 | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | South Bend, Indiana, United States |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English |
| Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) 480i (SDTV) |
| History | |
| Launched | 1972 |
| Founder | Lester Sumrall |
| Former names | LeSEA Broadcasting |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Watch live |
| Website | https://familybroadcastingcorporation.com/ |
Family Broadcasting Corporation, formerly known asLeSEA Broadcasting, is an AmericanChristiantelevision network.[1] Founded byLester Sumrall in 1972, Family Broadcasting Corporation is headquartered inSouth Bend, Indiana, and broadcasts Christian and family programming. Peter Sumrall, son of Lester Sumrall, served as its president and chief executive officer from 2002 to 2015.[2] His son, Drew Sumrall, now serves in the same position.[3]
World Harvest Television (WHT), onDirecTV,[4][5] focuses mostly on directtelevangelism, carrying hosts such asSid Roth,Joseph Prince,Joyce Meyer, andJames Robison. Program time not filled by televangelists is filled withinfomercials; WHT does air some limited entertainment programming, consisting mainly of a block withThe Real McCoys and the public-domain episodes ofThe Beverly Hillbillies in the afternoons, along with non-religiousE/I programs and a few syndicated programs such asSports Stars of Tomorrow andToday's Homeowner with Danny Lipford on Saturdays, along withIsraeli Basketball Premier League games. WHT is available in over 21.2 million homes across the country onDirecTV, as well as on the Sky Angel Faith Package; a video stream of the channel is available on the Internet.
Family Entertainment Television (FETV), onDirecTV Stream,DirecTV,[6][7]Dish Network,[8]Verizon Fios,AT&T U-Verse,[9]Frndly TV, andSling TV offers viewers a mix of religious and family-friendly programming. FETV provides such programming asPerry Mason,[10]The Lone Ranger,Hazel, andBewitched as well as a selection of televangelists in the morning time slots.
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Family Movie Classics (FMC) is an Americancable andsatellite television network owned by the Family Broadcasting Corporation. The network features classic movies.[11] FMC launched on October 28, 2021 onDish Network to 9 million subscribers.[12] In 2022, streaming servicesFrndly TV,DirecTV Stream andPhilo added the movie service to their offerings.[13]
Originally acquired by Family Broadcasting Corporation in 1972,WHMB-TV 40 was the longest, continually operated Christian television station in the United States. WHMB-TV is now affiliated with theUnivision network broadcasting Spanish-language programming to Hispanic/Latino viewers in the Indianapolis and Central Indiana viewing area, and soon to have local Spanish-language newscasts every day that will include a two-hour local morning newscast on weekdays,Primera Hora Indianapolis leading into the national morning showDespierta América, withEdición Digital Indianapolis at 12:30pm afterNoticiero Univision: Edición Digital andNoticias Univision Indianapolis weeknights leading into the national evening newscasts,Noticiero Univision starts to air, and for weekend evenings at 6 and 11pm.WHMB reaches the entireIndianapolis, Indiana, television market.[14]
On September 10, 1977,WHME-TV 46 South Bend came onto the airwaves with mostly religious programming, as well as some family programming. Today, WHME is Family Broadcasting Corporation's headquarters, housing a number of separate divisions. WHME-TV formerly aired programming that was a blend of religious programming (local and national), local sports, and family entertainment. It is now a Univision affiliate airing Spanish-language programming to Hispanic/Latino viewers in the Michiana viewing area, and soon to have local Spanish-language newscasts every day that will include a two-hour local morning newscast on weekdays,Primera Hora South Bend, leading into the national morning showDespierta América withEdición Digital South Bend at 12:30pm afterNoticiero Univision: Edición Digital andNoticias Univision South Bend weeknights leading into the national evening newscasts,Noticiero Univision starts to air, and for weekend evenings at 6 and 11pm.
KWHE TV 14 covers the major population centers of Hilo, Maui, Kona, and Honolulu, with Christian and family programming. The station is carried onOceanic Cable channel 11 and onHawaiian Telcom channel 14.
Purchased by Family Broadcasting Corporation in 1985,KWHB 47 is the oldest Christian television station in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Today,KWHB can be viewed on over 84 cable stations in Oklahoma, serving a potential audience of over 1.5 million people. The station was sold to theChristian Television Network on February 20, 2020.
WHFT TV 45 Miami, Florida signed on in 1975, was acquired by LeSea in the summer of 1976, and was sold toTrinity Broadcasting Network in July 1980.
WHKE signed on in June 1988 and was owned by LeSea. The station was sold toPaxson Communications in 1995, being a temporary affiliate of thepaid programming network inTV before the August 1998 launch of PAX TV, today'sIon Television.
WHNO TV 20 New Orleans signed on in October 1994. The station was sold to theChristian Television Network in April 2018.
WCVI-TV 23 was acquired in 2014 and is the Family Broadcasting Corporation station in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The station was sold toLilly Broadcasting in 2020.
Middle East Television was acquired from CBN in July 2001. It is located inLimassol,Cyprus, and broadcasts to all ofWestern Asia. The station was sold toSid Roth's Messianic Vision, Inc, in September 2016.
Since 1985 Family Broadcasting Corporation has operatedWorld Harvest Radio International (WHRI), designed to reach the over 200 millionshortwave radio receivers in the world. Family Broadcasting Corporation is the only Christian broadcaster currently operating a global network of shortwave radio transmitters. Transmitter facilities are located inSouth Carolina and inPalau, Oceania (T8WH). Six transmitters are in operation full-time, named the Six Angels.
In August 2020, it was announced that WHRI was selling its facilities to Allen Weiner, owner ofMonticello, Maine-based shortwave stationWBCQ, pending FCC approval.[15]
Harvest 103.1 FM, orWHME (FM), began broadcasting in 1968. The radio station, which serves the South Bend, Indiana, area, features a mix of interactive talk, Bible teaching programs, and inspirational music 24 hours a day.
Founded in 1996, Pulse FM WHPZ 96.9 broadcastscontemporary Christian music to theMichiana market. In December 2004, Family Broadcasting Corporation purchased WDOW 92.1 FM to increase Pulse FM's listening base,[16] and the call letters are nowWHPD 92.1. For many years, the radio station hostedWorld Pulse Festival, a one-day Christian music festival.[17] In 2017, Pulse FM transitioned to a new concert format named Pulse Summer Series, a series of three summer concerts in downtownSouth Bend, Indiana, at theMorris Performing Arts Center.[18]
