Gay, lesbian TV programming coming to Maine

BANGOR – Q Television Network, which offers 24-7 programming for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community, will join Time Warner’s lineup at the end of July.

“It will be offered wherever Time Warner is available in Maine,” said Veronica Welch of CWR & Partners, the Massachusetts-based public relations firm that represents Q Television.

The exact date of the launch is not known, but Q will be offered as a premium channel, like HBO, rather than part of a basic cable package. Subscribers also will be able to access video-on-demand programming.

“All of us in the Q family are very pleased that Time Warner Cable has decided to make Q Television available to its customers, and we thank Time Warner Cable for including Q in its channel lineup,” Frank Olsen, president, CEO and founder of Q Television Network, stated in a press release. “We are committed to showing the GLBT community quality live programming, and we look forward to being invited into the homes of Time Warner Cable’s customers.”

News of the impending addition to area cable TV was well-received by an activist who deals with the gay community in Maine.

“I think it will bring an awareness to the lifestyle,” Jason LeBlanc, outreach education coordinator of the Eastern Maine AIDS Network’s Bangor office, said Friday. “[People may realize] it’s [GBLT lifestyle] not so different. I believe the station is not trying to glamorize. I hope it does well, and I hope it will be educational.”

The network features original series, sports, entertainment and news coverage. “On Q Live,” a 31/2-hour-long broadcast, is aired nightly. Talk shows such as “Women on Women” and “In Foqus” center on issues and personalities vital to the GLBT community.

In “Q on the Move,” host Nick Oram travels the country to discover how gay culture relates to lifestyle, politics, fashion, art and music. Religious programming includes Christian worship Sunday mornings from Dallas’ Cathedral of Hope, the largest gay and lesbian church in the United States.

Despite its target market, company officials say quality programming about the gay and lesbian experience, designed to entertain, educate and inform, will attract viewers regardless of their sexual orientation.

“People [in the GLBT community] are anxious to see what it’s going to be, if the station is going to be used to promote change, if it’s something just for gays, or if the programming will be stuff that others can enjoy as well,” LeBlanc said Friday.

“I’m interested to see the community reaction. We’re constantly dealing with issues. What is [the programming] going to be? Is it going to be devoted to the [GBLT] lifestyle, and if so, what are the ramifications going to be?” LeBlanc said.