Rainbow Media Unveils DIVINE HD First Ever 24/7 High-Definition Gay Movie Channel

[Sean Mota]

Please do not hijack this thread with any ethnic, religious or political comments. Do not insult anyone with any language. Offensive posting will be deleted.

Press Release

Keep your comments unto satellite/Programming. Thanks.

 

[Impatient]

Well, I was composing a reply on the old thread as it was closed. So, I have copied it into here.

This controversy is amazing. IMHO, people are getting all worked up for the wrong reasons. I am sitting here LMAO at two different groups of people. So, lets step back and take another look at this issue.

The first group doesn't like gay themes. Fine. Here is a different way for you folks to look at the announcement. Voom has broadcast rights to a goup of movies that fit into a gay theme. Up to now, they have been scattered around in the Cinema 10 channels and other exclusives like Epics. Voom has made a decision to cluster all these movies together and put them on one channel. This decision will mostly clear "that content" out of the other channels, leaving more room for other things. So if you are not interested in gay content, you only have *ONE* channel to skip, instead of several. I know that I will always skip the Golf channel. If you do not like the content of a "themed" channel, you can safely lock it out/skip it without worrying that you are going to miss something. If you believe you fit into this group, you should consider this channel a "moral win". Of course, on the channels that Voom doesn't control, you are still going to get your Will and Grace, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, and such, but the Voom Exclusives should be separated. How well will this gay content be concentrated? Well, think back over the last few months. How many horror flicks have shown up on any channel other that Monsters?

Second Group: Those people that were screaming to add InHD1/2 instead of this. This is about the cost of carrying a channel. InHD is a valuable asset, and its owners are doing their best to make sure that it will costly for Voom to add it to their listings. That is called business! SciFi channel, WGN, and all the other "proven basic channels" that people are begging for will cost serious money because they are "proven basic channels".
DevineHD is simply taking what content Rainbow already has paid for and concentrating it into a single channel. The Diva intros will add a little cost, but not much. The space was already there in the Cinema 10 channel. So, Voom has pulled off a "nearly zero cost" marketing win.

Will this attract new subscriptions? It should. Voom now "caters" to the Gay/Lesbian community by giving them their own channel. Marketing shows that the community:
has a little more money on average,
loyally pays attention to those that makes allowances for them,
is a lille more tech savvy and more likely to have HDTV in the first place.

Should it drive away customers? No. Only the "hard core" fanatical types would leave in "protest" over this. Nothing will ever please that type of person. Those that actually look at the line up changes and see that the content they don't want to see has gone from being scattered to being concentrated into one channel should appreciate that.

Logic Summary:
If you like the channel content, this is an improvement.
If you don't like the channel content, this is an improvement.
If you wanted something else, relax, this was free. They are still working on getting the other stuff soon.
Overall: A big marketing win for Voom with almost no cost.

Personally, I like the new channel, and will probably watch about 20% of its content. I hope they have Victor, Victoria. The Golf/Tennis/Weather/Auction/Gallery channels are the ones I personally will be locking out.

 

[adtoolco]

Please do not hijack this thread with any ethnic, religious or political comments. Do not insult anyone with any language. Offensive posting will be deleted.

Press Release

Keep your comments unto satellite/Programming. Thanks.

Well I guess there is nothing more to say on the subject. The fact that Voom choose to cater to a controversial demographic was hopefully well thought out. I was always one to push Voom to my friends and family. Now I have to add a caveat to my sales pitch. This won't help IMHO but ultimately the quantity of HD is still the main selling point. What scares me is "Rainbow" gets the stigma of the gay satellite provider. I fear that may be too late.

-Chris


P.S. - Sorry if I got religious, ethnic, and or political...I thought this was America not a party.

 

[Tyralak]

Please do not hijack this thread with any ethnic, religious or political comments. Do not insult anyone with any language. Offensive posting will be deleted.

Press Release

Keep your comments unto satellite/Programming. Thanks.

