Logo turns I: MTV's gay network gets set to blow out its first candle. Has the channel changed the game for queer visibility on TV? And can it stay afloat in a cutthroat cable universe?

As Logo approaches its one-year anniversary on June 30, it looks like MTV's gay and lesbian cable channel is getting some respect: At this year's presentation of new programming to advertisers in May in New York City, MTV parent company Viacom featured some highlights of shows from the channel that a year earlier warranted nary a mention, even though it was just over a month away from launch.

That's what happens when you nearly double your viewership, from 13 million to 20 million, over the first year and connect with such hit shows as the serialized drama Noah's Arc, the stand-up comedy program Wisecrack, and the documentary series Coming Out Stories. The channel also has more than 300 films and documentaries in its library, while also airing the newscast CBS News on Logo (and, of course, The Advocate Newsmagazine).

"This was the right idea at the right time," says gay Logo president Brian Graden, also entertainment president of MTV Networks Music Group. "People thought it would be an urban thing, but it is absolutely all over the country--there are gay people everywhere."

Since Graden grew up as a closeted kid in the Midwest, he has felt especially close to the project and says he was "viscerally taken aback" by the reaction to Coming Out Stories. At a recent Human Rights Campaign event, one of the show's participants showed Graden pages and pages of printed e-mails from viewers who said watching the show gave them the courage to come out in their own lives.

"I see the validation in people's eyes as they talk about the affirmation of seeing themselves in their living rooms and the power of pictures to humanize all of us," says Graden. "Anything that injects itself into the cultural conversation that says, 'We count, we are included,' is invaluable."

With its programming Logo has tried to reach all areas of LGBT interest, resulting in programming that basically targets everyone from 18 to 54. Graden himself is hooked on Noah's Arc, while other viewers have their own favorites.

"You see Spike TV for men, Lifetime television for women, and I think Logo does a nice job of being TV for me," says Mike Javorsky, 24, a graduate student at the University of Missouri--Kansas City. "It serves different purposes for different people. I really enjoy Wisecrack. But sometimes when I watch [Logo], I think, Wow, that's too stereotypical. But sometimes they have specials on what it's like to be gay in the Midwest. The fact that all of those aspects are represented--more often than not there is something I can enjoy, even if it may not be for me all the time."

Brenda Spurlin, who runs the support group Rainbow Area Youth in Toledo, Ohio, for LGBT people ages 13-19, says some in RAY are faithful watchers of Logo. But they can't access the channel through their local cable company and must have satellite television. "It's so important to kids in the Midwest," says Spurlin, whose grown son is gay. "Here in Toledo there are not a lot of gay role models, not a lot of out people. When being gay is something you see on television, it makes such a big difference. It makes it so much easier for kids to come out."

Anthony Crupi, a senior reporter who covers the cable industry for Mediaweek, notes that "Logo has been able to attract a loyal upscale audience and significant commitments from advertisers like GM, Miller, and AmEx. While it may have been launched as a niche network, Logo has already reached a significant distribution milestone, passing the 20-million subscriber mark."

Despite its focus on LGBT programming, Logo came under fire this year for rejecting, along with the four major broadcast networks, a paid advertisement from the United Church of Christ conveying a message of inclusiveness. The ad depicts various categories of people, including a gay couple, and has the tagline: "God doesn't reject people. Neither do we."

The success of Logo continues MTV Networks' track record of being able to create niche channels like MTV, VH1, TV Land, and Comedy Central. The same cannot be said for the recently shuttered Q Television. [See sidebar]

Faring far better than Q is Here TV, the on-demand and pay-per-view service that features original LGBT movies and series. Here does not specify its number of subscribers, saying only that it is available in more than 50 million cable and satellite homes. But it has thrived by not having to compete directly with Logo--and thanks to Logo as well, according to Paul Colichman, founder and CEO of Here.

"I don't think we would be nearly as successful without Logo," says Colichman, who cofounded film production and distribution company Regent Entertainment and is still a partner there. "They sold the niche to the cable and satellite providers. We believe we are in twice as many homes as we would have been if it were not for Logo."

Meanwhile, Logo has big plans for year 2. In addition to second seasons of Coming Out, Noah's, and other favorites, Graden says he is especially excited about a comedy sketch project from Rosie O'Donnell that will feature a cast of eight gay performers.

In June, Logo announced a deal with Apple to make some of the channel's programming available to buy on iTunes. This comes on the heels of Logo's Web site being enhanced with video features related to its shows.

"I've always been passionate about the shows we make, but nothing has ever felt like such a personal expression," Graden says of Logo. "It feels like a privilege beyond what I can even articulate, and most days you just hope to do it justice."

Hernandez covers the entertainment industry for the Los Angeles Daily News.