Just how far will Logo go? As MTV chief Tom Freston launches the first gay-themed basic-cable channel, viewers and marketers assess its PG-rated plan.

The late May announcement that MTV Networks will launch a gay-themed channel called Logo in February 2005 crone without much info about what programming the basic cable service will offer. (That's due to be unveiled in late July). But even without specifics, Wall Street analysts are bullish on Logo's potential to lure ad revenue and viewers, citing the Viacom division's track record with such niche channels as MTV, VH1, BET, TV Land, and Comedy Central. "Viacom does a lot of research on its networks, and [Viacom head] Sumner Redstone has been talking about some kind of gay network for years," notes Angela Kohler, a global media analyst with Federated Investors in Pittsburgh.

The Traditional Values Coalition has taken note as well, protesting the channel without bothering to wait for word on its content. But Tom Freston, chairman and CEO of MTV Networks, does not expect widespread backlash. "We know that some people are uncomfortable with the concept of the gay and lesbian community, period," Freston says. "However, it's fair to say that it has really reached a level in the last several years of being increasingly mainstream."

Freston plans for Logo to reach a vast audience: an estimated 3 million same-sex households in the United States, one third of which are in the largest 10 television markets. Cable systems in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and San Francisco are already on board.

Logo will begin with about 25% original programming, says MTV Networks president Judy McGrath. "We've reached out to producers and writers to develop original series and specials." There are also deals in place to acquire 100 existing specials and movies, including titles such as Gods and Monsters and What. Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

Joan M. Garry, executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation--whose life partner, Eileen Opatut, works on programming at Logo--notes that gays and lesbians "aren't going hold Logo to any greater or lesser standard" than any other TV network. "The first thing they have to do is capture the imagination of their viewers, just like any channel."

One thing the free channel won't have is unedited versions of popular R- or X-rated queer programs. That sets it apart from Toronto-based PrideVision TV, the Canadian subscription channel that offers adult entertainment, and Here TV, the U.S. pay-per-view service that shows uncut features and plums to launch a 24-hour subscription network October 1. "PrideVision is not 'gay lite' it's gay," says Jason Hughes, PrideVision's director of sales and marketing. "If you get a station on a basic tier, you are really watering down the content."

But that doesn't mean Logo won't be groudbreaking, Hughes adds. "The real big news is that there will be a way [for advertisers] to reach significant numbers of gay men and lesbians in a broadcast medium. Broadcast gives a brand a voice. You can spend time with the consumer; it allows you to tell a story. For most large brands in America, television continues to be the driver of the marketing communications plan."

Hernandez reports on Hollywood for the Los Angeles Daily News.