Get BOUND

BOUND, a new lesbian magazine is about to hit the global market this December.

The new glossy touts itself as the “world's first international magazine for lesbians and women with a connection to the gay and lesbian community” aims to delight queer women with the spice of life with the tagline "Different culture, same lifestyle". Inspired by the success of Sex and the City and The L Word, Australian-based Avalon Media, publishers of LOTL, a long running gay and lesbian magazine, believe there is a market for BOUND.

Editors plan an “innovative” glossy magazine focused on women who have “broad horizons regarding lifestyle, travel, culture and sexuality” with global content driven by a unique pool of contributors from around the world including Europe, North America, South Africa, the Indian subcontinent, South East Asia, South America, Australia and New Zealand.

BOUND will offer in-depth features, celebrity interviews, travel editorial, fashion spreads and previews of the latest lifestyle essentials. The publication will be available on newsstands and through subscription.

Lesbian magazine in Beijing raided by police

by News Editor

Les Plus (http://www.lesplus.org), a magazine published by a group of lesbians in Beijing, had their distribution outlet - the Beijing LGBT Centre - raided and copies of the magazine confiscated by the police last week, says report.

Xtra, a Canadian gay newspaper, quoted Les Plus publishers Eva, Tatou and Gogo (all pseudonyms), who were attending a human rights gathering in Copenhagen, Denmark - following the main Outgames human rights conference, as saying that the magazine's distribution centre was raided while they were away.

[Caption]

The lesbian-oriented magazine which has been in publication since 2005 is said to contain political commentary alongside articles and news of LGBT interest. The magazine has operated underground since then as all media (both digital and print) require a license which is known to only be granted to state-owned companies.

Two other civil rights groups Yirenping (益仁平), a group that advocates on behalf of people infected with hepatitis B and Gongmeng ((公盟) (or Open Constitution Initiative), described by the New York Times as "the country’s pre-eminent legal rights center" have also been raided in recent weeks. Gongmeng has been shut down and its founder Xu Zhiyong, has not been heard from since being taken into police custody on Jul 29. At Yirenping, officials confiscated stacks of literature which they claimed had been printed without official permission.

China will mark the 60th anniversary of the Communist Revolution and the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1.

Courtesy of Frieda: http://www.fridae.com/newsfeatures/2009/08/12/8770.lesbian-magazine-in-beijing-raided-by-police 12 Aug 2009

New York Gay Newspaper Suspends Publication

By JENNIFER 8. LEE

The New York Blade, one of the two major gay and lesbian newspapers in New York City, has laid off its editor in chief and suspended publication, the chief executive of its publishing company said on Wednesday.

“Everyone was let go, but the people on The Blade know that they may come back if The Blade is coming back,” said the executive, Matthew Bank, of HX Media, which was formed in 2005 by the merger of The Blade and HX Magazine.

The moves came on Tuesday after HX was sold to undisclosed buyers. The Blade, a biweekly paper with a free circulation of 22,000, was left with an uncertain future.

“It doesn’t have an issue scheduled until a week from Friday.” Mr. Bank said. “There are a lot of things that can happen between now and then.”

The decision to suspend publication comes at a particularly active period for journalism concerned with gay issues: the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots and the gay pride parade on Sunday, the proposed same-sex marriage bill in the State Senate and discontent over the Obama administration’s performance on gay-rights issues.

“It is an incredibly exciting time for gay journalism,” said Kat Long, who had been editor in chief of The Blade since February. “It’s important that gay papers are around to document it.”

Paul Schindler, editor in chief of Gay City News, the rival New York City gay newspaper, said The Blade had “made good contributions over the years.”

While a minority owner in HX Media has gone into receivership, Mr. Bank said that had little to do with the decision to sell the magazine.

Instead, he pointed to the advertising climate: “The economy and the future of print media being more difficult was definitely weighing on us.”

The Blade’s recent gay pride issue had been a relatively slim 28 pages.

“Gay pride is to gay publications what Christmas is to retail,” Mr. Schindler said. “When I pick up The Blade and it’s in 28 pages, then this is a business that is in serious problems.”

Published by the New York Times, July 2, 2009

NLGJA Announces Michael Tune as New Managing Director

Tune to lead premier LGBT journalist group beginning May 4, 2009

Washington, D.C. – Today the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA) announced that Michael Tune has assumed its top staff post and will oversee its efforts to support newsroom diversity and ensure fair and accurate coverage of LGBT issues. As managing director, he will also lead NLGJA’s flagship programs, including its annual convention, scheduled to take place in Montreal in September.

“The nation’s journalists face unprecedented challenges and opportunities in their careers, and we’re excited to have Michael’s energy and experience behind finding new and innovative ways of supporting and promoting LGBT journalists,” said NLGJA National President David Steinberg. “In addition, with LGBT issues such as same-sex marriage equality so much in the news today, LGBT journalists play a unique role in ensuring fair and accurate coverage, both in their reporting and by educating their colleagues in the newsroom.”

Tune comes to the NLGJA from Appleseed, a nonprofit network of public interest justice centers, where he was a member of the senior staff, overseeing finance, human resources, and operations. Michael served during a great period of growth for Appleseed, while revenues rose from $1 million to $2.5 million in three years’ time. He has been active in the city’s nonprofit world for the past eight years.

