Interview with Paul Colichman

Paul Colichman is Chairman and partner of Regent Entertainment and the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of here! Networks.

The Los Angeles native keeps it real about LGBT people in the media, the true reason for here! Magazine and the secret to his 15 year relationship.

You went from being a UCLA grad to the head of a gay television network. Talk about your career path.

I started my career at a start-up network, Fox, where I was head of late night programming. I went from that experience to doing independent television and motion picture products at my former company I.R.S. Media. We did a lot of independent movies and television series and specials while I was there. That company was sold and then we started Regents Entertainment We realized the amount of time and energy we were expending making movies for other people's networks could be used to make movies for our own network. We looked at what was available and decided to go for a multi-platform approach and when you're doing multi-platform you need to pick a niche. After our success with Gods and Monsters and other LGBT films we decided that our expertise in this area made the LGBT market a very good choice for us.

Your latest here! media blitz features a new, very aggressive slogan: "Gay Television. No Apologies." Why such a strong message and what does that mean for future here! programming?

What it means is we're not making gay programming for straight people. We're making gay programming for our audience. We're a niche service. We're not a broadband service or an advertiser supported service. We are a service designed to serve our community and we do so unapologetically.

How do you feel about the representation of LGBT people in the media today, as far as programming is concerned?

I think it's all pretty weak. Not that there haven't been strides made. I'm not trying to dismay the strides that have been made in mainstream media, but that's more about straight people's view of us. I'm concerned with gay people having to deal with gay people.

The media is in frenzy as actors, DJ's, athletes and the like speak their minds to the offense of many. Are the Imus's, Hardaway's and Washington's of the world exercising their freedom of speech or abusing their social responsibility?

I look at it from a very singular perspective and that is that is the perspective of the gay community. What I find amazing is that people have been saying vicious homophobic comments for years and no one shut them down. Why is that? Other groups have gotten them shut down because of the comments they made about certain racial or ethnic groups. I understand their anger, but I'm more focused on our anger. These people are allowed to say the most horrific things about the LGBT community and no one shuts them down. And why are the groups that are supposed to be our watchdog groups not shutting them down? That's a more interesting question to me.

here! has seen the birth and death of other gay-focused networks. How has here! survived?

Keep in mind we come out of the independent film and television business. It's not like we decided to [start here!] because it was gay. We decided to run a good, smart network and we chose the gay niche. For every gay business that has failed I can give you examples of 20 straight businesses that are poorly run and have failed. Just because you're gay doesn't make you successful anymore than being straight does.

Gay Web Monkey was relaunched as here! Magazine. What sets the mag apart from other publications in an arguably saturated market?

Relaunch is a strong word. Basically, what we decided to do was change the name. There was no relaunch.

Any future plans for the magazine?

We did the magazine purely as a publicity piece for the network. We're not in the magazine business. It's a really saturated and very difficult market. I really have zero desire to be in the magazine business in any serious way. We simply use it as a marketing piece as we would a flier or a handout.

You once said, "A good film is like love—you know it when you feel it." When was the first time you felt that love?

Cabaret, when I was a kid.

You describe your parents—your father, the nuclear chemist, and your mother, the bacteriologist—as realists. Are you yourself a realist and how has this affected the movies you make?

If you don't have a healthy dose of reality in your day-to-day activities it's very hard to make a decision to keep the company vibrant and healthy.

When did you come out to yourself?

I came out to myself when I was a senior in high school and everybody else when I started graduate school.

What was the reaction from your realist parents?

I must say they were pretty good about the whole thing—much better than I thought they would be. It kind of made me wish I would have told them earlier.

Should Hollywood celebrities be outed?

Absolutely for their own good and the good our community. Living a lie does nothing but rob the soul. People walking around pretending to be something they're not is them living a lie. And the more people who are proud of who they are, the less of an issue it becomes.

Do you think it's appropriate for LGBT people to be outed by other LGBT people?

I think it's appropriate for people to point out the truth whatever it may be.

If you could design your own gay pride float what would it look like?

I wouldn't do it because I'm not good at floats. I've never had that kind of skill set. I would hire a really good designer to make me a really good float.

Do you have any children or plan to get married?

I've been with the same partner for 15 years and neither one of us want children, so that's probably not in our future. We like being uncles.

What's your secret to a 15 year relationship?

I chose well. I still think he's the most handsome man in the world and he's still my best friend.