What's it gonna be called? RumpRanger 24/7? :haha

 

[giveuspurehd]

what if someone is looking to get into voom,dish,direct, and the salesman says well voom is the leader in hd ,but they cater to the gay user.none of us now how it will be looked upon.just looking over the first thread about this, i can see alot of people not liking the idea of it.if voom goes in a big ad blitz about it, then voom runs the risk of being known as the gay satellite company.we already have moov,fashion,auction,and few others i can not think of that are catering more on the gay side.i know if i did not currently have voom, and was searching for a service and a commercial came on and they were touting gay channels, i probably would not even look into it.there are alot more people like me than some in this forum would like to admit.now, knowing what voom is all about, i really like it , and adding a gay channel does not bother me because they gave up a cinema channel for it.

 

[deeann]

(wow- earlier today glancing through the forum this was about a 10 page thread, didin't have time to read it then).

So I guess a lot of the people who are against adding this channel don't subscribe to Showtime for the same reason? Showtime has a lot of gay and lesbian oriented programming also.

I really don't see what the big deal is about the Divine HD channel. If you don't want to watch it or have your kids see it, lock it out with the parental controls.

 

[adtoolco]

(wow- earlier today glancing through the forum this was about a 10 page thread, didin't have time to read it then).

So I guess a lot of the people who are against adding this channel don't subscribe to Showtime for the same reason? Showtime has a lot of gay and lesbian oriented programming also.

I really don't see what the big deal is about the Divine HD channel. If you don't want to watch it or have your kids see it, lock it out with the parental controls.

Your right about Showtime but it is a premium pay channel. I do subscribe to Showtime and don't watch the gay stuff. I'll do the same with "Divine". I think this would have been a better move if Voom wasn't hanging by a thread. I could be wrong but my gut tells me this a bad idea.(And its a big gut too)

-Chris

 

[CraziFuzzy]

OH, but i bet it's a CUTE gut... sorry.. too much DIVINE...

I can't believe so many people are so upset about this. This has nothing but neutral to good prospects for the company, and cost them and us nothing. Doesn't anyone realize that Rainbow media created WE? I think I'm going to cancel my service because they cater to WOMEN. eek... brings a chill up my spine..

 

[elocs]

I don't see how VOOM would be catering to gays by adding this channel. Do they cater to racing fans by having a racing channel, or golfers by having a golf channel, or to the fashion conscious by having a fashion channel? If there is something I want to watch on that channel, then I will watch it. If there is not, I won't, just as I do on all the other channels.

I subscribe to the VOOM Yahoo group and this subject is burying it. I cannot believe the irrational and intolerant beliefs that some of these people have, hoping VOOM will fail because they have a "gay" channel. I am sure if gays were disappear then these same people would be after the next group on their probably long list of undesireables.
Maybe VOOM could cater to these people and add an Intolerant channel showing films and programs that promote the virtues of being a bigot and not having any respect for beliefs that differ from their own. Now THAT would truly be a degenerate channel and I hope it would be a premium channel, so I would not have to pay for it.

 

[Impatient]

what if someone is looking to get into voom,dish,direct, and the salesman says well voom is the leader in hd ,but they cater to the gay user.none of us now how it will be looked upon.just looking over the first thread about this, i can see alot of people not liking the idea of it.if voom goes in a big ad blitz about it, then voom runs the risk of being known as the gay satellite company.we already have moov,fashion,auction,and few others i can not think of that are catering more on the gay side.i know if i did not currently have voom, and was searching for a service and a commercial came on and they were touting gay channels, i probably would not even look into it.there are alot more people like me than some in this forum would like to admit.now, knowing what voom is all about, i really like it , and adding a gay channel does not bother me because they gave up a cinema channel for it.

If Voom is going to advertise Devine HD, you should assume they are going to advertise it in the proper forums. I would expect to see it in http://www.advocate.com, but not in main stream publications or commercials. Checking shows they already have an article on it. http://www.advocate.com/new_news.asp?ID=12568&sd=05/27/04 It talks more about Viacom's offering, covering Devine HD as an "also running". A little disapointing there.

Voom commercials have been showing up on my Comcast cable lately. They don't mention the Playboy HD, so I wouldn't expect them to mention Devine HD either. You need to remember that marketing people will go overboard in their attempts to be politically correct, so any advertising will be limited to its niche marketplace. Given the quality of salespeople's advice at a store like Best Buy/Computer City, do you really think they are even going to know about the channel?

 

[adtoolco]

I don't see how VOOM would be catering to gays by adding this channel. Do they cater to racing fans by having a racing channel, or golfers by having a golf channel, or to the fashion conscious by having a fashion channel? If there is something I want to watch on that channel, then I will watch it. If there is not, I won't, just as I do on all the other channels.