Founded in 1990, NLGJA is the leading professional organization for LGBT journalists with 22 chapters nationwide, as well as members around the globe. Tune takes over from David Barre, who has led the organization since 2007.

“NLGJA is on the front lines, accomplishing its vital mission of fair and accurate news coverage every day – a cause I am proud to join in advancing. Each day we will ask ourselves, ‘How do we make the greatest impact?’” added Mr. Tune. “We will maintain and build strong programs and resources, from our convention to tools on new and social media. In so doing, NLGJA will move the country toward fairer news coverage and more diverse newsrooms, all while helping LGBT journalists thrive in a changing world.”

NLGJA will host its 2009 National Convention and 6th Annual LGBT Media Summit in Montreal on September 10-13. Information is available at: http://nlgja.org/convention/

About the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association:

NLGJA is an organization of journalists, media professionals, educators and students working from within the news industry to foster fair and accurate coverage of LGBT issues. NLGJA opposes all forms of workplace bias and provides professional development to its members. For more information, visit www.nlgja.org.

Media Contact: David Steinberg, 510-708-7004 or president@nlgja.org

Amazon blames ‘glitch’ for labeling gay lit as porn

By The Associated Press
04.13.2009 8:51am EDT

(New York City) A “glitch” on Amazon.com has caused the sales rank to be removed from gay- and/or lesbian-themed books by James Baldwin, Gore Vidal and others.

“There was a glitch in our systems and it’s being fixed,” Amazon’s director of corporate communications, Patty Smith, said in an e-mail Sunday.

As of Sunday night, books without rankings included Baldwin’s “Giovanni’s Room,” Vidal’s “The City and the Pillar” and Jeanette Winterson’s “Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit.” The removals prompted furious remarks on Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere online.

Craig Seymour, author of the gay memoir “All I Could Bare,” wrote on his blog Sunday that his sales rank was dropped in February, then restored nearly four weeks later, after he was told by Amazon that his book had been “classified as an Adult product.”

New Ownership Brings Changes To Gay Monthly 'Advocate'

BY ON TOP MAGAZINE STAFF

The Advocate's new owners are as eager to change the drapes at American'sonly national LGBT news magazine as President Barack Obama was aboutchanging his at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Here Media has clearly taken over the magazine, its content and direction. And the changes are more than mere window dressing.

Several bloggers last week took exception to the fact that the magazine's website featured a story concerning another Here Media property. The siteheadlined a story about Beau Breedlove's forthcoming big reveal (we'reoptimistic) in an upcoming issue of Unzipped, a gay porn magazine.Breedlove achieved his 15 minutes by having sex with Portland's openly gaymayor, Sam Adams. Adams has been fighting to remain in office sinceadmitting to the affair he originally dismissed as a “nasty smear.”

“A known dude's decision to show his weeny in another gay magazine shouldprobably not be the top story for America's award-winning LGBT newsmagazine,” wrote Jeremy Hooper on the gay activism site goodasyou.org.

Then there was the story of the big Oscar win by Here Media-owned RegentReleasing. The Best Foreign Film win for Departures was mentioned on themagazine's website, but the film, whose protagonist is straight and married,does not deal with gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender issues, themagazine's target audience.

Other changes include a move to monthly publication, a new editor and theaddition of here! television video content on the website.

Yet, Regent Media Executive Vice President Stephen Macias recently said Here Media is a mere caretaker of America's most distinct gay voice.

In an exclusive interview with OUTTAKEOnline.com CEO Charlotte Robinson,Macias said: “I think that with The Advocate in particular, myself I seeus as caretakers. Caretakers of the brand and the voice and the platformthat [resulted from] forty-two years of hard work.”

PlanetOut, the parent company of The Advocate, Out, Gay.com and PlanetOut.com, agreed to be acquired late last year after announcing it haslost nearly $100 million and faced possible Nasdaq delisting.

Listen to the entire audio interview at voices.OUTTAKEOnline.com.

Courtesy of On Top Magazine: http://ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=3353&MediaType=1&Category=26.

Genre to suspend publication

Recession takes toll on gay magazine

Washington Blade staff reports Mar 20, 3:55 PM

Genre magazine will temporarily suspend publication, due to the ongoing recession, company officials announced today.

"We thank all of our readers, advertisers and editorial staff for their support throughout our more than 16-year history and hope that we can re-establish our relationship when times are better," company CEO David Unger said in a statement.

He noted that the decision to suspend Genre does not have any impact on other publications produced by HX Media, Window Media or Unite Media (which merged with Window Media in 2004), which include the Washington Blade, Southern Voice, South Florida Blade, New York Blade and HX magazine.

"Those publications will continue to publish and support their local communities," Unger said.

Genre’s suspension didn’t come as a surprise to Gay City News, which revealed that Avalon Equity was forced into receivership by the Small Business Administration early February. Queerty.com, followed up reporting on the troubled gay media enterprise March 14, as well as Towleroad March 21.

Could Window Media be the next queer publishing entity to be taken down by mismanagement and the economic crisis?

Courtesy of the Washington Blade: http://washblade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=24600

"Underground" Author James Purdy Dies

Author James Purdy, whose obscure but highly regarded works include Cabot Wright Begins and the gay-themed Eustace Chisholm and the Works, died Friday morning at a hospital in New Jersey. Though his exact age is unknown, he was in his mid 80s.

