OutTV (European TV channel)

OutTV (stylized as OUTtv) is a Netherlands-based television channel which can be viewed via cable television/digital television as a premium channel in the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Germany, Israel and Spain. OutTV was launched on 2 April 2008 by OUTtv Media B.V. and has been available on cable since 11 April 2008.

OutTV
CountryNetherlands
Broadcast area
HeadquartersUtrecht, Netherlands
Programming
Picture format1080i HDTV
(downscaled to 16:9 576i for the SDTV feed)
Ownership
OwnerOUTtv Media B.V.
(Marc Putman)
Sister channelsOutTV (Canada)
History
Launched2 April 2008; 16 years ago (2008-04-02)
Links
Websitewww.out.tv
Availability
Streaming media
Ziggo GOZiggoGO.tv (Europe only)

OutTV was founded as a collaboration with the Canadian channel of the same name, whereby the brand and many of the programmes were licensed.[1] Nowadays, most of the programs of the Canadian channel are no longer shown on the Dutch channel.[citation needed]

An HD-simulcast started through Ziggo in the Netherlands on 30 November 2017.[2]

Programming

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OutTV is a lifestyle- and entertainment – channel which offers a broad range of programs, such as drama, comedy, talk shows, documentaries and films, which are mostly targeted towards gay people. Advertisements are shown before and after programs, so as to not interrupt the program.

Series and films

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OutTV differentiates itself with a varied programming of quality shows and qualitative art-house films. OutTV also broadcasts their own productions, such as the current affairs programmes OutTV News and OutTV Reports; and the travel show Travel Experience, hosted by Ian van der Putten. It has shown specials covering several gay pride celebrations and the Eurovision Song Contest.

Several well-known shows which are or were broadcast on OUTtv are:

International OUTtv productions

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OUTtv is mainly known for its own production: "Eurovision Calling". The show, hosted by Jens Geerts, includes reports of behind the scenes of the Eurovision Song Contest. The first season started in 2012 with Timo Descamps and was named Baku Calling "Baku Calling". The seasons that followed were presented by Jens Geerts. Every year the show's name adapts the name of the host city where the Eurovision Song Contest is held.

Year Name of the show Host Co-host
2012 Baku Calling Timo Descamps Sipke Jan Bousema en Andres Esteche
2013 Malmö Calling Jens Geerts Filip Stiller
2014 Copenhagen Calling Jens Geerts Stefan Boström
2015 Vienna Calling Jens Geerts Marga Bult
2016 Stockholm Calling Jens Geerts
2017 Kiev Calling Jens Geerts
2018 Lisbon Calling Jens Geerts
2019 Tel Aviv Calling Jens Geerts

OUTtv was also able to bring a few small scoops during the Eurovision Song Contest. For example, in May 2014 the Belgian singer Axel Hirsoux came out publicly for the first time[3] and winner Måns Zelmerlöw repeatedly apologized in 2015 for his homophobic statement in the past.[4] In April 2016, the Dutch candidate Douwe Bob told OUTtv to be bisexual.[5]

Availability

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Country Provider
  Netherlands Caiway
DELTA
Glashart
KPN
Ziggo
  Belgium Telenet
Orange Belgium
  Sweden Com Hem
Teliasonera
  Spain Orange TV
  Israel HOT
  Sweden Teliasonera
  Germany NetCologne
MagentaTV

OUTmusic

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On March 1, 2010 OUTtv started its own internet radio station under the name OUTmusic. This channel mostly targets gay men and “like-minded” listeners and primarily brings new and well-known hits of the 1990s and 2000s. In the evening lounge music can be heard and in the weekend well-known Gay Classics. Next to the standard programme blocks, OUTmusic also offers room for pop divas, well-known DJs of famous gay clubs, new artists and the Eurovision Song Contest.

