Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996 17:50:08 -0700
From: javier@glaad.org (Loren R. Javier)
Subject: Special GLAADAlert - MTV

'SINGLED OUT' FOR DISCRIMINATION

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is outraged that MTV
is pulling the same-sex episode of their popular program Singled Out from
its scheduled primetime spot Friday night, June 28.  After several requests
for a same-sex episode, MTV finally conceded to air such an episode to
coincide with gay pride events.  The episode was originally set to air at
7pm, but now will only be shown at a later time-slot, 11pm.

MTV feels the show is not appropriate for a primetime audience.  "There was
some content we felt should air at a later time," said MTV spokesperson
Tina Exarhos.

"What MTV is saying is that lesbian and gay programming is not fit for
their primetime audience, and that is outrageous.  We will not be singled
out by MTV and Viacom (MTV's parent company) for discrimination," said Alan
Klein, GLAAD's News Media Director.  The show's sponsor, Naya water, also
expressed concern over MTV's decision.  "It looks like censorship, and you
don't expect that from MTV," Steve Wasik, Naya's Vice President and General
Manager commented.

While MTV has received a special GLAAD Media Award and an award for its
documentary series The Real World, the awards do not serve as a license for
homophobia, no matter how subtle.  Please watch Singled Out tonight and on
Monday, call, e-mail or write letters to MTV and let them know that you
appreciate the same-sex episode, but you're disappointed that the episode
was aired so late.

Contact Judy McGrath, President of MTV Networks, at 212.258.8712 or e-mail
feedback@mtv.com.  The address for MTV is 1515 Broadway, New York, NY
10036.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Loren R. Javier
Director of Information Systems
Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)
javier@glaad.org
VISIT THE GLAAD WEB SITE AT http://www.glaad.org!

GLAAD promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation as a means of
challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"GLAAD" and "Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation" are trademarks of
the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Inc.