Gore Vidal, Dorothy Parker, and Tennessee Williams were among his biggest fans, but outside literary circles, Purdy was a relative unknown. According to the Associated Press, for the past several years he lived in a one-room walk-up apartment in Brooklyn, outside what he considered "the anesthetic, hypocritical, preppy, and stagnant New York literary establishment."

Purdy’s early works were given a critical lashing, considered "fifth-rate, avant-garde soap opera." The criticism caused him to leave official literary establishment -- the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

But his works would later be regarded as “genius,” particularly for his comic phrasing. Though many of his works have fallen out of print, several have been reissued in recent years.

Purdy told the Associated Press in 2005 that growing up he had been "exposed to everything.” He said his books reflected his deep understanding of sex, violence, race, class, familial cruelty, and romantic longing.

His works sharply divided critics. Of Cabot Wright, New York Times book critic Orville Prescott wrote that it was a “sick outpouring of a confused, adolescent, and distraught mind."

Days later, Susan Sontag countered, saying the book was a “fluid, immensely readable, personal and strong work by a writer from whom everyone who cares about literature has expected, and will continue to expect, a great deal."

A few years later, Eustace Chisholm became known as one of his landmark works, prompting the Times to write that it walked “that line of homosexual fiction which announces itself not by subject matter but by tone."

Courtesy of the Advocate.com: http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid75196.asp.

PlanetOut’s accounting firm doubts the company’s ongoing stability

By Heather Cassell

San Francisco – Once robust, PlanetOut Inc., the leading LGBT lifestyle and entertainment media company, has given its independent registered public accounting firm “substantial doubt” about the company’s ability “to continue”.

PlanetOut, based in San Francisco, announced in a news release Wednesday, the audit report conducted by the unidentified accounting firm which wrapped up 2008 and was published in the company’s Annual Report, made its decision based on PlanetOut’s “continuing net losses and accumulated deficit”.

The accounting firm completed its audit report on December 31 of that same year and filed it with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 4, according to the news release.

PlanetOut announced its ongoing financial woes and troubled relationship with the SEC in compliance with the Nasdaq Marketplace Rule 4350(b)(1)(B).

In spite of PlanetOut’s declining health, the company continues to assess and adjust its operating plan in order to survive during the next 12 months, according to the news release. Some of those changes include: PlanetOut reduced its workforce by approximately 33 percent January 16 and it is in the process of merging with Here Media, Inc. and “certain other parties”, which commenced January 8 and is anticipated to be completed sometime during 2009’s second quarter, according to the news release.

PlanetOut insists that its current situation “does not represent any changes or amendment” to the company’s “fiscal 2008 financial statements or to its Annual Report” for its year ending December 31, 2008.

For more information, visit http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/prnews?Page=Quote&Ticker=LGBT or www.planetoutinc.com.

Atwood boycotts book fest over gay censorship

By The Associated Press
02.20.2009

(Dubai) Author Margaret Atwood has pulled out of an international Dubai literary festival after organizers banned a forthcoming novel by a British author because it contains references to homosexuality.

In a letter addressed to the festival’s director, Atwood said she could not attend Dubai’s inaugural International Festival of Literature next week because of the “regrettable turn of events surrounding” the book “The Gulf Between Us.”

Atwood was referring a novel by British author Geraldine Bedell who said the festival banned it because of references to homosexuality. The book, set in the Persian Gulf, is scheduled to be published in April.

“I was greatly looking forward to the Festival, and to the chance to meet readers there; but, as an International Vice President of PEN - an organization concerned with the censorship of writers - I cannot be part of the Festival this year,” Atwood said in the letter, posted on her Web site.

Festival director Isobel Abulhoul described Atwood’s decision not to attend the Feb. 26 to March 1 festival as “regrettable.”

The festival has not given a specific reason for why it banned Bedell’s forthcoming book. But Abulhoul said decisions can be driven in many cases by “simple attendance imperatives.”

“I would hope that anyone informed and interested in the differing cultures around the world would both understand and respect the path we tread in setting up the first festival of this nature in the Middle East,” she said in a letter posted on the festival’s Web site late Wednesday.

Dubai has struggled over the past year to merge its glitzy international appeal with its conservative Muslim values. The UAE has also come under intense pressure this week after it barred an Israeli women’s tennis player from a lucrative Dubai tournament. On Thursday, it announced that an Israeli men’s doubles player would be allowed entry into the country to play in next week’s men’s tournament.

Other well-known authors such as Frank McCourt, Louis de Bernieres and Jung Chang are also scheduled to attend the Dubai festival.

On Monday, Bedell, a journalist for the British Observer newspaper and the author of several novels, said the organizers had first discussed launching her book at the festival because of its Gulf setting. But later, Abulhoul wrote to Penguin, saying Dubai didn’t want the “festival remembered for the launch of a controversial book,” Bedell said.

According to Bedell, who lived in Bahrain for five years in the 1980s, the book was not acceptable because one characters, Sheikh Rashid, is assumed to be gay. Homosexuality is illegal in the United Arab Emirates.

The author also said festival organizers complained that “it talks about Islam and queries what is said.”

Courtesy of 365Gay.com: http://www.365gay.com/news/atwood-boycotts-book-fest-over-gay-censorship/.

