To be sure, there is a bit of a chicken and egg ques- tion here. Television can play a part in changing social attitudes, but its responsibility should be limited to news coverage. If gay and lesbian issues are newsworthy, they should be covered. But there is a big difference between the media's reacting to news-worthy events and its affirmative decision to depict gay lifestyle in entertainment programming. The difference is viewers.
Television survives only to the extent that it attracts viewers.
If viewers want to see gay characters, television should have more of them. Conversely, if viewers want Christian broadcasting, a television executive would be foolish to ignore their wishes. This is exactly why we see organised protests over television programming. Run croquet three times a day and you are likely to lose your station. In the end, the question is whether viewers want, or are willing to tolerate, gay lifestyles on television.