Bravo and PlanetOut to launch gay broadband channel

Cable network Bravo and media company PlanetOut (parent company of The Advocate) today announced the creation of OutzoneTV.com, a broadband channel specifically targeted to gay and lesbian online viewers. Bravo will host, manage, and program OutzoneTV.com, while PlanetOut will provide advertising and promotional services through its network of Web sites, including Gay.com and PlanetOut.com.

Set to launch in March, OutzoneTV.com will feature an assortment of original and acquired content, including reality series like Gay Weddings and the dating-themed Boy Meets Boy. The channel joins TRIOtv.com and BrilliantButCancelled.com as part of an aggressive new broadband initiative announced by Bravo last month.

“Bravo has been extremely successful with reaching gay viewers through high-quality, groundbreaking programming that resonates," said Bravo president Lauren Zalaznick in a statement. “Our strategic partnership with PlanetOut in the broadband space, with their additional expertise, is going to make OutzoneTV.com a huge success.”

Outzone, which began as a programming block on Bravo’s TRIO network, has been spoofed on a number of national television programs, including Saturday Night Live. (Advocate.com)

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