Date: Thu, 25 Jan 1996 14:02:27 +0100
From: glaad@glaad.org (GLAAD)
Subject: GLAAD Congratulates "Friends" Top Rating

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:  Tamra King
                (213) 658-6775

GLAAD CONGRATULATES FRIENDS FOR TOP RATING OF LESBIAN WEDDING EPISODE

Los Angeles - January 25, 1996 - The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against
Defamation (GLAAD) would like to congratulate NBC and the producers of
"Friends" for its episode "The One With The Lesbian Wedding"  achieving the
top rating for the week.  The episode featured the wedding of Carol Wyllick
(Jane Sibbert), the ex-wife of ensemble cast member Ross Geller (David
Schwimmer), and the woman she left him for, Susan Bunch (Jessica Hecht).
Nielsen Media Research estimated that the episode was watched by 31.6
million people that evening, ranking not only first in its time slot, but
first for the week.

In an effort to censor the show, the Radical Right applied pressure on
stations across the United States to ban the episode from playing.
Stations in Lima, Ohio and Port Arthur, Texas caved to the pressure and
refused to air the episode.

"This once again proves that shows with gay themes are not fatal to
ratings.  If a show is well done and popular, people will watch it." said
Tamra King, GLAAD's Entertainment Media Director.

Other the shows that have also received top ratings this season for their
time slots with episodes containing gay themes were "Mad About You,"
"Caroline in the City," "Grace Under Fire" and the gay wedding episode of
"Roseanne" to name just a few.

GLAAD salutes "Friends" in its proven track record of dealing with gay
issues and for taking the freedom to marry issue to heart.  GLAAD is a
national organization that promotes fair, accurate and inclusive
representation of individuals and events as a means of challenging
discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity.

Letters of congratulations and support should be sent to:

Kevin Bright, Marta Kauffman and David Crane, Bright/Kauffman/Crane
Productions, 300 South Television Plaza, Burbank, California 91505

Warren Littlefield, President, NBC, 3000 West Alameda Avenue, Burbank,
California 91523, e-mail: entertainment@nbc.com or nbcshows@msn.com

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Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)
glaad@glaad.org
http://www.glaad.org

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, GLAAD, is a national
organization that promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation of
individuals and events in the media as a means of combatting homophobia and
all forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity.
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