Gay Ad Network Sets New Traffic RecordsExtends Top Ranking in Gay/Lesbian CategoryMarketWire

NEW YORK, NY - Gay Ad Network, the category leading gay media network, today announced that its group of gay and lesbian web sites set new traffic records in December. comScore Media Metrix reports that in December, Gay Ad Network's US reach surpassed 1.18 million unique users, which is greater than the unduplicated reach of PlanetOut, Gay.com, Logo Online and Regent Media sites combined. Moreover, Quantcast tracked 4.2 million unique monthly users worldwide on Gay Ad Network sites during this period.

Traffic trend analysis shows that the gay and lesbian online audience is shifting away from gay portals to niche LGBT sites and mainstream social networking services. The current audience metrics and redistribution are helping Gay Ad Network expand its category leadership.

"Marketers are discovering that LGBT consumers are resilient and focused online -- one of the bright spots in a weak economy," said Bob Witeck, CEO of Witeck-Combs Communications, a leading LGBT marketing company. "In research we conducted last year, we saw that gay men in particular are less likely than others to cut back on their discretionary spending. And while not more affluent than others, gay households often are healthy indicators of smart shopping and spending."

Gay Ad Network's recession-resistant audience boasts a high disposable income and tremendous purchasing power. Compared to all other sites in the Gay and Lesbian community category in December 2008, comScore reports that Gay Ad Network reached more people with household income over $100,000 and more households without children.

New advertisers include Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Showtime, Florida Keys, Air New Zealand and MGM Mirage.

Gay Ad Network is one of the first of the now 150+ networks created on Adify. Adify is the pioneer and leading provider of technology to power vertical networks, outsourced services to manage them, and expertise to guide customers to success.

About Gay Ad Network

Gay Ad Network (http://www.gayadnetwork.com) is the category leading gay media network, reaching over 4 million unique users per month. Gay Ad Network is a division of Family Powered Networks LLC, a privately held company that provides advertising and marketing services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender publishers and companies targeting the LGBT market.

About Adify
Adify Corporation (www.adify.com) is the premier vertical ad network management company and an independent, wholly owned subsidiary of Cox TMI Inc., part of Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises, one of the nation's leading media companies and providers of automotive services.

© MarketWire 2009URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28861090/

Regent Media Assumes Majority Interest in PlanetOut

Regent Entertainment Media, publishers of The Advocate and Out magazines and owner of the here! TV network announced Thursday that it has signed a merger agreement with PlanetOut Inc. The combined company will be known as Here Media Inc, 80% of which will be owned by the owners of Regent Entertainment Media.

In addition owning here! TV, The Advocate, and Out, Regent Entertainment Media also publishes HIV Plus magazine and Alyson Books. Its online presence includes Advocate.com, Out.com, HIVPlusMag.com, OutTraveler.com, and SheWired.com. PlanetOut runs two of the longest-established gay sites on the Web, PlanetOut.com and Gay.com.

“This business combination will unite a powerful broadband video solution with an iconic brand and a leading URL in the LGBT community,” said Paul Colichman, CEO of Regent Entertainment Media. “We are extremely excited about the opportunity to leverage this exceptional collection of assets to expand our audience, grow our revenues, and increase stockholder value.” (Advocate.com)

Courtesy of The Advocate.com: http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid70389.asp.

Besen: The future of gay news media

By Wayne Besen, columnist, 365gay.com
02.18.2009 3:08pm EST

In one of the most important articles of the year, Walter Isaacson wrote in Time Magazine about the shredding of the newspaper business. With free content available online, people are dropping daily subscriptions and newsstand sales are declining. The only way for newspapers to remain profitable is through advertising revenue in the print and online editions.

The problem with this business model, however, is that it leaves newsrooms beholden to advertising interests instead of readers. And, if the economy goes into a tailspin, precipitous drops in advertising can quickly lead to ruin. Isaacson says the way to save the news business is to move to a paradigm where newspapers go completely digital and readers pay directly for online content. For example, a web surfer who wants to read an individual story online can pay a nickel – or pay a larger fee for a weekly e-subscription.

The main obstacle is creating technology that makes reading e-news as pleasurable as the newspaper experience. Within a few years, however, new technology will make this possible, with several products scheduled to hit the market.

If mainstream newspapers are having a difficult time, it should be no surprise that gay and lesbian publications are disappearing faster than a rabbit at a magic show. There is a long list of venerable GLBT publications that have recently vanished.

Earlier this month, Gay City News reported, “the investment fund that owns the Washington Blade, the Southern Voice, Genre magazine, and other gay publications has been forced into receivership by the federal Small Business Administration (SBA), which will sell the fund’s assets and distribute the proceeds to investors.”

When the technology reaches fruition, the GLBT media should embrace Isaacson’s model. The gay community’s top reporters do a superior job covering the news and offer in-depth analysis that can’t be duplicated. I am willing to bet that people will pay for such content.The question is, will the publications themselves actually survive or will the GLBT media become a collection of enterprising freelance reporters who sell by the story? While most items would not bring a large bounty, there would likely be a couple of breaking stories that would pay the bills. For example, a blockbuster story with 250,000 downloads at a nickel per purchase would yield $12,500.

Of course, new technology would also have to make it more difficult to cut and paste more than one paragraph per story. And, much like cameras that take pictures of those that run red lights, an electronic surveillance system that imposed small penalties – perhaps a dollar per infraction - would have to be developed. There would always be ways to get around the system. But, one would hope that enough people would have the decency to pay for good reporting to make it work.

