Gay Fairfax Cable Access Television Programs 24
Title
Gay Fairfax Cable Access Television Programs 24
Subject
Description
This collection contains records, broadcasts and other materials from cable access broadcasting in Fairfax, Virginia. Including the shows "Gay Fairfax / Gay Spectrum;" "Inside/Outside the Beltway;" "One in 10 People;" and "Third Side.
Contributor
Horton, Bill
Claypoole, Michael
Pearson Brown, Karen
Ponton, Jean
Claypoole, Michael
Pearson Brown, Karen
Ponton, Jean
Relation
THIRD SIDE
Producers: Kevin Kerdash, Larry Kennedy, David Vanderbilt, Michelle Michaels On Screen Anchors: Michelle Michaels and John Moore Regular Contributor: Jim Cooney Format: 1 hour magazine show with national emphasis, news and entertainment about the gay community.
The Third Side ran six monthly episodes from January through June of 1991. It was produced in the home of Larry Kennedy and Kevin Kerdash for the local public access channel DCTV, then aired in Washington, DC; Sacramento, California; Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; and Portland, Oregon. Featured guests included Larry Kramer, Jon Hinson, The Flirtations, Craig Dean and Patrick Gill, and Rob Eichberg. One segment featured Jason Dilly's Project Face to Face, which was part of the Smithsonian Institution's Experimental Gallery. Visitors viewed life mask of people with aids and listened to tapes of that person speaking about their life. The Smithsonian asked to use this segment as part of that exhibit, where it was screened hourly for a month. That segment is now a permanent part of the Smithsonian's collection. Included is a flyer that was used to promote the show at the 1991 Gay Pride Day. It was there that Kevin and Larry realized that most of DC was not yet wired for cable, and even those who knew of the show could not get it. It was this plus difficulty getting regular help with the show that made them decide to stop production. To this day Kevin and Larry are very proud with what they accomplished with its brief history.
GAY FAIRFAX / GAY SPECTRUM
The producers of Gay Fairfax changed its name to Gay Spectrum in the fall of 1993 when the FLGCA Board of Directors refused to allow other financial sponsors of the program. Already Executive Producer Steve Futch had entered into an agreement with the Lambda Rising bookstore for financial support and this was acknowledged in an announcement after the final credits. The new program was exactly the same in format and content with a new theme and opening graphics. The new Gay Spectrum was co-hosted by Eric Randall (a pseudonym for Randy Leverette) and Angela Judy. Crewmembers (many from Gay Fairfax) included Rob Switala, Dave Johnson, Michael Claypoole, Clark Chesser, Michael Fry, Charles Roberts, Jean Ponton, Gail Goodfriend, and others. New reporters included Melissa Anderson, Rich Kazinski, Rick Barton, and Bob Connelly. Memorable highlights included an entire program devoted to the D.C. AIDSWalk '94 including interviews with Second Lady Tipper Gore and D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton and other interviews with Congressman Gerry Studds and White House Aide George Stephanopolous at the annual Human Rights Campaign Dinner. The show began to loose steam when a very overworked Steve Futch left the show in early 1996. Rob Switala and Michael Claypoole stepped in as co-producers quickly changed the frequency from a weekly to a monthly series. Soon Randy Leverette left the show to take a job with the Home Box Office (HBO) in New York. The last four episodes were co-hosted by Bob Connelly and Angela Judy during the summer of 1996. But enthusiasm for the show had begun to wane, and the Gay Spectrum left the air for good just as Gay News Network was becoming a success.
Producers: Kevin Kerdash, Larry Kennedy, David Vanderbilt, Michelle Michaels On Screen Anchors: Michelle Michaels and John Moore Regular Contributor: Jim Cooney Format: 1 hour magazine show with national emphasis, news and entertainment about the gay community.
