 | |
 Sign for CBN andRegent University | |
| Type | Christian mediatelevision network /production company |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Availability | International; some programs are carried byTrinity Broadcasting Network,FamilyNet,LeSEA,TCT, andFreeform, as well as throughsyndication |
| Founded | 1960; 65 years ago (1960) byPat Robertson |
| Headquarters | Virginia Beach, Virginia |
| Owner | The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc. |
Key people | Gordon P. Robertson (CEO) Rob Allman (news director)[1][better source needed] |
Launch date | 1961; 64 years ago (1961) |
Formeraffiliations | CBN Satellite Service (1977–1981) |
Official website | cbn |
TheChristian Broadcasting Network (CBN) is an AmericanChristian media production and distribution organization founded in 1960 bytelevangelistPat Robertson. It produces the long-running television programThe 700 Club, co-produces the ongoing animated seriesSuperbook, and operates multiple television channels and radio stations. The organization's international headquarters are located inVirginia Beach, Virginia. Since its inception, CBN has been described as being "at the forefront of theculture wars".[2]
CBN primarily functions as aproduction company for its flagship programThe 700 Club, amongst other news and religious programming.[2] Other syndicated programs includeCBN NewsWatch,Christian World News, and700 Club Interactive.[3]
The 700 Club began as a local telethon in the 1960s and evolved into a daily religious variety program featuring sermons, interviews, and music. By the late 1970s, the show had incorporated news segments and political commentary, establishing itself as one of the longest-running religious television programs in the United States.[2]
CBN News produces daily and weekly news programming for both Christian and general audiences. It also operates the CBN News Channel, which was launched in 2018, and maintains news bureaus inVirginia Beach,Washington, D.C., andJerusalem.[4]
Internationally, CBN has produced content in more than 70 languages through affiliated organizations such asCBN Asia and CBN India, which create localized versions ofThe 700 Club and other programming.[5]
Some CBN programs are distributed by other evangelical networks, including theTrinity Broadcasting Network andTri-State Christian Television.The 700 Club continues to air under syndication agreements with secular broadcasters, includingFreeform.[2]
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CBN was founded byPat Robertson in 1960 inPortsmouth, Virginia.[2] In 1980, the company moved its main headquarters from Portsmouth toVirginia Beach.[6]
CBN began broadcasting in October 1961 withWYAH-TV (nowWGNT-TV) in Portsmouth.[7] The ministry's subsidiary, Continental Broadcasting Network, operated several family-orientedindependent stations. Their programming combined predominantly religious content on Sundays with acquired secular shows such aswesterns,sitcoms,drama series, and children's shows.[citation needed] Funding primarily came from small donations by individuals and local churches.[2]
The organization acquired several stations across the United States, including:
CBN expanded outside the US in 1968 when it acquired the Nuevo Continente radio station inBogotá, Colombia, which was the first evangelical radio station in that country.[8] CBN transferred ownership of Nuevo Continente to Colombian pastor and broadcaster Ignacio Guevara on June 7, 1972.[9] In June 1979, CBN partnered with George Otis Ministries to establish a combined radio and TV station in southern Lebanon, broadcasting 28 hours per week of Christian programming in Hebrew.[8]
The upstate New York radio stations were sold in 1982. Three over-the-air TV stations were sold between 1984 and 1989. WXRI radio in Portsmouth was also sold in 1989.[10]
On April 29, 1977, CBN launched its national cable network, theCBN Satellite Service, aChristian television service in the United States.[11] The channel was among the earliest cable channels to distribute its signal across the United States throughsatellite transmission.[12]
The CBN Satellite Service became the CBN Cable Network on September 1, 1981. It adopted a more secular programming format featuring family-oriented series and films while retaining some religious programs from varioustelevangelists. Its coverage grew to 10.9 million households, with cable television subscriptions and began airing a late-night block of classic family-oriented shows such asYou Bet Your Life withGroucho Marx,I Married Joan, andThe Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. In August 1988, the CBN Cable Network became The CBN Family Channel.[citation needed] The Family Channel was renamedFox Family Channel in August 1998.[13]
In January 1990, the network was sold to an affiliated entity,International Family Entertainment (IFE). IFE was majority-owned by the Robertson family, with a minority interest held byJohn C. Malone.[14][15] On September 15 of that year, the newly sold channel rebranded asThe Family Channel. It remained the most-watched outlet for CBN programs. IFE went on to launch other TV channels in the US and UK, with plans to expand further.[citation needed] IFE was sold toNews Corporation in June 1997.[16] At this time, The Family Channel was the US's ninth-largest cable network, reaching 67 million households.[16] The terms of the sale stipulated that the channel continue carryingThe 700 Club in perpetuity.[17] Pat Robertson said that "We expect to continue to benefit from The Family Channel's growing family entertainment franchise."[18] The channel was then sold toThe Walt Disney Company in 2001, which renamed it asABC Family later that year, and again toFreeform in 2016.[19]
In October 2002, CBN launchedCBN NewsWatch, a new half-hour weekend program. On April 29, 2008, the 24-hour CBN News Channel was launched as an online-only channel.[20] On October 1, 2018, the CBN News Channel was relaunched and it became available over the air via 15 stations in the United States, as well as continuing online. It was based in Virginia Beach, with bureaus in Washington, D.C., and Jerusalem.[21]