GLBT bloggers should also welcome changes where they would actually get paid for their labor. It is disgraceful that some of our leading lights are posting during lunch breaks at their day jobs. Given their influence and size of their audiences, it is absurd that they have not reaped enough wealth to blog full-time.

Fans may balk, but they must realize they are also getting shortchanged. Imagine how much better most blogs would be if the writers had another 8-10 hours a day to conduct research? The products would be infinitely superior and be of greater value. Ultimately, the axiom, “you get what you pay for” rings true.

People must also realize that the status quo will soon lead to burnout among the best bloggers. Without a financial incentive commensurate with their work, don’t be surprised when your favorite bloggers choose relationships over readership. If you don’t pay, many will fade away – which would be a great loss to the GLBT community.

In order for this business model to work, the leading bloggers, gossip sites and journalists will have to create a new type of union – where they jump off the cliff all at once. There would also be an initial loss of readers, but who cares? The writer would still make more money by retaining a subset of paying readers. And, many of the dissenters would come back when they realized the true value of a product they once viewed as their birthright.

On a similar note, the continued improvement of E-book technology may save the GLBT publishing industry. On March 29, the legendary Oscar Wilde bookstore will close in Greenwich Village, citing economic trouble. This follows the demise of the famed bookstore Crossroads Market in Dallas.With few venues to sell books and fewer publishers, it is a tough time for gay authors. While the major retailers have GLBT sections, rarely do these books receive prime shelf space. E-books may be a way to cut out the middleman, save on printing costs and let gay authors sell directly to the reading public. Best of all, no more hand cramps from book signings!

The article in Time Magazine showed that the very concept of a magazine was a relic beyond its time. In the end, the tumultuous changes forced by the recession may be what resuscitates and revolutionizes the GLBT publishing industry.

Courtesy of 365Gay.com: http://www.365gay.com/opinion/besen-the-future-of-gay-news-media/.

PlanetOut to be de-listed from exchange

by Matthew S. Bajko
m.bajko@ebar.com

PlanetOut, the once venerable LGBT media company and the first to be publicly traded, will be de-listed from NASDAQ due to its merger with Here Media.

The San Francisco-based company had traded under the ticker symbol LGBT since its debut in October 2004. It marked the first time a business focused exclusively on the LGBT market was sold and bought on a major stock exchange.

As part of a $4.7 million merger deal it has signed with L.A.-based Here Networks LLC and Regent Entertainment Media, PlanetOut is set to become a subsidiary of the newly named Here Media. The companies announced the deal in early January.

The new company will be majority owned by Regent Entertainment CEO Stephen Jarchow, who will serve as chairman of the combined company, and Here Networks CEO Paul Colichman, who will serve as CEO of the new company. During the first year, both men will receive $1 in salary.

But the two executives will control the company through ownership of 80 percent of its preferred shares. PlanetOut shareholders will receive one common share and one special share in the new company for each share of PlanetOut they own.

"The company is effectively facing de-listing. It doesn't qualify for listing on a stock exchange at the moment because of this reduction in value," said Jarchow during a conference call with investors and reporters Monday, January 26.

The new company, however, will remain a publicly traded and publicly reported company.
"It will be traded over the counter. You will have the ability to buy and sell stock," said Jarchow on the call.

Due to the merger, PlanetOut laid off 33 percent of its staff this month, and the new executives said more layoffs are possible as it reduces duplicative positions.

"I can't say there won't be more staff reductions. There may be other ways to reduce costs. There may also be ways to redeploy people within the company," said Colichman, who also did not rule out purchasing other companies to add to Here Media's ever-expanding empire. "We will make more acquisitions when it makes sense."

The executives said they hope to be "cash profitable" by the end of the year and have Here Media re-listed on the stock exchange as soon as possible. The deal, which still must be finalized by PlanetOut's stockholders and approved by federal regulators, will be a benefit to shareholders, argued Jarchow.

Current PlanetOut CEO Karen Magee agreed, saying on the call that, "Given the evolving media landscape, the proposed merger is absolutely the right move. It is a win for our stockholders and a win for the LGBT community."

Should the company be sold or liquidated during the next four years, the first $4 per share will go to each of the PlanetOut shareholders' share of stock, said Jarchow.

"It leaves you with a much stronger company," he said. "It is designed not only to protect you but give you a confidence level that we mean business on this. We plan to work diligently and hard to make this a success."

Here Networks is primarily made up of the cable subscription service Here TV, which offers original LGBT movies and series on a pay-per-view basis, while Regent is its publishing arm. Regent had already scooped up PlanetOut's publishing business – it once held title to national LGBT publications the Advocate, Out , and HIVPlus – on the cheap last year for $6 million.

Prior to the sale of its magazines, PlanetOut offloaded its cruise ship business, RSVP Vacations, in late December 2007 to competitor Atlantis Events Inc. for $2.1 million as it teetered on collapse due to its ballooning debt load. By the end of 2008 the company's accumulated debt had reached $100 million.

The downsizing of the company was meant to help it focus on its core online brands Planetout.com and Gay.com. But the rollout last fall of a redesigned Gay.com was marred by technical glitches.
In the eyes of the Here Media execs, the Gay.com site is still under-used. They intend to rework the Web site to create a gay version of Hulu, the Web site that carries advertiser-supported entertainment content viewers can watch for free.

"We have always been producers and content developers, we are not a tech company," said Colichman. "We are a content company that uses many, many technologies."

