Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

South Africa celebrates PrideTV's first anniversary
Special to the online edition of Windy City Times
by Terri-Lynne Waldron
2017-09-20

This article shared 1363 times since Wed Sep 20, 2017
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


South Africa became the first African country to launch an LGBT network when PrideTV made it debut in August 2016.

Since that time, subscription has increased and LGBT people now have a platform where they can watch programs catering to their community. In an email interview, PrideTV's spokesperson, Joanna Raphael Katz discussed the need for the network, the evolution of the LGBT community and the future of PrideTV.

Windy City Times: South Africa's first streaming channel, PrideTV, made its debut in August 2016. What prompted the creators to move forward with this idea?

Joanne Raphael Katz: The change is technology, the internet. Streaming of entertainment, direct to a consumer who has a wish for his or her choice of content led to the ideation of PrideTV. And with no dedicated LGBT channel available in a country where gay rights are enshrined in the constitution, with almost 60 million citizens, it seemed like an opportunity.

South Africa's growing closeness with the rest of the African continent where some 900 million people live, many of them identifying as LGBTQ, and lacking equal rights and a voice, also counted in the favour of launching PrideTV in the country and continents commercial capital of Johannesburg.

WCT: Have you encountered any problems such as protests or negative feedback?

JRK: In terms of potential negative feedback about PrideTV, it's interesting to note we've achieved good publicity on mainstream media platforms and conducted a number of radio interviews on big commercial stations and there's never been any negative feedback from the public or presenters.

WCT: Despite being the first African country to legalize same-sex marriage, do you find that LGBTQ individuals still encounter discrimination in South Africa?

JRK: Anecdotal evidence suggests there's less and less open discrimination but the freedoms granted to South Africa's LGBTQ community in our Constitution need to be protected. We're getting there. Openly gay LGBTQ individuals who include celebrities and sporting stars, for example, are well-integrated into South African society. You can see this with a cursory glance through our local media on any given day.

The country really got behind Caster Semenya [who won a gold metal in the 800-meter race at the IAFF World Championships in London this past August] when she was trolled by a UK press commentator recently, and days important to the LGBTQ community, like World AIDS Day, are well-supported by corporate South Africa. One way of challenging bigotry is to create familiarity and we believe platforms like PrideTV are helping to create familiarity with the LGBTQ community.

WCT: Were there people who had the attitude of "it's about time," when it came to the channel?

JRK: Right from the outset, people were excited by the idea of a streaming channel dedicated to LGBTQ entertainment. There has been a good uptake. South Africans, in particular, have always been used to a really limited choice of TV entertainment. We only got TV in 1975 and for many years, three mediocre stations were the norm. Only a very limited amount of LGBTQ content finds its way to mainstream TV networks.

The content that is on our platform includes mostly independent studios and is curated to one location. For many, the content on PrideTV is a virtual "window on the world" into the LGBTQ community. Learning about the tastes, preferences, struggles, goals and hopes of on-screen characters could well play a small part in increasing the acceptance of off-screen LGBTQ individuals.

WCT: Have subscription and viewership risen since you launched last year? People can subscribe to the movies on your site, but there is also documentaries and other content that they can watch for free.

JRK: Yes, subscriptions are in the thousands and continue to rise month by month. We are very encouraged by the results. And we have hardly touched the rest of the African base that is out there. PrideTV is about telling the stories of the LGBTQ community. These stories can include messages to do with bigger picture issues like HIV and AIDS, or they can be about the daily, ordinary struggles faced by the LGBTQ community.

By providing a platform for stories about discrimination, acceptance and more, PrideTV can help create a sense of togetherness and understanding between different sexual orientation communities. There are two tiers on the site: Freemium and Premium. In Freemium, we have gathered the best of the web content to offer the community more, free of charge. In Premium it is a subscription based service [at an affordable $6 per month] with hundreds of titles available to watch anytime, anywhere and on any device.

WCT: What are your plans with the channel for the future?

JRK: We are busy with technological developments like an app—and are busy acquiring new content for the platform in both long and short form. Short form is best suited to our mobile streamers where we have 11 million smartphone users in South Africa and 300 million in Africa.

WCT: The president of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, has been very vocal about his feelings for LGBT people, calling homosexuality "disgusting." Do you think that, in your lifetime, Uganda ( or another African country ) will ever get its own LGBT channel or if President Museveni will ever change his position on LGBT rights?

JRK: An LGBTQ channel helps familiarize society with the concept of diversity. In our small way, we hope to foster a better understanding and acceptance of the community. We think that democratic societies give rise to greater and greater freedoms for all of their citizens. Once you have that thriving and well-established democratic base, then you start making progress towards LGBTQ rights and so on. From one-party states after independence, practically all of the 54 African Union countries are now democracies. That's real progress and progress will continue to be made. Ultimately, no individual will be able to stand in the way of eventual LGBTQ equality.

