Radio Ga Ga

Congrats to my dear friend Derek! Join the fun HERE.

Did Sirius-XM Shut OutQ to Pay for Radio Andy?

Many in the LGBT community are lamenting the death of OutQ, the queer station that began in 2003 on Sirius Satellite Radio. Given that Sirius-XM recently launched Andy Cohen's high-profile Radio Andy, it's hard not to see a cause and effect in play, but one with a big fat asterisk. While OutQ featured actual LGBT people on the air -- like Frank DeCaro, Doria Biddle, Derek Hartley and Romaine Patterson -- aimed at an everyday LGBT audience, Radio Andy feels more like a "gay" channel for straight people ... not unlike like Bravo.

Has the LGBT community evolved so much that we don't even need a station for us and by us? Derek Hartley, whose show was a victim in the run-up to the station's demise, had this to say about the news:

“Nothing lasts forever in media, but this loss is hard for me personally. More than just a radio channel, OutQ was a way for people both within and outside the LGBT community to feel connected, be entertained and informed. While the larger LGBT community is closer every day to full equality in this country, I believe there is still a need for our unique perspectives to be heard and our issues addressed. Even after our show was cancelled, I still hoped the channel could continue for the sake of the listeners, the commuters, the truckers, everyone that depended on it.”

Derek and Romaine have found a second act HERE, but it remains to be seen what will happen to the other on-air talent. Here's hoping they all land on their queer feet. We still need to hear from other LGBT voices besides celebrities.