Through the merger, Colichman said advertisers would be able to better reach LGBT eyeballs through Here Media's vast array of television channels, publications and Web sites. It will also better serve viewers, particularly Web and tech savvy LGBT consumers, who want to watch movies and TV shows on their computers and mobile devices without having to also watch numerous commercials.

"Let's move to where the audience is going and be part of the next wave of success as opposed to crying about how things are changing," he said. "The exciting aspect and main reason we want to do this particular venture is it is the next real step in the integration of social networks with content."
Colichman envisions LGBT people chatting online through Gay.com while at the same time watching Here Media's shows and movies, that they then can blog about in the chat rooms or e-mail clips to friends.

"The stage is set to allow this powerful and adverse tool to do its job. To do it, you need professional content produced by our own community to give it full value and life," he said. "We are literally tapping into today's Zeitgeist with what is happening with today's media."

01/29/2009
http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=3675

Other related stories:
Breaking news: PlanetOut to sell off magazines
PlanetOut, Olivia tout good news
Cash infusion lifts PlanetOut's prospects
Cruise business, ad declines sink PlanetOut
PlanetOut buys Advocate, Out magazines

Gay papers retool online

by Matthew S. Bajko
m.bajko@ebar.com

As their printed products shrink, gay publications are retooling how they use their Web sites to better serve readers as well as advertisers.

Most gay news outlets have been on the Web for years and expect readership online will continue to grow. But they are changing how they use their Web sites to deliver the news and make more money.

Instead of merely posting downloadable editions, monthly magazine's like San Jose's OutNow and Sacramento's twice monthly newspaper Outword are now uploading articles to their Web sites that can then be linked to by bloggers, news aggregator sites, and online search tools.

"The question is how to do that and support that without creating another job and revenue to support that," said Fred Palmer, Outword's publisher.

Not having a web presence can hurt a gay paper's advertising, said LGBT marketing expert Bob Witeck, as many companies want to reach readers both online and in the hard copy. Not only do online ads bring in another source of revenue, but also many advertisers are basing where to spend their money partly on a publication's Web site, he said.

"If you didn't have a sophisticated presence online, it would raise the question if you are competitive in advertisers' minds," said Witeck.

The Bay Area Reporter's Web site ebar.com, now just over three years old, is being redesigned this year. Along with the printed edition's articles, many stories with a national focus are posted solely online, and each Monday brings a new online-only Political Notes column. Breaking news stories are also posted online.

Advertisers can also bundle their ad buys, purchasing space not only in the printed paper but banner ads online.

And despite earlier fears of the Web site decreasing readership of the paper, it has not cannibalized readership of the printed edition. To the contrary, general manager Michael Yamashita said it is growing somewhat as more papers are now being distributed outside the Castro to target readers who no longer live in the gayborhood.

By making use of the city's new mounted news racks, the B.A.R. has made inroads into Union Square, South of Market, and Fisherman's Wharf. Each week, only between 8 percent to 10 percent of the 30,000 printed papers remains on newsstands.

"We now have a dozen locations in Union Square," said Yamashita. "We don't have to decrease the amount of our print run. The papers are being picked up but in more locations outside the Castro."

The B.A.R. is also one of several local gay papers that have teamed up with Bay Windows to create online Web sites called Edge. Now in 16 markets, the Edge Web sites pay local gay news outlets to carry their articles and share in advertising revenue.

"We hope that benefits them. It benefits us," said co-publisher Sue O'Connell. "It is like a national television network with local affiliates."

At her paper, which is now 26 years old, the paper is always looking for new ways to survive economically, said O'Connell.

"We view the Baywindows.com site as a way to make incremental revenue," she said.

With her competitors closing up shop, she and her co-publisher Jeff Coakley, launched a new publication called Out at Night that covers New England gay nightlife and brings in money from bar, club, and restaurant ads. And they are also using e-mail as another way to increase ad buys.

"E-blasts are a great tool. I think they don't bother the person who receives them and are a great value for the advertiser," said O'Connell. "At this point, online is where you want to put your resources."

O'Connell said she can see the day when gay papers in certain markets cease printing and publish solely online.

"We just need to be open-minded about that," she said.

In fact, the Divine Providence newspaper in Providence, Rhode Island, sent an e-mail January 16 saying it was now only publishing online except for special issues such as Pride.

San Francisco resident Cheryl Mazak decided that was the best route to take when she and three friends launched the online lesbian magazine http://www.GoGetYourGirlOn.com last September. Mazak, an out lesbian, serves as the site's creative and artistic director.

A photographer and visual artist, Mazak said she had a wealth of material from shooting various celebrities and leaders within the lesbian community but nowhere to publish it.

"It started off with me needing an outlet for this creatively," said Mazak. "It became over time a really great source for news and entertainment and really sensitive interviews to people."

Having taught herself how to manage the Web site, Mazak is now trying to branch out and bring on other writers from around the world. This month she and her co-founders, who have worked on the site for free, began trying to attract advertising.

"We are just gearing up and finalizing our business plan," said Mazak, noting the company became a legal entity on December 23.

She doesn't see her venture as being in competition with other lesbian magazines, like Curve and Sacramento-based Jane and Jane, but working in tandem.

"I love Curve magazine. I think that this is going to be how people find their news immediately, but I think there is something very soothing and relaxing having that tactile magazine and smell of the paper," said Mazak. "That is something people love. They love to flip through the pages. There is something lost in that experience when you are online. I think people like to have access to both."

