The Advocate and Out, two of the bigger names in LGBT magazine culture, have been swooped away from PlanetOut to the multi-platformed, queer-focused Regent Media.

Regent now owns those publications as well as The Out Traveler, HIV Plus, Alyson Books, and the Gaywired Media triumvirate (Gaywired, Shewired, and Gaysports). The company also produced Gods and Monsters and owns here! Networks, "America’s premium gay and lesbian television network." Regent owners Stephen Jarchow and Paul Colichman are the Donald Trumps of gay industry — with better hair and without the sleeping wit hot female models thing.

First order of business? Setting up video podcasting so The Advocate can go cover the DNC.

Press release after the jump:

August 25, 2008 (Los Angeles) – Stephen P. Jarchow and Paul Colichman, Chairman and President of Regent Media, announced their company has completed the acquisition of PlanetOut’s publishing properties. The properties include PlanetOut’s two flagship brands: The Advocate, the world’s leading LGBT news source, and Out, the world’s leading LGBT fashion and style source. Additionally, Regent Media purchased The Out Traveler, the world’s leading LGBT travel source, and Alyson Books, the world’s leading LGBT book publisher. The brand’s corresponding web properties – advocate.com, out.com, outtraveler.com and Alyson.com - were also included in Regent Media’s acquisition.

“Regent Media now owns the best-known and most respected brands in the gay and lesbian marketplace. Our brands signify the highest quality content for the LGBT community via television, magazines, books and the web,” said Jarchow and Colichman. “These seminal properties will continue to document and to enrich the culture and history of our nation.”

The Regent Media brands now include: here! Networks, heretv.com, here! Films, here! Home Entertainment, here! Tunes, The Advocate, advocate.com, Out, out.com, The Out Traveler, outtraveler.com, HIV Plus, hivplusmag.com, Alyson Books, alyson.com and Gaywired Media, which encompasses entertainment and lifestyle sites gaywired.com, shewired.com and gaysports.com.

As part of the ongoing re-launch of advocate.com, The Advocate news team will cover the Democratic National Convention (DNC) with its inaugural video news broadcasts. Advocate.com’s DNC news team includes veteran broadcast journalist James Hattori, as well as The Advocate news editors Kerry Eleveld and Sean Kennedy. Hattori is best known for his work as a senior correspondent with CBS, NBC and CNN.

“Advocate.com will proudly provide a unique perspective on the events of the DNC,” said Jon Barrett, Editor in Chief of The Advocate and advocate.com. “No other organization can serve our community with such an extraordinary level of resources and experience. Simply put, we are the best team in gay news.”

Colichman and Jarchow jointly supervise the various divisions of Regent Media. Through their companies they have produced such films as the Academy Award-winning Gods & Monsters and Academy Award-nominated Tom & Viv. Their original television series include the entire here! production slate: Dante’s Cove, Paradise Falls, The Lair, The Donald Strachey Mysteries, The DL Chronicles and the annual Ribbon of Hope Celebration.