To find out more about PrideTV, go to PrideTV.co.za .


This article shared 1363 times since Wed Sep 20, 2017
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Pride 365 event emphasizes year-round support for LGBTQ+ employees 2024-03-07
- Queer employees are queer all year-round. The need for employers to accordingly support and uplift them year-round was the core message at Howard Brown Health and Citywide Pride's Pride 365 "Out of Office to Out in ...


Gay News

Center on Halsted to host trans youth & family summit 2024-02-19
- Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., has announced that its Trans Youth & Family Summit 2024 will take place March 16. This year marks the sixth annual event, which partners between Youth Services' Pride Youth ...


Gay News

Lakeside Pride Wilde Cabaret Valentine's Day Feb. 17 2024-02-16
--From a press release - Lakeside Pride Wilde Cabaret puts their own spin on Valentine's Day with a show celebrating things done and sacrificed for love - not just romantic love, but love for pets, friends, family and art. Join the ...


Gay News

GLAAD, NFL host third annual pre-Super Bowl event 'A Night of Pride' 2024-02-08
- On Feb. 7, LGBTQ+ media-advocacy organization GLAAD, along with The National Football League (NFL), hosted the third annual "A Night of Pride" at Caesar's Palace in Super Bowl LVIII's host city of Las Vegas, a press ...


Gay News

Chicago Fire FC announces 2024 theme nights; Pride Night will be June 1 2024-01-19
--From a press release - CHICAGO (Jan. 18, 2024) — Chicago Fire FC announced the club's theme nights for select home matches during the 2024 regular season, driven by Carvana. The Club's 2024 calendar features 11 theme nights, including the return ...


Gay News

WORLD Austria proposal, conferences, Pride marches, tennis player, Gay Games 2023-11-03
- In Austria, a historic proposal by the country's Ministry of Justice sees 33 million euros (approximately $35 million U.S.) set aside to compensate those who were persecuted or convicted of consensual same-sex acts—although critics say th ...


Gay News

NHL reverses decision to ban Pride Tape, allowing players to show support for LGBTQ+s 2023-10-24
--From a press release - (New York, NY - October 24, 2023) Today the National Hockey League (NHL) reversed its decision to ban Pride Tape and other displays of support for LGBTQ people on the ice, stating: "After consultation with the ...


Gay News

THEATER Company of 'Wolves': Redtwist's Dusty Brown on gay Riding Hood retelling, Grindr, gender identity 2023-10-16
- It's all about Pride in 2023-24 at Redtwist Theatre. The 19th season for this North Side black-box theater includes three very different productions, starting with Wolves, called a "gory, gay reimagining of 'Little Red Riding Hood.'" ...


Gay News

NHL bans Pride Tape from hockey games and practices 2023-10-11
- The National Hockey League (NHL) has designated that athletes will no longer be able to show support to the LGBTQ+ community while playing, according to Out, which cited Outsports. The league has issued a ban of ...


Gay News

GAY HISTORY MONTH George Harris reflects on his late husband and Dallas activism 2023-10-10
- Special to Windy City Times. To mark Gay History Month, this article appears courtesy of Dallas Voice and the LGBT History Project. When George Harris and Jack Evans became the first couple to legally marry in ...


Gay News

Illinois colleges make list of most unsafe places for LGBTQ+ youth 2023-10-05
- Campus Pride has released its list of the worst places for LGBTQ+ youth—and several Illinois colleges and universities are on it. According to a press release, "the Worst List identifies the 'absolute worst, most unsafe campuses ...


Gay News

GAY HISTORY MONTH Putting an end to the myths of Stonewall 2023-10-02
- Special to Windy City Times. In recognition of Gay History Month, this article appears courtesy of the LGBT History Project and Philadelphia Gay News. For years, people have debated what actually happened that night in June ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ 'Sex Education' star, Rotten Tomatoes, Jessica Lange, Queer/Art 2023-09-08
Video below - Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa officially came out during an interview with Elle UK, according to Out. "I remember being at Manchester Pride, going through the streets with all my boys, shaking my cha-chas, living it ...


Gay News

Brave Space Alliance holds Post Pride Mixer 2023-08-30
- On Aug. 27, Brave Space Alliance held its Post Pride Mixer at popular lesbian-owned bar Nobody's Darling. The social gathering celebrated past accomplishments while looking forward to new horizons for both the service organization and the ...


Gay News

UIC among nation's top 30 campuses for LGBTQ+ students 2023-08-25
--From a press release - The University of Illinois Chicago has been named one of the top 30 colleges and universities for LGBTQ+ students, according to Campus Pride, a national organization serving LGBTQ+ and ally student leaders and campus organizations in ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.