Many publishers are not ready to make the jump to only being on the Internet. The B.A.R's Yamashita does not foresee the day when the paper would transition to being only available online.

"I don't think we are in that position right now," said Yamashita. "I think there are a lot of other possibilities to explore before you stop printing the paper."

It will be up to readers to decide if they want the B.A.R. to remain a printed product or solely become an online news source, he said.

"It depends on the gay community itself and if they feel we are providing a valuable need, which I think we are," he said.

Palmer agreed that there would always be a need for the gay press.

"There is some feeling out there of do we even need gay newspapers anymore? I disagree. We will always need a voice of our own and an outlet of our own," he said.

Those gay media companies that are run well will survive, said O'Connell.

"Those that focus on what we do best, which is covering our community, and focus their budgets on their editorial staff and are not afraid of the Internet, that are able to embrace and be creative and smart on how the Web can enhance the paper, will survive this economy," she said.

01/22/2009
http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=3656

Ad declines lead gay media to cut back

by Matthew S. Bajko
m.bajko@ebar.com

The staff layoffs and downsizing plaguing mainstream news outlets is also hitting gay media newsrooms as advertisers pull back due to the faltering economy.

The financial woes have led many LGBT media outlets to reduce page counts, lay off writers, and scramble to find new sources of revenue. One paper, the New England Blade owned by HX Media, shut down last October.

"I know some papers are more stretched than others. Some are victims due to the economy," said Bob Witeck, the owner of an LGBT-focused marketing firm based in Washington, D.C. "It is worrisome."

This month, San Francisco-based PlanetOut laid off 33 percent of its workforce as it prepares to merge with Los Angeles-based Here Networks, which acquired an 80 percent stake in the faltering online LGBT company for reportedly $5 million.

It was just the latest announcement of an LGBT media company's woes. Gay publications across the country have instituted various cost-saving measures in order to survive.

Chicago paper Windy City Times closed down it newsroom, and reporters and editors now work from home. The Advocate went to being a monthly instead of every other week, and folded its OutTraveler into the magazine. Cleveland's Gay People's Chronicle went from being weekly to twice a month.

"I would say that the publishers I have talked to are very conscious of their budgets and running their businesses and are being as lean as they can be," said Chuck Colbert, who covers gay media for Press Pass Q, a newsletter focused on the LGBT press. "I don't hear any panic. I hear concern, and people say in terms of the recession, they will pull out of it and the goal is to remain standing."

The National Gay Newspaper Guild, made up of gay-owned publications across the country, is also facing its own troubles. The group is in a "retooling mode" as it figures out how to operate in a new media landscape, said the guild's president, Sue O'Connell, who co-owns the Boston-based weekly LGBT paper Bay Windows and the Edge-branded LGBT Web sites.

"We are trying to figure out what direction the guild is going to go in," said O'Connell.

LGBT newspapers throughout California have been hit especially hard, as local governments struggle to balance their budgets and state lawmakers remain deadlocked on how to deal with a $42 billion deficit. The economic uncertainty has impacted many of the papers' loyal local advertisers.

And with the passage of Proposition 8, which eliminated same-sex marriage in California, the advertising bonanza from wedding-related businesses that LGBT news outlets in the state saw beginning in mid-2008 dried up after the November election.

Car dealers, once a major source of ad dollars, have also disappeared from the pages of local gay papers. Hurt by the ongoing woes besieging both Detroit's Big Three automakers and foreign car companies alike, local dealerships can no longer afford to advertise or have closed up shop.

The lost revenue is taking a noticeable toll on gay publications. San Diego's 20-year-old Gay and Lesbian Times reduced the size of its weekly editions and cut its staff last year. To further save money, the remaining employees are taking staggered unpaid leaves throughout January and February.

"We've trimmed expenses, and we're publishing a leaner product – but you'll find we have not sacrificed our news content and value," wrote the paper's publisher, Michael G. Portantino, in an editorial in the January 1 issue. "Our team members are all in, and they are convinced this magazine is a viable, valuable community resource. As a team, our staff will weather the storm, and our sales staff will assist clients in doing the same."

San Francisco-based lesbian magazine Curve let go five people last year. The publication's founder and publisher, Frances Stevens, said she had informed her staff of the magazine's financial problems prior to the layoffs.

"I will lay off people before we can't make payroll. It wasn't a surprise to them," said Stevens, who launched the magazine in 1990 under a different name.

The magazine has dropped down to 70 pages each month from 100 last year, and Stevens also shaved a quarter-inch from the magazine's page size, a savings of some 20,000 pounds of paper over the next 10 months. Along with reducing her paper costs, the shrinkage cuts down on what she pays for ink and postage, said Stevens.

Troy May, publisher of San Jose LGBT magazine OutNow , said the state's budget problems have led to two of his ad contracts being canceled. Santa Clara County pulled its HIV prevention campaign, and the city of San Jose canceled its ads aimed at attracting gay people to move downtown.

"It's been really tough. We are just barely keeping our head above water," said May, though he added he has "no fears of going under any time soon."

Another blow came when the American Musical Theater of San Jose, a major advertiser, went bankrupt. The company had renewed its ad buy, and still owes May several thousand dollars for past ads.

"We likely will not see that money," said May, who took over the monthly magazine three years ago. "Luckily, we just got a contract with the San Jose Rep for 2009. It is a brand new account."

