CW33 reporter and ‘Gay Agenda’ creator Doug Magditch profiles 30 local LGBT leaders from past and present to mark parade anniversary
Doug Magditch, who launched the weekly ‘Gay Agenda’ in November, said he’s been most impressed by the local LGBT community’s history.
Rich Lopez | Contributing Writer
getrichindallas@gmail.com
In November, the LGBT community witnessed something surprising.
Having out TV reporters was hardly novel for North Texas, but a segment devoted entirely to gay goings-on? That was a revelation, and it came thanks to CW33 news reporter Doug Magditch.
But Magditch’s interest in LGBT affairs goes beyond his weekly ‘Gay Agenda’ segment. He also has a blog, HisBigD.com, where he plans to mark the 30th anniversary of Dallas Pride by profiling 30 LGBT leaders past and present.
“I wanted to recognize those members of the community who have or who are doing so much,” said Magditch, a St. Louis native who moved to North Texas a few years ago. “I’ve been most impressed by the history here. There were people fighting for gay rights back in the ’50s and ’60s and back then, if they were out, they were fired and looked down upon. I just can’t believe there is such a history and I love that there’s been a part of this community that never wants to leave it behind.”
Magditch began as the Fort Worth reporter for CW33, but as the station’s newscast shifted to the current Newscap format, the idea was to present news in a different fashion than the straightforward, traditional one used by larger networks.
You could say CW33 is Dallas’ news alternative, and with such an approach, it opened the way for Magditch to successfully pitch the weekly segment ‘Gay Agenda’ — which offers tidbits of queer news on both local and national fronts. And while it may not sound like much, producers have given it a lot of time — air time, that is.
“There are lots of interesting people and stories in the community that don’t make it onto other networks. I want ‘Agenda’ to be representative of the community,” he says.
“Everybody seems to be very excited our station is open to do it. I don’t think what I’m doing is groundbreaking. It’s neat though that our station is doing something no one else is doing. And I’m very fortunate to have the opportunity, especially two minutes worth — which is a lot of news time.”
After moving to Dallas last year to focus on his coverage, Magditch has had to learn encyclopedic amounts in a short time here. His approach has included interviewing Dallas Voice staff members on a weekly basis. For most episodes, he shoots for three pieces of news that range from serious topics like marriage equality to lighter bits featuring viral videos.
But as Magditch has covered the community’s present, he’s found himself moved by its past, and that’s what led to his upcoming profile of 30 LGBT leaders. As he wrapped up the interviews for the project last week, Magditch said he compiled his list based on everything from past parade grand marshals to simple word of mouth. And with a list spanning young and old, male and female and all of the letters in LGBT, his Pride project should fuel anticipation for viewers.
“I included people who are an example of leadership and not because they are trying to be,” Magditch said. “Who is making a difference here? And that includes such people like
Robert Camina, Cd Kirven, Bruce Wood and Sheriff Lupe Valdez,” Magditch said. “Some have been around for so long and have made such a difference in the community and everybody has said something that I didn’t know. It’s been such an inspiration and I didn’t expect that. So I want to make sure that I do this right.
“I certainly don’t want anyone to think these are the only 30 making a difference,” he added.
“These are my opinion of people I discovered and met that I have been impressed by. Dallas has a vibrant community and I’m so impressed with how strong and cohesive our community is. We’re really so lucky to live in a community like this, and that’s what I really learned.”
Watch The Gay Agenda on CW33 or at NightcapTV.com/gay-agenda. Magditch’s blog is at HisBigD.com.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition September 13, 2013.