About in the life

  • IN THE LIFE is a national television series in a newsmagazine format that reports on gay and lesbian issues and culture.
  • IN THE LIFE is broadcast on over 130 public television stations nationwide, including all of the top 20 viewer markets, reaching over one million viewers per episode.
  • IN THE LIFE is produced by In the Life Media, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) member-supported educational project dedicated to presenting positive images and accurate information about the gay and lesbian community. It is supported by its national membership of individuals and the H. van Ameringen Foundation.

In the life fact

  • IN THE LIFE is America’s only nationally televised gay and lesbian cultural newsmagazine dedicated to chronicle the history and contemporary experiences of the gay and lesbian community.
  • IN THE LIFE is produced by In the Life Media, Inc., a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) member-supported educational organization.
  • IN THE LIFE is broadcast monthly on over 130 public television stations from Seattle to Miami and from Boston to San Diego.
    IN THE LIFE airs in the top 20 television viewing markets in 31 states across the U.S.
  • IN THE LIFE is presented by Thirteen/WNET, the New York PBS flagship station, and is distributed by American Public Television (APT), a major source of programming for America’s public television stations.
  • IN THE LIFE episodes are offered free of charge to all APT affiliated public television stations.
  • IN THE LIFE does not receive funding from the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) or the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).
  • IN THE LIFE is supported by a membership of nearly 5000 individuals whose annual contribution is a minimum of $40 each.
  • IN THE LIFE is seen by over one million viewers each month.

Mission

Through its public television presence, IN THE LIFE MEDIA, a national organization, seeks to:

  • provide information about the gay and lesbian community to those who would otherwise not have access
  • document the ongoing gay and lesbian civil rights movement, and
    produce diverse images of the gay and lesbian community to create better understanding and acceptance.

IN THE LIFE’s cultural programming continues to educate not only gays and lesbians about their culture, but people from all communities with a uniquely gay and lesbian perspective.

History and background

When IN THE LIFE made its debut in 1992, the idea that gays and lesbians could—and should—have a regular presence on national television was unthinkable. In fact, before the first episode aired, Bob Dole had already condemned the show on the floor of the United States Senate.

IN THE LIFE’s mission represented, and remains, a major threat to those who would breed homophobia. IN THE LIFE did not then, and still does not, receive funding from PBS or the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

As the gay and lesbian community itself has changed over the years, the format of IN THE LIFE has evolved to reflect those changes. Introduced as an entertainment-based, variety show in its first season, IN THE LIFE has since evolved into the critically acclaimed in-the-field cultural newsmagazine series of today.

Landmark episodes have been IN THE LIFE coverage of the 1993 March On Washington, coverage of the 1994 Gay Games and Stonewall 25 event in New York, and a 1998 global episode where IN THE LIFE producers traveled to five countries to gauge the progress of gay rights on an international scale.
In 1992, just six public television stations carried IN THE LIFE. Since then, its distribution has grown dramatically to reach over 130 stations across the country.
IN THE LIFE provides programming free of charge to all public television stations through a satellite feed; any local affiliate who wishes may download and air the program. The current roster of stations reflects the result of more than ten years of grassroots lobbying to educate local programmers about the needs of their local communities. As a result, every IN THE LIFE broadcast demonstrates the direct participation of local viewers.

IN THE LIFE aims to be shown on as many public television stations throughout the United States as possible. So far IN THE LIFE can be seen in thirty-one states. Public stations in the remaining states still find IN THE LIFE content too controversial and worry about backlash from local viewers. Recent distribution victories have been the scheduling of IN THE LIFE by stations in rural Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, and Kansas.

IN THE LIFE boasts a diverse nine-member staff and a board of directors that include business and artistic representatives of the gay and lesbian community, as well as the corporate and foundation world.
Produced in a one-hour newsmagazine format, IN THE LIFE offers six new episodes per year which feature an average of five to six stories each. The season begins in October. Broadcasts are monthly in every region of the country, and nearly a quarter million viewers watch each episode in New York City alone.
In 1996, PBS flagship-station Thirteen/WNET became the presenting station for the series because of its belief that IN THE LIFE held an important role in serving the needs of the nation’s public television viewership. As the presenting station, Thirteen/WNET, the nation’s largest public television station, offers IN THE LIFE to the national network of public stations, demonstrating their full confidence in the quality and integrity the series.
Initially funded through grassroots contributions, membership dollars have remained IN THE LIFE’s single most consistent source of support.

What you can expect

Each one hour episode is divided into five or six segments which include stories devoted to the following topics:
Youth and Education
A number of studies have demonstrated a staggeringly high suicide rate among gay youth. Since television may provide the only access to young people in isolated communities, these IN THE LIFE segments provide a particularly important vehicle for the dissemination of vital information. Young viewers can discover that they are not alone and get information about social service organizations that they can contact for help. Segments have included school curricula, the Harvey Milk School, gay and straight high school groups and gay and lesbian senior proms.

Health and AIDS

These segments concentrate on the grassroots efforts by gay and lesbian people to combat the AIDS epidemic and other health issues. Coverage has included the Boston/New York AIDS Ride, The Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, the March On Washington and the support offered by The Mautner Project for Lesbians with Cancer in Washington D.C. While major commercial television news sources may comment on these issues, IN THE LIFE provides the only in-depth television coverage from the gay and lesbian perspective.

Arts and Culture

These segments, encompassing comedy, dance, film, drag performance, music, theater, media and literature appear in most in every IN THE LIFE episode. Featuring such gay and gay-supportive personalities as Maya Angelou, Charles Busch, Melissa Etheridge, Harvey Fierstein, Janis Ian, Kevin Kline, Tony Kushner, Nathan Lane, Lypsinka, Sir Ian McKellen, Paul Monette, Chita Rivera, Joan Rivers, Wesley Snipes and B. D. Wong, these segments highlight artistic achievements by gay and lesbian people. This provides a positive and entertaining catalyst toward serious discussion of important issues.

Workplace

These segments explore the rapidly changing environment and increasing visibility for gays and lesbians in the workplace. Issues have ranged from gays in the military and lesbian and gay journalists, to corporate culture and gay and lesbian employees, including responses at The Walt Disney Company and the Chrysler Corporation.

Relationships and Family

These segments confront a wide variety of issues absent from mainstream media except in tones that are often extremely sensationalistic. From the ongoing debate on same-sex marriage to gay parenting, immigration, and aging, IN THE LIFE presents everyday individuals struggling with issues unique to the gay experience in America.

Global Issues

These segments focus on gay rights struggles and issues in other parts of the world and have included visits to Cuba, South Africa, Romania, Ireland, France, the Philipines, Brazil, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, and China for coverage of the 1994 Beijing International Conference on Women. The latter, for example, focused on the impact of a small group of lesbians at the conference, including an interview with a representative from India who, for the first time, acknowledges her own lack of awareness about even the existence of a lesbian population in her country. The April/May 1998 international episode called IN THE LIFE GOES GLOBAL is one of the series most critically aclaimed programs to date.