GAY NEWS & VIEWS

Gay News and Views ran on cable TV in two series, one in the fall of 1977 and in another in the spring of 1978. Charlie was involved in the group which did the second series. I had no part in either.

The show originated with Maclean-Hunter Cable and was also carried on Rogers and possibly Metro. Rogers eventually decided to stop carrying the show, but this was rescinded after protests. Then Maclean-Hunter, in June of 1978 said they would no longer broadcast it. In the letter announcing that decision they list several objections to the program. This letter also refers to the series as being produced elsewhere by then but I have no info on that. The letter is shown at the bottom of this page, and is in the Archives along with a series of scripts and notes.

Alex Turner in Maclean Hunter studio, Toronto, 1978


(?) and Frank Hutchings


Paul Aboud on left, unknown second left, Gordon Montador at centre, Heather Ramsay to the right,
Harvey Hamburg, back turned, at right


Gordon Montador, John Damien


(?)


(?)


Alex Turner with Heather Ramsay


Heather Ramsay with a Maclean Hunter technician


Frank Hutchings


(?)

A Letter From Maclean-Hunter

The program was getting too uppity for the establishment it seems. There was no point sympathizing and trying to see it from Maclean-Hunter's point of view. They just used that as an excuse to cancel the show. Also consider some of their objections with regards to "poor taste" etc in the light of this photo (in the section The Powers That Be) of the Premier of Ontario as published on the front page of the most Establishment newspaper in Canada.