The Third Side ran six monthly episodes from January through June of 1991. It was produced in the home of Larry Kennedy and Kevin Kerdash for the local public access channel DCTV, then aired in Washington, DC; Sacramento, California; Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; and Portland, Oregon. Featured guests included Larry Kramer, Jon Hinson, The Flirtations, Craig Dean and Patrick Gill, and Rob Eichberg. One segment featured Jason Dilly's Project Face to Face, which was part of the Smithsonian Institution's Experimental Gallery. Visitors viewed life mask of people with aids and listened to tapes of that person speaking about their life. The Smithsonian asked to use this segment as part of that exhibit, where it was screened hourly for a month. That segment is now a permanent part of the Smithsonian's collection. Included is a flyer that was used to promote the show at the 1991 Gay Pride Day. It was there that Kevin and Larry realized that most of DC was not yet wired for cable, and even those who knew of the show could not get it. It was this plus difficulty getting regular help with the show that made them decide to stop production. To this day Kevin and Larry are very proud with what they accomplished with its brief history.
GAY FAIRFAX / GAY SPECTRUM
The producers of Gay Fairfax changed its name to Gay Spectrum in the fall of 1993 when the FLGCA Board of Directors refused to allow other financial sponsors of the program. Already Executive Producer Steve Futch had entered into an agreement with the Lambda Rising bookstore for financial support and this was acknowledged in an announcement after the final credits. The new program was exactly the same in format and content with a new theme and opening graphics. The new Gay Spectrum was co-hosted by Eric Randall (a pseudonym for Randy Leverette) and Angela Judy. Crewmembers (many from Gay Fairfax) included Rob Switala, Dave Johnson, Michael Claypoole, Clark Chesser, Michael Fry, Charles Roberts, Jean Ponton, Gail Goodfriend, and others. New reporters included Melissa Anderson, Rich Kazinski, Rick Barton, and Bob Connelly. Memorable highlights included an entire program devoted to the D.C. AIDSWalk '94 including interviews with Second Lady Tipper Gore and D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton and other interviews with Congressman Gerry Studds and White House Aide George Stephanopolous at the annual Human Rights Campaign Dinner. The show began to loose steam when a very overworked Steve Futch left the show in early 1996. Rob Switala and Michael Claypoole stepped in as co-producers quickly changed the frequency from a weekly to a monthly series. Soon Randy Leverette left the show to take a job with the Home Box Office (HBO) in New York. The last four episodes were co-hosted by Bob Connelly and Angela Judy during the summer of 1996. But enthusiasm for the show had begun to wane, and the Gay Spectrum left the air for good just as Gay News Network was becoming a success.
Collection Items
One in 10 People [Digitized Recordings]
Episodes and outtakes of the cable access show have been digitized.
Alternative Days of Their Lives
This Washington Post article discusses "Inside/Outside the Beltway," the first gay soap opera aired in the D.C. area. The show premiered in Fairfax County as a segment on the show "Gay Fairfax." The article highlights the producer's intention to…
On Screen: Creating 'Gay Fairfax' and TV for the Gay Community
Presented at the D.C. Historical Studies Conference, 27 Oct 2006.
Third Side cast and crew
back row, left to right: Kevin Kerdash, David Vanderbilt, Larry Kennedy
front row: Michelle Michaels, John Moore
front row: Michelle Michaels, John Moore
One in 10 People's staff at First Anniversary Event
Scott Olsen, Joe Liberatore, Craig Hoffman, Fred Harris in back row and Karen Pearson Brown, Judy Hittman, and Pam Matthews in front row. (l to r).
Lloyd Leifner and Karen Pearson Brown
Technical Director Lloyd Leifner and Director Karen Pearson Brown of One in Ten People in the control room at Channel 10
Anna Kramer and Karen Pearson Brown
Crewmember Anna Kramer of One in 10 People receives thank you gift from director Pearson Brown
Inside/Outside the Beltway : a premiere party for Gay/Lesbian TV drama flyers
Flyers for Inside/Outside the Beltway
