MTV launches digital gay network
Ellen DeGeneres paved the way for realistic depictions of gays and lesbians on TV. HBO's ''Six Feet Under" made even more strides.
Tonight, MTV Networks will quietly make TV history with the launch of Logo, the first 24-hour digital cable network devoted to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.
Logo will air a range of gay-focused programming, including documentaries, reality shows, comedies, and even daily news updates from corporate cousin CBS News.
For a network that was years in the making, with the glamour of MTV behind it, this rollout has only been advertised in the gay press.
Yet representatives of the target audience say the network is overdue.
''This channel is offering gay audiences what other niche audiences have enjoyed for years -- the opportunity to choose from a greater number of shows that reflect our lives," said Damon Romine, a spokesman for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.
Logo, which is supported by big-name advertisers, including Miller Brewing Co.,
To be sure, it isn't the first TV outlet to focus on this market. But it is the first to air on digital cable.
Here!, Logo's primary competitor, is an on-demand pay service available on cable and satellite systems to 42 million homes. Q Television Network is another pay service available via RCN in four cities nationally, including Boston. It has about 22,000 subscribers.
Tonight at 6, a countdown clock will appear on screen. At 9, Logo will premiere the documentary ''The Evolution Will be Televised," which tracks the increasing visibility of gays in American culture from the late 1960s to now.
At 10:30, Logo will air ''Inside TV Land: Tickled Pink," a look at gay influence and presence throughout TV history. At 12:30 a.m., expect the comic talk show ''Graham Norton Anthology."
Later in July, Logo will unveil a weekly LGBT video music series, ''10 Count," a wedding planning reality show for gay and lesbian couples, ''First Comes Love," a travel show, ''Global Getaway," and a stand-up comedy program, ''Take My Life Partner Please." This fall will bring ''Noah's Arc," a comedic drama about the life of an African-American gay man in Los Angeles and his three best friends.
''Our vision is to be a general entertainment channel so you'll see a little bit of everything," said Lisa Sherman, senior vice president and Logo general manager.
In its partnership with CBS News, Logo will cover stories about topics such as gay pride celebrations or the coming out last year of former New Jersey governor James McGreevey, Sherman said. ''We also have a documentary series 'Momentum,' where you'll see gay cowboys and lesbian surfers. We want to reflect the diversity in our community."
As a basic cable network, Logo will be subject to some restrictions on language and sexuality. Sherman said the network has no plans to ''push the envelope."
From an advertising perspective, Logo represents a great chance to reach a target market. Kathleen Finato, senior director of marketing for Motorola Mobile Devices NA, said Logo's audience members are ''clearly early adopters to technology, and it makes sense" for Motorola to advertise on the network.
Some of Logo's initial programming is mainstream, said John Rash, director of broadcast negotiations for Campbell, Mithun Advertising in Minneapolis. A lineup that includes the 1996 Robin Williams comedy ''The Birdcage" and the canceled Fox drama ''Wonderfalls" (which has a lesbian subplot) will appeal to straight viewers as much as to gays, he said. ''And that's going to attract advertisers."
But Paul Colichman, the cofounder of here!, said Logo's reliance on advertisers will hinder it from airing more provocative fare. ''Their business model requires that they create programming that's acceptable to advertisers and basic cable but that is also authentic to the community they serve. That's a difficult tightrope to walk," he said.
Sherman said that Logo, targeting 25- to 49-year-olds, is trying to be authentic.
With more than 1,000 hours of programming waiting to air, she said, ''That's what we're aiming to provide."
Suzanne Ryan can be reached at sryan@globe.com. 
