PlanetOut Abandons Print Media, Sells Alyson to Gay TV Network

PaidContent.org reports that PlanetOut has agreed to sell Alyson Books, along with The Advocate and Out, to Regent Releasing for $6 million. Regent is an affiliate of the LGBT on-demand cable network Here! According to the press release announcing the letter of intent, terms should be finalized by the end of the month, enabling PlanetOut (which, in the interest of disclosure, I should mention I wrote for when it was a start-up) to, in the words of CEO Karen Magee, “devote all of our attention and resources to our core online businesses.” The deal will also enable Here! to utilize PlanetOut’s online marketing resources to promote their TV programming and upcoming film productions. No word yet on how this will affect Alyson, one of the most prominent queer-themed indie presses, except for assurances from Here! that they intend to uphold the legacy of all the media brands they’ve just acquired.

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