HOLLYWOOD - Viacom corporate siblings MTV and Showtime are discussing the possibility of launching a gay cable TV network this year, starting with a four-hour gay programming block on Showtime Too in March, TV Guide reported on its website Monday, citing several sources familiar with the project. The magazine quoted media stock analyst Tom Wolzien of Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. as saying, "It's about time somebody had gone after that audience with a [cable] network....It's an important segment of the audience that has traditionally been under-served. The money is certainly there to support it."
TV Guide said that MTV and Showtime have not decided whether the gay channel will be advertiser-supported like MTV or subscriber-supported like Showtime.