Second gay cable channel announced for 2003

Washington, D.C.-based MDC Entertainment Group announced Monday that it plans to launch ALT1-TV, an ad-supported general entertainment network aimed at GLBT viewers, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The announcement comes just days after Showtime and MTV announced that they will be creating a gay and lesbian pay channel under the Viacom umbrella. MDC officials, who have slated the channel's launch for the first quarter of 2003, say there's money to be made going after the gay audience. "You're starting to see even more Fortune 500 companies targeting the gay market," said MDC spokesman Victor Siegel.