BRAVO TO PARTNER WITH PLANETOUT INC. (NASDAQ:LGBT) ON FIRST-EVER GAY & LESBIAN BROADBAND CHANNEL, OUTZONETV.COM
NEW YORK -- February 6, 2006 -- As part of an aggressive broadband initiative, Bravo is launching OutzoneTV.com and will team up with PlanetOut Inc. (Nasdaq: LGBT) as the exclusive promotional and sales partner of OutzoneTV.com, the first broadband channel specifically targeted to gay and lesbian online viewers, it was announced today by Lauren Zalaznick, President of Bravo and Mark Elderkin, President of PlanetOut Inc. OutzoneTV.com will launch in March. This broadband channel joins TRIOtv.com and BrilliantButCancelled.com, the first two channels in Bravo's broadband suite, announced last month.
"Bravo has been extremely successful with reaching gay viewers through high quality, ground-breaking programming that resonates," said Zalaznick. "Our strategic partnership with PlanetOut in the broadband space, with their additional expertise, is going to make OutzoneTV.com a huge success."
PlanetOut will be the exclusive provider of advertising services for OutzoneTV.com and will supply promotional and editorial support through its network of Web sites including Gay.com and PlanetOut.com.
"Bravo's extensive gay-themed television programming combined with our editorial product and established gay and lesbian audience, creates a unique Internet video advertising opportunity for national advertisers," said Mark Elderkin.
Bravo will host, manage and program OutzoneTV.com. The OUTzone was initially created as programming block on TRIO, and has become part of gay pop culture lore. The buzzworthy program block has been regularly spoofed on national television, including "Saturday Night Live." OutzoneTV.com will feature a variety of original and acquired content, including GLAAD Award-nominated series like "Boy Meets Boy" and "Gay Weddings."
"Boy Meets Boy," which originally aired on Bravo in 2003, is the first gay dating-themed reality series in which a gay man, James, gets to find and pick a soul-mate from a group of men all trying to woo him. The lucky guy who is chosen wins a romantic trip with James. Adding to the drama is an element of surprise - midway through the series the leading man discovers that some of the "mates" are actually straight - a twist that allows for numerous avenues of social exploration that challenge preconceived notions of what is considered gay and straight behavior.
"Gay Weddings" originally aired on Bravo in 2002. Exploring the trials and tribulations faced by four gay couples as they plan and put together their dream weddings, "Gay Weddings" examines what happens when gays and lesbians decide to tangle with tradition and walk down the aisle.
About Bravo
Bravo is the cable network that plugs people into arts, entertainment and pop culture with original programming, acclaimed off-network dramas, comedy and music specials, movies and by showing a whole different side of celebrities. Currently available in more than 80 million homes, Bravo is known for breaking exciting new personalities, shaking up the way we look at style, media, fame and Hollywood, pulling back the curtain on the creative process and making influential and inventive original programming. Its critically acclaimed and award-winning original programming includes "Inside the Actors Studio," "Project Runway," "Celebrity Poker Showdown," and "Blow Out" as well as the 2004 Emmy winner for Outstanding Reality Program, "Queer Eye." The network's latest hits include "Being Bobby Brown" and "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List."
Bravo is a program service of NBC Universal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. Bravo has been a NBC Cable Network since December 2002 and was the first television service dedicated to film and the performing arts when it launched in December 1980. For more information visit www.bravotv.com
About PlanetOut Inc.
PlanetOut Inc. (Nasdaq: LGBT) is the leading global media and entertainment company exclusively serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. PlanetOut's media properties include Gay.com, PlanetOut.com, Kleptomaniac.com and OUT&ABOUT Travel, as well as localized versions of the Gay.com site, in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. In addition, PlanetOut includes the newly-acquired magazines and acclaimed Web sites of LPI and related entities. These properties include The Advocate (www.advocate.com); OUT (www.out.com); The OUT Traveler (www.outtraveler.com); and, HIVPlus (www.hivplusmag.com), as well as other publishing, direct marketing and e-commerce properties, including Alyson Publications, SpecPub, Inc. and Triangle Marketing Services, Inc. PlanetOut, based in San Francisco with additional offices in New York, Los Angeles, London and Buenos Aires, offers FORTUNE 1000 and Global 500 advertisers access to what it believes to be the most extensive network of gay and lesbian people in the world. For more information, please visit www.planetoutinc.com.
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