In addition to its networks in the US, the CBN has expanded into international television. On April 10, 1982, a Christian-based television station inSouth Lebanon, Hope TV, was donated to CBN and becameMiddle East Television (METV). At this time, METV broadcast fromMarjayoun.[22] In Israel, METV was known for broadcastingWWF wrestling, which was not available on Israeli TV. The station also broadcast news, sports, family entertainment, and religious programming. On June 5, 1997, METV launched its 24-hour programming broadcast on theIsraeli satelliteAmos 2. This allowed it to reach a potential audience of 200 million people in 15 nations, including Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, and Cyprus.[20] METV was sold to LeSEA Broadcasting in July 2001.[20]
In 1990, CBN programs began broadcasting in theSoviet Union, and then in its successor states after they declared independence. It started with prime time specials, then later addedThe 700 Club andSuperbook. These broadcasts were followed by 190 different rallies, throughout the region that each resulted in the establishment of a new church. Similar special projects were implemented in the Philippines and Romania in 1994.[20]
A daily talk program began on WYAH in 1966; this program would eventually become known asThe 700 Club.[8]The International 700 Club was first broadcast on November 7, 1976, in the Philippines.[8] International versions of the show continued with:
In June 1981,The 700 Club shifted away from its talk show format to a structure more akin to a news-magazine broadcast.[8]
The TV program700 Club Interactive began on May 25, 2009.[20]
In 1997,Turning Point International (TPI), an English-language magazine program for people of African descent worldwide, was established.[28]
In 2001, a youth-oriented show,One Cubed, began in Asia.[23] On September 18, 2003, a US version ofOne Cubed launched, featuring extreme sports, music videos, and celebrity interviews.[20] A Nigerian version ofOne Cubed was also later created.[when?][29]
In 2004,Club 400 Hoy began as a daily program for Spanish speakers throughout the Americas.[30] In October 2021,Club 400 Hoy was relaunched as a weekly US-focused program.[30]
On April 30, 2007, theFirst Landing was produced by CBN andRegent University documenting the English settlement of Jamestown. It aired on ABC Family and various broadcast stations across the US[20]
In 1977,CBN University was established for "the specific purpose of preparing leaders who would not only succeed in their professions but also advance as Christians equipped to effectively impact their world." CBN University rebranded as Regent University in 1990[11] and built the luxury hotel The Founders Inn & Spa at the university campus. The name of the hotel refers to the USFounding Fathers.[31]
Affiliated charityOperation Blessing was set up on November 14, 1978. It was initially intended to help struggling individuals and families by matching their needs for items such as clothing, appliances, and vehicles with donated items from viewers ofThe 700 Club. Coordinating with local churches and other organizations, OB expanded its matching funds program to also include food provisions and financial assistance for low-income families.[citation needed]
CBN launched its first website in March 1995.[8]
CBN has established international offices, including CBN Europe in the UK in 2002,[citation needed] CBN Deutschland in 2007,[26] CBN Africa in 1994,[32] and CBN India in 2000.[33]CBN Asia was established in the Philippines and Hong Kong on October 1, 1994.[citation needed] Since then, CBN Asia has launched launched the kids programA.S.T.I.G. (All Set to Imitate God);[23]Oyayi;[23] and the music programCBN Asia Reverb, later renamedReverb Worship PH.[23]
During the first Trump administration (2017–2021), CBN paid at least $170,000 to host events atTrump properties. Subsequently, CBN obtained access to the White House, similar to that of larger news outlets and was given frequent exclusive interviews with senior administration staff, including Trump himself.[34]
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In the following tables, final CBN-owned stations are arranged alphabetically by state andcommunity of license.
Note: Two boldface asterisks appearing following a station's call letters (**) indicate a station which wasbuilt andsigned on by CBN.
| City of license /market | Station | Channel | Years owned | Current ownership status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta, GA |
| 46 | 1971–1984 | Independent stationWANF, owned byGray Media. |
| Boston, MA | WXNE-TV ** | 25 | 1977–1987 | Fox affiliateWFXT, owned byCox Media Group. |
| Dallas–Fort Worth, TX | KXTX-TV1 | 33 | 1973 | CW stationKDAF, owned-and-operated (O&O) byNexstar Media Group. |
| KXTX-TV1, 2 | 39 | 1973–2000 | Telemundo owned-and-operated (O&O). | |
| Portsmouth, VA | WYAH-TV | 27 | 1961–1989 | Independent stationWGNT, owned by theE. W. Scripps Company. |
In addition, CBN planned to build a television station inRichmond, Virginia, WRNX on UHF channel 63. However, CBN sold theconstruction permit for that station to National Capitol Christian Television in 1982, which signed on the station as WTLL in 1984. That station was eventually sold and, in 1986, converted into a secular independent stationWVRN-TV, which shut down in 1988.
Notes:
| FM stations |
| City of license / Market | Station | Years owned | Current ownership |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry Valley–Albany, NY | WJIV 101.9 | 1969–1982 | owned by Christian Broadcasting System, Ltd. |
| DeRuyter–Syracuse, NY | WOIV 102.7 | 1969–1982 | WCIS-FM, owned byFamily Life Ministries |
| Ithaca, NY | WEIV 103.7 | 1969–1982 | WQNY, owned by Saga Communications |
| South Bristol–Rochester, NY | WMIV 95.1 | 1969–1982 | WAIO, owned byiHeartMedia |
| Wethersfield–Buffalo, NY | WBIV 107.7 | 1969–1982 | WLKK, owned byAudacy, Inc. |
| Norfolk, VA | WXRI 105.3 ** | 1962–1989 | WNOH, owned by iHeartMedia |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
