Is LGBT narrowcasting becoming too wide?

Reality shows about child beauty queens, sitcoms about straight girls living in an apartment and a dog makeover show. These shows might seem the usual for American cable, but it comes at a bit of a surprise that this is the line up for one of the only LGBT specific channels.

These programs are currently on the list of LogoTV, Viacom’s LGBT focused channel, which until recently featured gays and lesbians at the heart of their programming. 
The fear is that LogoTV and other LGBT catered for channels could undervalue or ignore its LGBT audiences by pursuing a programming format that attracts more mainstream viewers and advertisers.

An example of the variety of programmes currently on LogoTV's website

LogoTv is one of four LGBT specific channels, within the hundreds that US cable households are provided. It seems the channel is mainly running off the success of RuPaul’s Drag Race, which brought in from its season five premiere 1.3 million viewers, a 33% increase from the last premiere. But one off hits like this might not be enough to sustain such a niche channel.

Having researched into the history of LGBT related channels, many have shut down due to low revenue and financial problems. Q Television Network closed in 2006, Gay Cable Network closed in 2001, GAY.tv closed in 2008 and Pink TV can only financially broadcast two hours of programmes a day.

So networks are having to expand into non-LGBT content to broaden their audiences. The channels that are doing so seem to be doing well with the initiative. OutTV has a sizeable 1.2 million subscribers and LogoTV is broadcast to a staggering 45% of American households that own a TV. Not bad for such small narrowcast channels.

So expanding content is good for the television channels, with even more additional profits being made with partnerships in premium subscription YouTube channels aswell! But whether or not it is good for LGBT audiences is questionable. So I took a survey asking this exact question to a group of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual 20-30 year olds (the target audiences for these channels) on social media.

Out of the twenty that answered (12 Gay men, five lesbians and three bisexuals) only three said that they would expect LGBT channels to show only LGBT content.

However eighteen agreed that they don’t feel they receive enough LGBT specific content. 

When asked to comment about what they would want to see on LGBT channels many commented on new dramas, with different and new views on LGBT life. Looking at what's on LogoTV tonight, it doesn’t exactly look promising for new original content.

Tonights not so current line up.

What seemed to be the biggest similarity within this survey was the amount of people that said they agreed that they would not be interested in LGBT specific channels at all because of the idea of the LGBT community once again being singled out.

Just one of the many comments I had within my survey

Lisa Sherman, Logo's exec VP-general manager, said building a slate of shows that are not specifically about gay people isn't a move to attract a wider audience.

"The truth is, we're doing it to grow our gay base," Ms. Sherman said. "We do agree that we will be bringing in more gay viewers as well as their friends and allies, but we've always been about focusing on our core audience. We need to show them programming that speaks to their interests and sensibilities if we're going to stay relevant to them."

In a study Logo conducted with Starcom Mediavest Group, data showed that more than half of gay viewers don't consider showcasing their orientation a priority, and only 30% said they preferred living and socializing inexclusively gay communities. "Keeping gay people ghettoized is an old idea," Ms. Sherman added.

It is clear the mixing of ‘non-LGBT centered’ and ‘LGBT centered’ content is not the problem, instead this seems to be what is keeping companies like LogoTV so popular. However the majority of LGBT content that gay people are actually being shown (for example Golden Girls, Will and Grace and 1 Girl, Five Gays) is out dated and stereotypical and this is what is letting these niche channels down.

Links to all the info provided above and below!

• LGBT Media Broadens Niche Auidence
• logotv.com