Press Release: Human Rights Campaign & XM "The Agenda with Joe Solmonese"

[Rosco T.]

http://www.xmradio.com/newsroom/screen/pr_2006_06_08.html

Human Rights Campaign and XM Satellite Radio Launch "The Agenda with Joe Solmonese"

Talk Show Mixing Politics, Entertainment and Cultural News in a Weekly Conversation to Engage Americans in GLBT Equality Debuts July 17

Washington D.C., June 08, 2006 -- The Human Rights Campaign and XM Satellite Radio today announced the launch of a new, live talk show hosted by Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "The Agenda with Joe Solmonese" will include a mix of politics, entertainment and cultural news and views through interviews with newsmakers and celebrities and listener call-ins. "The Agenda" will premiere July 17, exclusively on XM.

"This is a unique opportunity to engage millions of Americans in a real conversation about what it means to be gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender today," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "Our goal has always been to engage more Americans in a dialogue about fairness and equality, and XM's more than 6.5 million subscribers give us an incredible reach into rural as well as urban American homes and cars."

Every week, "The Agenda" will mix current events with lifestyle topics and feature audience interaction through live listener calls. Future broadcasts also will include headline guests, like celebrities Cyndi Lauper and George Takei; political leaders like Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., and Sen. Lincoln Chafee, R-R.I.; religious leaders like Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson and national and local community leaders who are fighting for equality on the front lines.

The program will be broadcast live from XM's Washington, D.C., studios and utilize the production capabilities of the Human Rights Campaign's state-of-the-art media center. Solmonese will be joined each week by "The Agenda" executive producer Mary Breslauer of Boston, a former radio talk show host, former HRC board member and longtime GLBT activist.

"'The Agenda' will be an entertaining and informative show, helping us to broaden the base for fairness," said Breslauer. "With the midterm elections approaching and a presidential election in 2008, this is the time to be talking more, not less, with America. XM Satellite Radio is a powerful, cutting-edge vehicle to bring these conversations to a national scale."

"The Agenda with Joe Solmonese" will premiere on Monday, July 17, on XM LIVE (XM channel 200) in its regular weekly timeslot from 6-8 p.m. Eastern Time, with additional encore broadcasts airing throughout the week. Coinciding with the Gay Games in Chicago, the debut episode of "The Agenda" will feature live coverage of the games, as well as a look at being GLBT in the Windy City.

"Having long supported the GLBT community through our corporate work, the addition of 'The Agenda with Joe Solmonese' to XM's programming lineup is a welcomed one that will provide our listeners with even more engaging content choices," said Eric Logan, executive vice president of programming for XM Satellite Radio. "'The Agenda' is an example of XM's commitment to offering a broad range of programming that reflects our nation's diverse social and political landscape."

Complete show details as well as high-resolution photos are available online at www.hrc.org/TheAgenda and www.xmradio.com/TheAgenda.

The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender political organization with members throughout the country. It effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign support and educates the public to ensure that LGBT Americans can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.

[MuseRider]

1. This is great news.

I know many people do not like the HRC but this will give us all an opportunity to hear what they have to say and perhaps get a little direct dialog going.