To make ends meet, May lowered his rates this year to entice advertisers to remain and is using fewer freelancers. His printer reduced May's rate, and the magazine has scaled back from 48 pages down to 40 in January, and most likely to 32 for the February issue.

"It is going to be a tough year, I think. We will be scrambling for every ad we get," he said.
The Bay Area Reporter has not been immune from the economic downturn. Beginning with its January 8 edition, the 38-year-old weekly cut its page count down to 32 pages and has kept the smaller size for the last two weeks. It was the lowest number of pages for the paper since the early 1990s.

General manager Michael Yamashita, who has worked at the B.A.R. since 1989, said the paper's advertising has declined across the board. National advertising and local ads began decreasing in 2007 but the falloff escalated in recent months.

Last year the paper was able to capitalize on the state's same-sex wedding boom, publishing a special 16-page insert filled with ads from florists, jewelers, and caterers. Should the state Supreme Court throw out Prop 8 this summer, Yamashita said he would expect those advertisers to return.

Until then, rather than cut staff, the paper is keeping its page count down and did not raise its ad rates this year.

"We are willing to work with all of our advertisers to see what we can do to be mutually helpful for each other," he said. "I don't think it is a gay phenomenon. It is a phenomenon that impacts anybody who has any dealings with this economy."

In Sacramento, local LGBT paper Outword , which comes out twice a month, dropped down to 24 pages from 40 this month. It let go several contract writers and is publishing with just three full-time staffers.

With a print run of 10,000 that is distributed as far north as Reno, Nevada and to Fresno in the southern portion of the Central Valley, the paper sponsors many events in the LGBT community. It still plans to provide free advertising, but will no longer run full-page ads.

"Everyone looks to us for free ads. We are trying to keep an eye on those," said Fred Palmer, the paper's publisher. "We can't sponsor every event. We are asking those organizations to support us and buy ads in the gay paper so we are around next year."

Unlike other gay papers that attract national ads, the 14-year-old paper's advertising is largely reliant on local businesses. Last October, many advertisers began pulling out and have yet to return.

"We got hit with a triple whammy. The economy hit so everybody in the mainstream media is down and the alternative press is down. Then the lack in holiday ads hit us," said Palmer. "A large majority of our community donated to Prop 8 and that hit people in November."

Palmer, who is also a founder and president of the Capitol region's Rainbow Chamber of Commerce, said similar to gay business owners who buy ads in his paper, he was distracted by the fight against Prop 8.

"I spent a good chunk of my November doing post-Prop 8 stuff as an activist and was not selling ads like I normally do," said Palmer.

OutNow's May said he prays same-sex couples will soon be saying "I do" again in California.
"If gay marriage was allowed in this state, then gay and lesbian publications would just be filled with advertising," he said. "We are really looking to the court to overturn Prop 8. We know that will help keep us afloat through 2009."

Colbert noted that the winter months are always slow in terms of advertising for gay papers.

"When summer picks up it may be a better indicator of how people are weathering this," he said.
Many gay papers make the bulk of their money off their annual Pride issues, when an onslaught of advertising triples the size of the papers, or with specially themed issues on travel or health issues. Publishers are holding out hope the same increase in ads around those special editions will be seen this year.

"A large portion of our revenue is based on our romance, travel, and Pride issues," said Palmer.
New revenue streams.

To make up for the lost ad money, many gay publications have taken various steps to bring in more revenue. They are sending out e-mail newsletters readers subscribe to online that come with ads in addition to links to the latest edition's stories.

Last year, San Diego's paper instituted online coupons for local businesses that readers can download. OutNow started a business directory it promotes in each issue and on its Web site. It also launched its own online store to sell clothing and other merchandise branded for its readers in Oakland, San Jose, Palm Springs, and the Santa Cruz area.

"It is another way to not only earn revenue but give something to the community that they don't already have," said May.

In an effort to bring in more cash, some publications host their own events, such as Outword, which hosts happy hour events, and Curve, which is holding parties in San Francisco and Sacramento this month to celebrate the final season of Showtime's The L Word .

"A lot of us are trying to be creative for our clients. They are all asking for more bang for their bucks," said Palmer.

As companies slash their marketing budgets, Palmer said he is trying to point out their ad dollars will go farther in the gay press compared to daily newspapers or glossy magazines.
"Our rates are much, much lower than daily and weekly alternative papers," he noted. "Even with the economic downturn, gay couples will still travel, eat out, and do a lot of things where we spend money."

Witeck said gay media continues to be one of the more affordable ways for advertisers to reach consumers.

"The cost per eyeballs in the gay media is much less compared to most other print media around," he said. "I am hopeful local advertisers will see the value."

Stevens with Curve said she is pushing to increase her subscriber base as a way to makeup for decreased ad revenues.

"They will make sure we are still around another 20 years," said she of her readers. "When the dust settles Curve will still be on top and a lot of other magazines won't be around."

Portantino also sounded a positive note for the future of his publication.

"In 20 years – 20 years from this date today – the Gay & Lesbian Times will continue its record of fair and accurate reporting, generous giving, and providing resources to members of our community," he wrote. "We are not going anywhere."

Full disclosure, Matthew S. Bajko is a freelancer for OutNow in San Jose and had his monthly column in Sacramento's Outword dropped at the end of December.

01/22/2009
http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=3655