VANCOUVER – Canadian production company Shavick Entertainment has purchased gay and lesbian digital specialty service OUTtv, but the release touting the sale has a key fact wrong.
The purchase price was not announced and the deal is subject to CRTC approval. This is the second time the category one digi-net launched in 2001 has been sold. The service has had its problems.
It was originally launched and owned by Score Media and named Pridevision. It aired a variety of gay and lesbian programming as well as many hours of adult content late at night. The adult content scared some distributors who knew that as a category one service, it was a digital must-carry and some of them objected to lumping it in with the others for fear of offending some customers.
Pridevision’s ownership agreed to let the channel be marketed as a stand-alone and its subscriber totals never got beyond 22,000 or so. It lost $11 million in its first three years of operation according to CRTC figures. OUTtv’s 2005 subscriber and financial data does not appear to be in the CRTC’s report on pay and specialty services, however a spokesperson for Shavick told Cartt.ca it has 260,000 subscribers.
Eighty percent of the channel was sold in 2004 to broadcaster Bill Craig, who re-named it OUTtv. Score Media kept 9.9% of the channel and Pink Triangle Press, publishers of gay and lesbian magazine Xtra, were also minority shareholders.
Craig then had to battle Shaw Communications to try and get the large BDU to change its marketing of the service. Craig could not be reached for comment by deadline.
The new owners describe OUTtv as "the world’s longest running independent gay and lesbian television network, available to 87% of Canadian households." The press release announcing the sale says OUTtv is a must carry for all cable companies in Canada when it is in fact only a must carry for all digital cable companies in Canada, a key difference and far less than 87% of Canadian households. (Correction notice. An earlier version of this story said "cable customers" rather than "companies". We regret the error.)
Under the terms of the sale, Shavick acquired majority interest in the numbered company that holds the license for OUTtv, previously controlled by Craig. Pink Triangle Press remains a minority shareholder and will be a Shavick business partner in the new operation. Score Media is retaining its minority position. Craig also holds a license for an gay and lesbian porn channel but the new OUTtv ownership is not purchasing that.
Additionally, producer Les Tomlin’s company Peace Point Entertainment will also be a partner. Tomlin’s company produces the series Bump!, "currently one of the most watched shows on OUTtv," says the release.
Shavick Entertainment will re-brand and rename the network, upgrade the technology infrastructure and fill the content pipeline with a variety of popular and acclaimed programming including originals, specials, independent films, comedy, news, dramas and PSAs, adds the release.
Shavick’s Hollywood-based partner Regent Studios, LLC — an independent provider of long form TV content — will be a major content provider.
"OUTtv holds great value as one of Canada’s longest running independent programming services and we look forward to expanding its boundaries to better serve gay and lesbian audiences," said James Shavick, president of Shavick Entertainment.
"OUTtv’s position as CRTC must-carry service presents an outstanding opportunity to build a major media destination that millions of viewers will come to depend on for authentic, relevant and premium gay and lesbian entertainment," he added.
James Shavick and his wife Joy MacPhail are the principals of Shavick Entertainment. He is a film and TV producer (mostly made for TV movies) and she is a human rights activist and former leader of the British Columbia NDP party and past BC MLA.
"We’re going to improve one of Canada’s most widely distributed cable networks by making it a true destination and viewer-oriented service, filled with quality entertainment and user-friendly content, so our nation’s LGBT audience finally gets the TV they want and deserve," said MacPhail.
