here!TV debuts Threesome

Threesome, which debuts on here! TV last Friday. The first of 24 half-hour episodes was hosted by Stoya and featured an expert panel of guests including Cherie Lily and Will Wikle and special guest Dr. Frank Spinelli. Threesome will air exclusively on here! TV and here! Online, here! TV’s premium online subscription video player found at http://premium.heretv.com/. 

“We thought it was time to put a new spin on the traditional dating advice programs. Threesome is just that,” says Eric Feldman, here! TV’s Executive Vice President and General Manager. “We’ve assembled a lineup of guests who tackle it all with a no-holds-barred approach. From the serious to the salacious, there’s never been a roundtable like this before.”

Threesome, here! TV’s roundtable discussion regarding sex, dating, and relationships, includes celebrity panelists answering viewers’ questions. Each episode features a new panel of experts lending their advice to the here! TV audience. Viewers are invited to participate in the conversation by submitting their questions. Email threesome@heretv.com or call 212-453-1653 for a chance to be featured on Threesome!

Here Media Earns Three ASME Cover Award Nominations

Here Media recently received three prestigious 2010 Best Cover Contest nominations from the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME). ASME named two Advocate covers and one Out cover as finalists.

The Advocate’s September 2009 cover, featuring President Obama in tribute to the famed Shepard Fairey image with the tagline “Nope?” is a finalist in the “Most Controversial” category. Additionally, The Advocate’s February 2010 cover, depicting a donkey sticking its tongue out with the tagline “Gays to the DNC: Kiss My Ass,” is a finalist in the “News & Business” category. Out was named a finalist in the “Fashion & Beauty” category for its February 2010 cover, the magazine’s Annual Swimsuit Issue.

The finalist covers are now posted on Amazon.com for voting by the public. Amazon visitors will have 30 days to choose the Best Cover from six finalists in each of 12 categories as determined by the ASME judges. After each category winner is determined, visitors will have the opportunity to choose the Best Cover of Year from the category winners.

Here Media Partners With GLAAD for Special on the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards

Here Media today announced a partnership with the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) to exclusively produce The Advocate On-Air: The GLAAD Media Awards Special. The one-hour special examines the creativity, ingenuity, and hard work it takes to produce the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards in three cities—New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. The Advocate On-Air: The GLAAD Media Awards Special premieres Friday, August 20, on here! TV and on Here Media’s various Web properties.

“Each year GLAAD honors important voices promoting equality and tolerance in both mainstream and LGBT media,” said Here Media CEO Paul Colichman. “Here Media looks forward to celebrating GLAAD’s mission by bringing The GLAAD Media Awards Special to a broad audience and showcasing the organization’s dedication and hard work.”

The Advocate On-Air: The GLAAD Media Awards Special moves beyond the red carpet and features conversations with award recipients, GLAAD staff members, show guests, and Special Honorees, including Drew Barrymore, Benjamin Bratt, Alan Cumming, cast members from Glee, Adam Lambert, Constance McMillen, Cynthia Nixon, Cybill Shepherd, Wanda Sykes, Sofia Vergara, and Sigourney Weaver. Each interviewee speaks to the importance of GLAAD and its mission to amplify the voices of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community to promote understanding, increase acceptance, and advance equality.

Here Media produced 10 three- to four-minute vignettes that will air on Here Media’s award-winning Web properties, including Advocate.com, Out.com, Gay.com, and SheWired.com. Here Media then combined the 10 segments creating an hour-long special that will air on here! TV as well as Here Media’s various Web properties.

“The GLAAD Media Awards help fund our work throughout the year and set a benchmark for the news and entertainment industry to develop stories of LGBT people that reflect the challenges our community faces as well as the aspirations we hold for ourselves and our families,” said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios. “We are excited to partner with Here Media and share the mission behind the GLAAD Media Awards with our community and allies.”

The Advocate partners with NBC

Here Media and The Advocate announced yesterday their new affiliate deal with NBC News Channel, an NBC News unit that provides content services to NBC television affiliates and other selected news outlets around the world. It’s the first partnership of its kind between NBC News Channel and an LGBT news outlet. The award-winning Advocate.com will now utilize NBC News Channel’s worldwide resources to create daily news segments that will air online and on air.