I subscribe to the VOOM Yahoo group and this subject is burying it. I cannot believe the irrational and intolerant beliefs that some of these people have, hoping VOOM will fail because they have a "gay" channel. I am sure if gays were disappear then these same people would be after the next group on their probably long list of undesireables.
Maybe VOOM could cater to these people and add an Intolerant channel showing films and programs that promote the virtues of being a bigot and not having any respect for beliefs that differ from their own. Now THAT would truly be a degenerate channel and I hope it would be a premium channel, so I would not have to pay for it.

Why are you so intolerant to my bigoted views...you bigotphobe.

-Chris

 

[Pete In Plano]

I would like to actually see the demographic on how many gays have HD home theaters. Voom just extended the $0 upfront offer until July 5th. The more subs the better. The more subs, the less chance that Voom will go under and we all lose the great HD that we are enjoying!!!

 

[astrossuperfan]

I'm angry because Voom is putting time, money, and energy into a channel that few will watch, instead of using that time, money and energy into getting channels that the general public as a whole will enjoy. ie. INHD1/2, HdNet, etc.

Another thing: What makes a movie a "gay" movie? Don't homosexuals enjoy the same movies everyone else does? If Voom picks out "gay" movies as well as they pick out Epics, it could be ugly.

 

[squicken]

If Voom picks out "gay" movies as well as they pick out Epics, it could be ugly.

Excellent point.

 

[donut]

You are not allowed to have an opinion on a matter. Please refrain from disagreeing with anything PC or we shall flame you. We are intolerant of anyone that doesn't see it our way.

Thank you, drive through please.

 

[Sean Mota]

You are not allowed to have an opinion on a matter. Please refrain from disagreeing with anything PC or we shall flame you. We are intolerant of anyone that doesn't see it our way.

Thank you, drive through please.

What do you mean?

 

[occammd]

I don't think the issue is the movies. I'm sure plenty are actually great, but the addition of HDivas? 'cmon...here's a portion of the press release:

"Each film will be introduced by one of DIVINE's "HDivas," notable gay personalities who will put each film into the larger gay context for viewers. Everyone from celebrated drag queens to notable authors and directors will provide commentary on the films.

In addition to the introductions, "HDivas" will present original entertainment segments featuring cabaret-style performances. Celebrated drag queens like Hedda Lettuce, Miss Understood and Miss Bettie will entertain viewers. Personalities including: Paris is Burning director, Jenny Livingston, award-winning author Gary Indiana, and renowned Village Voice journalist Michael Musto will provide commentary on the films, plus stand alone entertainment segments."

Certainly a bit much for my taste.

I can't wait to see the reaction at Sears, some sales kid getting asked the question by some family guy with his wife an 2 kids along,"OK, Johnny you'll love animania, honey you'll love auction, I get ESPNHD, what do think will interest our older son Scott?". "Oh", he replies, "We have the divine network, that might work, it's our special gay and lesbian movie channel hosted by trannies".

That's gonna go over well isn't it? They have a hard enough time understanding the HD equipment for sale, now they get to spin this.

 

[savethefamily]

All gay channel coming to Voom. /cry

Here's the Press Release:
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040527/nyw173_2.html

I'm really disappointed. I had been looking forward to getting Voom for the last 2 weeks since I had ordered it. I called and spoke with 3 Voom reps and the floor manager. It's true... an all gay channel all the time beaming into your house for the kids to see.

I don't want to support a company who's trying to propagate the gay lifestyle. I don't want to have to explain to my toddler why 2 men are kissing. The installer was on his way to my house and I just called and cancelled.

I support traditional marriage/family strongly. The explosion of gay advocacy is going to do to us what it did to the Scandinavian countries - percent of people getting married there has dropped dramatically to 20%. If marriage loses it's meaning, what's the point in people getting married? It's the death of the family IMHO. No families = more dysfunctional kids = more crime.

I'm speaking with my wallet. Hopefully DirecTV will feel competition and add some more HD stations soon.

 

[fayrich]

If this is true, it is terrible news. With all the other HD networks not accunted for on V*, this really sucks. What a waste of bandwidth!!

 

[DarrellP]

Old News. Good bye. Comments deleted.