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- guardian.co.uk, Friday February 16 2001 16.28 GMT
The BBC has given a sneak preview of the type of programming digital youth channel BBC3 will carry with a commission for a weekly gay lifestyle show.
That Gay Show has been ordered for BBC Choice by controller Stuart Murphy.
But BBC Choice is expected to be transformed into BBC3 later this year or early in 2002 and Mr Murphy has been tipped as the new channel's controller.
"The gay audience is going to figure quite prominently in our programming plans should we get the go-ahead for the channel," said a BBC spokesman.
That Gay Show is being billed as a "light-hearted" magazine series for gay men, featuring a team of reporters who will present regular items on fashion, lifestyle, music and television.
It will launch on BBC Choice in April.
The programme will be presented by Kristian Digby, Tom Ashton, Robbie Robertson and Queer as Folk star Jonathan Natynczyk.
In addition, American comic Scott Capurro will front a regular look at the US gay scene, with features on subjects including a gay rodeo.
"There is huge diversity in the gay community and That Gay Show is surprising and entertaining, finding common ground without the burden of political correctness," Mr Murphy said.
Culture secretary Chris Smith is currently assessing the BBC's proposals for BBC3 and three other new digital TV services.
A consultation period on the proposals, during which interested parties can submit comments to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, runs until the end of the month.
The BBC's plans for youth channel BBC3 is one area of concern for rival commerical broadcasters.
They claim the channel will use public money for a service that will compete for the youth audience with established commercial offerings such as E4, Sky One and MTV.
But the BBC spokesman defended the proposals for BBC3. "It is a public service channel. It is the BBC communicating with a specific audience, in a certain way, delivering things that broadcasters would otherwise not produce."
