North East station, Pride Radio will make its TV debut in 2016 with a twice weekly live show launching on Made Television.
The Newcastle based radio station, which broadcasts online throughout the world to over 350,000 monthly listeners, will expand their audience with the weekly televised show, ‘Made with Pride’ set to broadcast early 2016 across the Made Television network.
Pride Radio host and Made in Tyne and Wear presenter, Peter Darrant added: “To launch our first televised radio show is just fantastic. Presenting three hours of LGBT radio, live each week to a huge TV audience, not just in Tyne and Wear but across the UK with the online live player, is a really bold move by Pride and Made TV. I’m not aware of any other public broadcaster giving such an opportunity to the LGBT community. I’m extremely proud and can’t wait to start the show.”
Lee Finan, Chair of Pride Radio adds: “This is a very exciting partnership. Since the launch of Made Television we’ve been really impressed with their commitment to the LGBT community with a range of innovative and ground breaking productions. We enjoyed working with the Made in Tyne and Wear team at Newcastle Pride and this latest venture is another testament to our ongoing, positive relationship.”
The new LGBT Radio TV series is one of a number of moves by Made Television, aimed at strengthening their commitment and engagement with the LGBT community.
Earlier this month, TV history was made when same-sex, amateur dance couple, Joni Valadeares, 27 and Matt Charlton 35, won televised dance competition, MADE On The Dancefloor which featured on the local TV channel, Made in Tyne and Wear.
With media coverage reaching over 16 countries, including Brazil, Russia and China, the opportunity to see same-sex couples competing alongside mixed sex partners struck a chord with national and international audiences.
The two local men, from Gateshead and Westerhope, entered as single applicants and were paired together to compete against four other couples:
- Riccardo Cultrera, 30 from Chester-le-Street and Ken Scott , 46 from Houghton-le-Spring
- Gareth Lee, 32 from Gateshead and Megan Lyth 18 from Heaton
- Adam and Susie Armstrong, both 31, from Newcastle
- John and Joan Jackson, both 66 from Jarrow
One half of the winning duo, Joni said: “To perform on British TV with my brilliant same-sex partner not only promotes diversity at its best but, as a gay man, fills me with pride. I would like to thank Made in Tyne and Wear
television for making this happen and for promoting equality. The show has been life changing and I’m over the moon to have won with Matt.”
Joni and Matt are now both aiming to compete in national dance championship competitions as a same-sex dance couple. You can watch the final again here (Part 1 of 6)
Made in Tyne and Wear is part of the Made Television’s City TV Network which has built a monthly audience of more than 1.9m viewers in its first year.
Made in Tyne and Wear entertains over 550,000 viewers every month. Its sister channels in Bristol and Cardiff are each bringing in over 350,000 local viewers, and Made in Leeds enjoys a monthly audience of almost 650,000.
It’s thought the much-anticipated launch of Made in Teesside in 2016 will take network viewing numbers way beyond the two million mark.