OUTmusic Award

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Since OUTmusic's launch in 2010, OUTtv has presented the OUTmusic Award, an award given annually honoring the favorite Eurovision Song Contest entry by OUTtv viewers. The winner of the award is determined through a large-scale online poll conducted every year in March and April and is announced before the start of the contest in order to avoid influencing the voting behavior of the contest's LGBT audience. The prize is personally awarded to the winner during OUTtv's annual Eurovision Calling programme.[6]

Table key
1
Winner
3
Third place
X
Entry selected but did not compete
Year Country Artist Song Place Points Host city Ref(s).
2010   Germany Lena "Satellite" 1 246   Oslo
2011   Sweden Eric Saade "Popular" 3 185   Düsseldorf
2012   Sweden Loreen "Euphoria" 1 372   Baku [7]
2013   Denmark Emmelie de Forest "Only Teardrops" 1 281   Malmö
2014   Sweden Sanna Nielsen "Undo" 3 218   Copenhagen [8]
2015   Sweden Måns Zelmerlöw "Heroes" 1 365   Vienna
2016   Russia Sergey Lazarev "You Are the Only One" 3 491   Stockholm [9]
2017   Italy Francesco Gabbani "Occidentali's Karma" 6 334   Kyiv [10]
2018   Israel Netta "Toy" 1 529   Lisbon [11]
2019   Netherlands Duncan Laurence "Arcade" 1 498   Tel Aviv [12]
2020   Bulgaria Victoria "Tears Getting Sober" Contest cancelled[a] X   Rotterdam
2021   Malta Destiny "Je me casse" 7 255   Rotterdam [13]
2022   Ukraine Kalush Orchestra "Stefania" 1 631   Turin [14]
2023   Sweden Loreen "Tattoo" 1 583   Liverpool [7]
2024    Switzerland Nemo "The Code" 1 591   Malmö [15]

Notes

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  1. ^ The 2020 contest was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

References

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  1. ^ OUTtv Signs Licensing Deal to Create the Netherlands` First Gay Lifestyle Television Network Archived 2011-07-10 at the Wayback Machine; Echelon Magazine, 2008-04-24
  2. ^ Jarco Kriek (30 November 2017). "Ziggo eerste aanbieder met alle RTL-zenders en OUT TV in HD" (in Dutch). TotaalTV.nl.
  3. ^ "Axel Hirsoux is getrouwd met een man".
  4. ^ "Måns Zelmerlöw about Gay Gossip". YouTube. 22 May 2015.
  5. ^ "Video - Bekijk hier alle Shownieuws video's".
  6. ^ "Homogemeenschap reikt opnieuw OUTmusic Award uit op Songfestival" [Gay community once again presents OUTmusic Award at Eurovision Song Contest]. Sterrennieuws (in Dutch). Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Loreen wint de OUTmusic Award 2023 van Europese LGBTQI+-stemmers" [Loreen wins the OUTmusic Award 2023 from European LGBTQI+ voters]. OUTtv (in Dutch). 9 May 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  8. ^ "Uitreiking OUTmusic Award aan Sanna Nielsen" [Presentation of OUTmusic Award to Sanna Nielsen]. OUTtv – via YouTube.
  9. ^ "Gay viewers of OUTtv predict Russia to be the winner of Eurovision 2016". OUTtv – via YouTube.
  10. ^ Berghmans, Rudy (9 May 2017). "Italië wint homo-award op Eurovisiesongfestival 2017" [Italy wins gay award at Eurovision Song Contest 2017]. Cartoon Productions (in Dutch). Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  11. ^ Jackman, Josh (15 May 2018). "Eurovision winner rejects Russian award because she'll be busy marching at Pride". PinkNews. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  12. ^ "Duncan Laurence sleept OUTmusic Award alvast in de wacht" [Duncan Laurence already wins OUTmusic Award]. RTV Utrecht (in Dutch). 15 May 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  13. ^ Magri, Giulia (14 May 2021). "Destiny honoured with TV award, but drops to third in Eurovision odds". Times of Malta. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  14. ^ "LGBTQ+ community stands with Ukraine to win Eurovision 2022". OUTtv. 8 May 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  15. ^ "Nemo wins the 2024 OUTmusic Award". OUTtv. 6 May 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.