Verizon Follows Comcast in Dropping Jennifer Lopez’s Fuse Media Network
The network criticized Comcast and Verizon for not being committed to diverse programming
Trey Williams | December 31, 2018 @ 2:48 PM
Last Updated: January 2, 2019 @ 9:56 AM
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Fuse Media announced on Monday that the company’s TV network will no longer be carried by Verizon Fios as of December 31.
The news comes a day after Comcast said that it would drop the Latino-oriented network partly owned by Jennifer Lopez.
Verizon and Fuse could not come to terms on a new carriage agreement. Fuse said in a statement that Verizon’s terms were unacceptable.
“Verizon receives new proposals from content providers when it’s time to renew the current agreements for channels we provide in our Fios TV lineup. At Verizon, we put our customers first in all of our content decisions. Our priority is always to provide the content our customers want at a fair price,” Verizon said in a statement. “Because the cost of programming is the single biggest factor in higher TV bills, we carefully review proposals from content providers to ensure that the rates they propose are in line with their viewership. Doing this allows us to bring you competitive rates for Fios TV packages. As part of that process, we have decided to drop Fuse channels from our lineup effective January 1, 2019.”
“This is another instance of one of our nation’s largest telecommunications companies taking action inconsistent with its public posture regarding diversity,” a Fuse spokesman said in a statement. “While claiming to be committed to supporting customers from underserved communities, Verizon Fios is removing unique content programmed to the passions and values of the large and growing multicultural millennial audience.”
Fuse CEO and president Michael Schwimmer also criticized Comcast on Sunday for dropping the network despite the company’s “publicly-stated commitment to support diverse and independently operated networks.”
While the loss of Comcast puts Fuse is at risk of losing approximately a third of its household reach, the network said that the impact of Verizon Fios’ decision will be a low single-digit reduction of Fuse’s distribution vs. 2018 levels.
According to Fuse, from 2015 through end of the 2018 third quarter, the networks ratings are up more than 50 percent in the sought after 18-34 age group while overall ad-supported cable has declined 34 percent in the demo during the same timeframe. Also during the third quarter, Fuse said it delivered a 74 percent multicultural audience competition, ranking it No. 5 among English-language ad-supported entertainment cable networks.
16 Favorite New LGBTQ TV Characters in 2018, From 'Riverdale' to the Cast of 'Pose' (Photos)
Whether they're a fresh face or someone we've obsessed over since Season 1, TheWrap has put together a list of new and notable LGBTQ TV characters we got to know a little more in #20GayTeen.
Netflix, CW and FX
The cast of "Pose"
As reported by TheWrap, Season 1 of FX’s “Pose” featured a record five trans actors in series regular roles: MJ Rodriguez, Indya Moore, Dominique Jackson, Hailie Sahar and Angelica Ross. “Pose” captures New York in the 1980s through the lens of different subgroups, including the House of Evangelista, which houses LGBTQ youth in crisis.
At the Beverly Hilton on Dec. 3, the cast of “Pose” and executive producer Ryan Murphy appeared at the Trevor Project’s TrevorLIVE LA 2018 gala to accept the Hero Award for their positive influence on the LGBTQ youth.
JoJo Whilden/FX
Mark Healy in "The Conners" (Ames McNamara)
During “The Conners” premiere, Darlene’s son confides in his grandfather — played by John Goodman — that they are struggling to choose between two boys to sit with on the bus. Mark is sure that if they choose to sit with one and not the other, that means they "like like" them. While initially not sure if he could help, Dan saves the day by creating a pro-con list of each boy.
ABC
Theodora Crain in "The Haunting of Hill House" (Kate Siegel)
The middle child in the Netflix horror series opens up to her siblings about her sexuality at a wedding party when she's caught hooking up with a bridesmaid. Theo and her siblings don't linger too much on what just happened, probably because there are bigger fish to fry for the Crain family.
Netflix
Gianni Versace/Andrew Cunanan in "American Crime Story" (Edgar Ramirez and Darren Criss)
The complicated storylines that bring Versace and Cunanan together on the day of Versace's murder aren't played up for laughs or trivialized. Instead, their stories helped bring to light LGBT discrimination in the criminal justice system and the overall view of the gay community in the '90s.
FX
Dr. Nico Kim and Dr. Levi Schmitt in "Grey's Anatomy" (Alex Landi and Jack Borelli)
In "Grey's" 15th season, the show introduced its first openly gay male surgeon and first gay male romance with newcomer Dr. Nico Kim and intern Dr. Levi Schmitt. The romance allowed the show to explore what it is like for a once thought to be straight Schmitt to realize he could fall for someone of his own sex.
ABC
Mr. Gallant in "American Horror Story: Apocalypse" (Evan Peters)
The "AHS" vet plays a 30-something Santa Monica hairstylist who learns Los Angeles is about to get hit by a nuclear weapon. Later in the season, Gallant would have sexual tension with half-human/half-ghost Michal Langdon.
FX
Ambrose Spellman in "Sabrina" (Chance Perdomo)
There's two things we know off the bat about the warlock: he is openly pansexual and is incapable of leaving the Spellman house because of a spell cast on him. Ambrose tries to sneak out in season 1 to meet up with a prospective lover to no avail. Ambrose would later have a fling with Connor Kemper's ex-boyfriend Luke.
Netflix
Susie Putnam in "Sabrina" (Lachlan Watson)
Susie (pictured left) is bullied for being non-binary by the high school football players and is helped along the way by friends Sabrina and Roz (pictured right). Later in the series, Susie finds the ability to communicate with the supernatural.
Netflix
Cheryl Blossom and Toni Topaz in "Riverdale" (Madelaine Petsch and Vanessa Morgan)
In Season 2, Southside serpent Toni Topaz becomes Jughead's closest friend, protecting him when the serpents question his motives to join the group run by his father. Later in the season and into season 3, Topaz strikes a romance with Cheryl Blossom, becoming known as the power couple "Choni."
CW
Villanelle in "Killing Eve" (Jodie Comer)
Villanelle is an assassin who becomes intertwined with MI6 agent Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh) when Eve is instructed to track her down. The two become obsessed with each other, so much so that the animosity toward each other becomes sexually charged.
BBC America
Valencia Perez in "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" (Gabrielle Ruiz)
Perez begins to have feelings for a client in her party planning business Beth in Season 4. This was a change for fans, who only knew that Valencia was once in a rocky 15-year relationship with Josh Chan (Vincent Rodriguez III).
Mel Vera in "Charmed" (Melonie Diaz)
In the reboot, the charmed one (pictured right) has a relationship with former homicide detective Niko Harmada (Ellen Tamaki). Mel is later dumped by Niko, who dumped her fiancee to be with Mel in the first place.
Nomi Segal in "Grown-Ish" (Emily Arlook)
Nomi is Zoey's (Yara Shahidi) best friend at college. Zoey struggles to come out as bisexual to her parents, despite the acceptance of her closest friends.
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Ryan Murphy and Netflix have led the way in LGBTQ representation with shows like “American Horror Story” and “The Haunting of Hill House”
Whether they're a fresh face or someone we've obsessed over since Season 1, TheWrap has put together a list of new and notable LGBTQ TV characters we got to know a little more in #20GayTeen.
Netflix, CW and FX
JoJo Whilden/FX
