Broadcasting Community

The Culture of AIDS

here! Networks Airs the Ribbon of Hope Celebration, Honoring Excellence in AIDS Television Programming
by Chael Needle

Red ribbons have almost become a perfunctory accessory these days on the red carpets of awards shows. Raising AIDS awareness among millions of viewers is now often crowded out by “Who are you wearing?” questions that style reporters favor. For a decade now, the Ribbon of Hope Celebration has been turning this fashion statement inside-out—pinning awareness on quality programming about the pandemic.

Honoring AIDS programming excellence, the Ribbon of Hope Celebration (created by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the community service committee of the Television Academy, Television Cares) has been one of Hollywood’s best-kept secrets—but not for long. Thanks to here! Networks, the Celebration will be available for the first time on July 13.

The honorees include a special edition of Primetime called Out of Control: AIDS in Black America, Cinemax’s Orphans of Nkandla, HBO’s Yesterday, PBS’s Frontline: The Age of AIDS, and ABC daytime drama General Hospital, as well as Showtime’s The L Word, which was presented with a Special Award for its breast cancer storyline. Ugly Betty’s Judith Light, a longtime AIDS advocate, received special honors.
America’s premium gay television network, as here! Networks has tagged itself, partnered with the Academy and Television Cares to tape and broadcast the tenth annual ceremony. Paul Colichman, CEO and cofounder of here!, explains that the Ribbon of Hope has been a family affair long before a business one. He and his significant other had attended the Celebration for years, and came to realize that it outshined a lot of the awards shows they were often forced to sit through, the industry veteran says. As cofounder of Regent Entertainment (along with Stephen P. Jarchow, his business partner in creating here!) and producer of such laureled films as Gods and Monsters and Tom and Viv, among other credits in film and television, he knows from award shows. When he knew that here! would launch on a national basis, he floated the idea that the time was right for a televised broadcast of the ceremony, and all parties agreed.

Asked of his impression of AIDS awareness in the wider public dialogue, Colichman responds that the country has been “asleep in a big way,” and still hanging on to the notion that AIDS is a “gay disease” and will not affect them. Citing rates of new cases, Colichman says that HIV/AIDS might be considered “a people of color disease right now, a female disease right now. And of course it continues to affect the GLBT community because it affects all communities....People don’t seem to get it!”

The broadcast aims to help people “get it.” Explains Colichman about the mission of here!: “Our view is that the gay community must be leaders, not only for their own community but for the greater community at large.” And here!’s offerings attest to this universalizing approach, appealing to audiences who appreciate a good who-dun-it (The Donald Strachey Mysteries) or well-produced biopic (Bayard Rustin), yet without sacrificing or sugar-coating GLBT realities, which, offers Colichman, are not solely defined by struggle but by achievements—ones that deserve to be celebrated.

“How we further our image in the community is by becoming leaders, positive role models for everyone, straight and gay. Since the gay community was the first community affected by HIV/AIDS and we rallied to support it and made sure that others who were not in our community also supported it as best we could.” Now is not the time to ignore AIDS, he says, “in fact, quite the contrary. Now is when you show yourselves to truly be leaders, when the disease isn’t just about you anymore but about the greater community as a whole....”

The Ribbon of Hope broadcast then could be described more as “leadership programming” rather than “AIDS programming,” notes Colichman, a chance to educate, motivate, rally for a vaccine or cure. “Every award that is given is to a program that has done an exceptional job. And I wish there were more awards to give because I wish there were more programs doing an excellent job!”

The program promises a star-studded show, says Colichman, listing messages from Angela Lansbury and President Clinton, and appearances by Peter Gallagher, CCH Pounder (A&U, January 2006), Chad Allen (A&U, June 2006) and the casts of The L Word and Dante’s Cove, and many more celebrities who have dedicated substantial effort to ending AIDS. Would he like to see this broadcast become an institution? “No question. Let’s put it this way—I’d like to see the need for the broadcast go away. But until that time, yes.”

here! Networks is offering the broadcast as part of its regular subscription package and also free-of-charge to nonsubscribers as part of its video-on-demand line-up on cable and on its Web site, www.heretv.com, and IP providers for a month.

Chael Needle reviewed Jamaica Kincaid’s My Brother for the May issue.

June 2007