs that would only appeal to small sectors within that audience. (Emphasis ours.)

The Focus Groups referred to in PrideVision's application consisted of only a handful of individuals - 20 individuals in Vancouver, and 23 in Toronto. No one else.

The "millions of Canadians" quoted demanding this service came from PrideVision's statement that the "demand" for its services would be 330,000 in the first year, and 550,000 viewers in seven years.

On December 14, 2000 the CRTC made a politically correct decision in defiance of common sense and fairness to the other applicants, and granted a licence to PrideVision stating:

PrideVision will bring added diversity to the Canadian broadcasting system by providing a unique service with the potential to create understanding and reduce stereotyping of a significant portion of Canadian society. The programming will also be of interest and relevance to viewers who are not members of the gay and lesbian community, but who are interested in or connected to that community through family, friends or the workplace. PrideVision will offer programming from a wide variety of categories, but its perspective will be one not currently found on mainstream television in Canada, ensuring that PrideVision will be an innovative complement to existing services.

PrideVision will contribute to increased diversity in the Canadian broadcasting system by providing programming that is of specific interest to the gay and lesbian community, which is currently an under-served and under-represented audience. A channel devoted to this audience will be unique to the broadcasting system in Canada, among the first of such services world-wide. It will have the potential to be a "bridging" service, creating understanding and thereby reducing stereotyping. (Emphasis ours.)

PrideVision was one of only 16 successful English-speaking applicants to receive a licence.

It appears, however, that the CRTC's view of PrideVision's potential was more than a little off-base.

In November 2002, PrideVision announced that it was floundering financially because it had only 20,000 subscribers when it needed 240,000 paying customers to break even. Also, its advertising revenue was well below expectations.

Frantic to increase subscribers, PrideVision launched an aggressive subscription drive - provocatively called 'Get it up" Despite this effort, only 1,000 more customers signed on to the channel.

By December 2002, PrideVision laid off half its remaining staff, cutting administration, marketing, sales and other areas, leaving only half a dozen technical workers on the payroll.

The channel was also placed on the block, with the owners looking for a buyer. The most logical buyer for PrideVision is CHUM Television, which had also put in a bid to the CRTC in 1999 to launch a homosexual channel in competition with PrideVision. However, in order for CHUM to purchase PrideVision, it will first have to receive approval from the CRTC. This may be a severe embarrassment for the CRTC in that it obviously "backed the wrong horse" in granting the licence to PrideVision in the first place.

Speaking of which, CRTC made another error in judgement in 1999 when awarding the digital licences. It refused a licence for a Horse Channel. The Horse Channel is now up and running in the US, where it is a huge success!

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