Date: Mon, 16 Jan 1995 10:50:43 -0800 (PST) From: Rex Wockner Subject: GAY SOAP OPERA PRESS RELEASE I AM REDISTRIBUTING THE FOLLOWING PRESS RELEASE WRITTEN BY A FRIEND. IOB PRODUCTIONS, INC. "Inside / Outside the Beltway" * Post Office Box 13 * Springfield, Virginia 22150-0013 * 703/569-0608 * FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 13, 1995 Contact: Chris Beiter, Director of Publicity: 202/232-8855 Dennis Brooks, Executive Producer: 703/569-0608 AWARD-WINNING GAY SOAP OPERA KICKS OFF THIRD SEASON Washington's Own Inside/Outside the Beltway Makes National Debut GLAAD To Announce Winner Of Prestigious National Media Award WASHINGTON -- Forging ahead into a fourth year of production, the groundbreaking cable program dubbed "a capital drama that is capital entertainment" by Out Magazine is taking an ambitious step into the national spotlight. Inside/Outside the Beltway (IOB), homegrown in Fairfax, Virginia, is set to begin airing in 12 major U.S. media markets, making it the only nationally viewed gay soap opera and one of very few nationally distributed gay programs. In addition to Washington and New York City cable access on which the program has broadcast in past seasons, Inside/Outside the Beltway will soon be available to viewers in Boston, Buffalo, Miami, Chicago, St. Louis, Denver, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Anchorage, Alaska. The third season of the program continues to weave together the stories of ten major characters from various walks of life, both gay and straight and touches on such issues as HIV, AIDS, gay parenting, drug addiction, coming out and rape. The hard-hitting but entertaining soap opera has accumulated numerous awards including an Honorable Mention from the American Film Institute and several Telly awards including Best Professional Actor, Most Innovative Cable Show, Best Videographer, and Best Director Dennis Brooks. Brooks and the IOB crew will celebrate the national debut of the program at the screening of the 1995 season-premiere episode from 5-9 p.m. on Sunday, January 22 at The Blue Penguin in Washington, DC. Cathy Renna, a representative of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), will also be on hand to announce the winner of one of its three prestigious national media awards. Brooks said he thinks it is fitting that Inside/Outside the Beltway makes its national debut while the dust is still settling from the biggest right-wing voter backlash this nation has seen in decades. "With so much out there on talk radio and cable telling gays and lesbians that they are evil, sinful or deviant, I'm very proud that Inside/Outside the Beltway will be a positive force in people's lives," Brooks said. "We have so much to compete against. Rush Limbaugh and his copycat talk-radio hosts are permeating the media with intensely negative messages. But in IOB you can see that gays and lesbians are human beings with problems just like everyone else." Despite his seriousness about many politically sensitive issues, Brooks admits that not all is somber on the set of what has been called the soap opera with a lavender twist. "If you watch the program, you'll realize that it is just a soap opera like any other soap opera," Brooks said. "We have corny murders, wild romance and lust, greed and space aliens just like any network soap opera does." Tickets for the Premiere Episode Party are $5 in advance and are available at Lambda Rising Bookstore, Lammas Bookstore and The Blue Penguin or please make a $5 donation at the door. # # #