“Media continues to evolve, and The Advocate continues to grow and deliver news and entertainment across all platforms,” said Paul Colichman, CEO of Here Media. “The Advocate’s partnership with NBC News Channel allows our brand a unique opportunity to focus an LGBT lens on issues important to gay and lesbian Americans and their families. Our editors and expert journalists look forward to breaking new ground in a diverse media landscape.”

“The NBC News Channel prides itself on supporting the client’s mission,” said Bob Horner, President of the NBC News Channel. “We respect the commitment Here Media has to its community and we look forward to assisting The Advocate in its coverage of the issues important to the LGBT community.”

Here Media names Mark Smelzer Vice President and Publisher of Advocate and Gay.com

Here Media has promoted Mark Smelzer to Vice President and Publisher for the Advocate and Gay.com brands. Smelzer will continue creating and implementing innovative multiplatform initiatives for clients targeting the gay and lesbian niche. Smelzer is based in Here Media’s Los Angeles office.

“Mark’s vast experience makes him an asset in today’s evolving media space,” said Joe Landry, Here Media’s Senior Vice President and Group Publisher. “As we continue to develop and execute creative multiplatform campaigns for a growing roster of advertising clients, we look forward to having Mark, with his ingenuity and creativity, leading our talented Advocate and Gay.com sales teams.”

In his new capacity, Smelzer continues to be responsible for the sales and advertising campaigns across the multiple iterations of the Advocate brand, including its iconic print publication, its award-winning website, and the newly launched video newsmagazine The Advocate On-Air. As publisher of Gay.com, Smelzer now oversees the expansion of the site’s original content and collaborates with advertisers on developing effective advertising campaigns targeting the highly desirable 21- to 34-year-old male demographic.

Smelzer most recently served as Publisher for The Advocate and Advocate.com. Prior to joining Here Media, he spent five years as publisher of the JCK Publishing Group, the nation’s leading jewelry trade publications and websites. He has also been an associate publisher of the entertainment trade Variety, where he was part of the launch team of Vlife, a lifestyle consumer publication for the Variety audience.

Here Media names Carrie Rosten Vice President of Integrated Marketing

Here Media announced today that Carrie Rosten has been named Vice President, Integrated Marketing. Rosten will now manage the multiplatform marketing initiatives for brands including here! TV, The Advocate, Advocate.com, Out, Out.com, Gay.com, SheWired.com, PlanetOut.com, and OutTraveler.com.

“Carrie has proven herself to be an integral part of this department and a great asset to Here Media. Her vast experience and her amazing creativity have aided significantly in moving the needle around all the new marketing and sales initiatives. I feel very fortunate to have her as a senior member of my team,” said Josh Rosenzweig, Senior Vice President, Integrated Marketing and Publicity.

Jon Barrett named Editorial Director of Advocate Group

It was announced today that Jon Barrett has been named Editorial Director of the newly formed Advocate Group. Barrett now oversees the editorial voice for the brand’s numerous extensions, including The Advocate’s print, online, and television iterations and the HIV Plus brand as well as SheWired.com and PlanetOut.com, which also now operate under The Advocate Group banner.

“For 40-plus years The Advocate has grown, evolved, and transformed becoming the LGBT community’s news source of record,” said Stephen Macias, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Here Media. “As Editor in Chief, Jon Barrett injected a fresh and distinct editorial voice into The Advocate and Advocate.com. As The Advocate continues to embrace technological advances, we created The Advocate Group to encompass the new dimensions and platforms for delivering the award-winning content produced by our outstanding staff of writers and editors. We look forward to Jon’s innovative leadership extending to the expanded Advocate Group.”

More after the jump.


In his new role Barrett will grow the iconic Advocate brand as it continues its high standards of print journalism, breaks and reports news multiple times a day online, and debuts its monthly hour-long television magazine turning the Advocate lens on issues important to the LGBT audience. Barrett also takes over the editorial direction for the HIV Plus brand, which continues to provide provides the advice, tools, and personal stories to motivate readers to make the best of their friendships and relationships, work and leisure time, treatment, and overall sense of health and wellness.

Additionally, Barrett will guide the editorial direction of PlanetOut.com, which provides entertainment, travel, and lifestyle news, as well as SheWired.com, a leading women’s website providing exclusive, informative content on everything from pop culture and politics to travel, health, and lifestyle.





