• by Shankar Gupta , July 14, 2005

PlanetOut Inc., a major online media company serving the gay and lesbian community, Wednesday announced plans that will put it into direct competion with MTV Networks fledgling gay TV network Logo. The new PlanetOut Video service, launching in September, will offer on-demand broadband video via the Web.

PlanetOut Inc., which owns sites like Gay.com and PlanetOut.com, will receive programming from the Sundance Channel initially, and will support that channel's launch of its new original eight-part series, "TransGeneration," a documentary about transgendered college students. The site will carry the exclusive premiere of the first episode of "TransGeneration," prior to its Sept. 20 release on Sundance.

The Web site also will include video clips and behind-the-scenes footage from the show, as well as short films from the PlanetOut Short Movie Awards.

One of the site's major sponsors is Toyota, which also sponsored PlanetOut's short movie awards. Ads for the Toyota Scion are currently running across the Gay.com and PlanetOut.com network.

"TransGeneration" is a joint production of the Sundance Channel and MTV's Logo, a gay and lesbian-oriented cable channel. According to MTV executives, Logo will be starting its own broadband video channel in the near future as well.

In addition to signing other content partners, PlanetOut Video will also begin soliciting member-created video in 2006.