Here Media launches new HIV awareness campaign

Here Media and HealthyWithHIV.com announced a new partnership today that creates a robust initiative combining in-book, online, and email promotions to encourage living healthy with HIV. The campaign includes an online video series titled “Ask the Doctor,” featuring popular doctor, author and health expert Dr. Frank Spinelli (The Advocate Guide to Gay Men’s Health and Wellness).

In addition to “Ask the Doctor,” the campaign’s digital component consists of online content, which promotes HIV medication adherence and living a healthy lifestyle. In addition, the campaign features an online community forum with a specialized question and answer section addressing specific concerns about the disease, as well as weekly columns by Dr. Spinelli focusing on everything from drug tolerability to holistic care.

Read more after the jump.


Dr. Spinelli’s “Ask the Doctor” video segment can be accessed through Advocate.com’s Health & Wellness channel. Each episode addresses current and relevant issues affecting the modern gay male. Subjects to be discussed include tolerability, treatment options, finding proper support networks after being diagnosed with HIV, locating a healthcare provider you can trust, navigating the dating world as an HIV-Positive male, fitness and supplements and much more.

An in-book promotional page will be featured in the November issue of The Advocate and HealthyWithHIV.com will sponsor both The Advocate and sister publication Out magazine’s bi-weekly email newsletters. In addition, online banner ads will run on Advocate.com, Out.com, HIVPlus.com and Gay.com. Capping off the digital campaign will be a virtual HIV/AIDS chat room, also hosted by Dr. Spinelli, on Advocate.com.

The partnership occurs while HIV pandemic remains a paramount concern to the LGBT community. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there was a 26% increase from 2004 to 2007 in estimated annual HIV diagnoses among men who have sex with men (MSM)—11% more than the national average. HIV diagnoses among MSM increased all four years of the analysis, with the largest increase coming in 2007.

“I am honored to be a part of a new initiative that helps to promote health and wellness for people living with HIV,” said Dr. Spinelli. “It is imperative that we are all fully aware of what steps can be taken in order to live our best, most dynamic lives, regardless of our HIV-status. We hope to inform, enlighten and entertain our audience in a way that helps them achieve a balanced and healthy lifestyle.”




Here Networks and PlanetOut become Here Media

Here Networks LLC announced today the completion of the business combination of Here Networks LLC and its publishing affiliate, which includes the LGBT publications The Advocate and Out, with PlanetOut Inc. (formerly-traded under the ticker symbol, LGBT). The new public company resulting from this business combination will be named Here Media Inc. with Stephen P. Jarchow serving as Chairman and Paul Colichman serving as CEO.

On Wednesday, June 10, 2009, the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of PlanetOut Inc. common stock voted to approve the proposed business combination.

“The close of this deal represents an exciting moment for LGBT consumers across the globe,” said Stephen P. Jarchow and Paul Colichman. “We look forward to bringing new features that will enhance the user experience and keep our customers engaged.”

Here Media now becomes the premier global company for providing news and entertainment to the LGBT community. The company is also uniquely positioned to provide advertisers opportunities to reach its niche audience across platforms including television, online, print publishing, and filmed entertainment. Here Media’s unmatched reach positions the company as a leader in creating an interactive relationship with consumers across all its iconic brands.

More after the jump.


Here Media, Inc. produces and distributes niche content across all platforms worldwide. Here Media’s iconic brands distribute gay media and world cinema programming with universal, humanistic appeal. Its distribution platforms include theaters, television, VOD, broadband, online, print and mobile. It earns subscription, advertising and licensing revenue from its award-winning content.

Here Media owns and operates a variety of media assets including:

Here Studios, a full service motion picture studio.
Here Films, a motion picture distribution company.
here! Networks, a premium television network featuring programming that appeals to a gay and lesbian audience airing in 96 of the top 100 US markets, including every top 10 market.
Iconic print brands including Out, Advocate and HIV Plus, as well as Alyson Books.
Online properties including Gay.com, Planetout.com, Advocate.com, Out.com and SheWired.com which provide broadband video and social networking.

Paul Colichman is Chief Executive Officer of Here Media and Stephen P. Jarchow is Chairman. Together, they have produced and/or distributed over 200 motion pictures including Academy Award® winners “Gods and Monsters” and “Departures”.