Trinity Broadcasting Network

The Trinity Broadcasting Network, or TBN, is the world's largest Christian television network. Founded by Paul and Jan Crouch in 1973, the network now has a larger U.S. viewership than its three main competitor networks combined. It owns twenty-three U.S. full-power television stations and 252 low-power rural stations, and boasts five million viewer households per week in the U.S. TBN is carried on over six thousand television stations in the U.S., and on thousands of cable television systems in seventy-five countries around the world, where its programs are translated into eleven languages.

Brief history

TBN began in 1973 when the elder Crouchs, along with former televangelists Jim and Tammy Bakker (formerly affiliated with Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network), rented air time on a local UHF channel in Santa Ana, California. TBN, then known as the Trinity Broadcasting Systems, spread from UHF stations to cable outlets and then to satellite distribution. Jim and Tammy left within months to start the PTL 'Praise The Lord' network.

Recently, TBN has been purchasing independent television stations to gain cable carriage, due to FCC must-carry rules. As a result, TBN is available to 95% of American households, as of early 2005. [1]

According to the TBN website, TBN has several hundred affiliate stations, although just 61 of these stations are regular UHF or VHF stations. The rest are low-powered stations, requiring a viewer to be within several miles of the transmitter. The network has grown to 47 satellites and 12,500 affiliates, reaching nearly 100,000,000 households globally.

Today, Paul Crouch is TBN's president and chairman, Jan Crouch is its vice-president and director of programming, and their son Paul Jr. is its vice president of administration. The network maintains production deals with their other son, Matthew.

According to a September 12, 2004 Los Angeles Times story, Paul Crouch, the president of Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) paid Enoch Lonnie Ford $425,000 in 1998 as a settlement over what Ford argued was an unjust dismissal from working at TBN. The settlement contained several other points, among them an agreement for Ford to be silent about an alleged homosexual encounter they had had in 1996 at a TBN-owned cabin near Lake Arrowhead, California.

In a statement released on September 22, 2004, TBN denied Crouch had a homosexual affair with Ford, but confirmed the payment of the $425,000 settlement.[2]

TBN's worldwide networks

In addition to their flagship network, TBN also offers other cable/satellite channels in the United States. These are: the Spanish-language "Enlace USA," the youth-oriented "JCTV," and "The Church Channel" for church services. Recently TBN began broadcasting the "Smile of a Child" network, launched on December 24th, 2005, as a children's network. These channels are available over the air via digital multicasting in select cities.

In Europe TBN offers a mix of American and European Christian programming via "TBN Europe", "TBN Italy" (Italian language) and "TBN Russia" (Russian language).

They operate an Arabic language channel for the Middle-East "Kanat al-Shefaa" which translated means "The Healing Channel".

In Africa they broadcast their programming via TBN South Africa and TBN Family Media in Kenya.

They also broadcast to most of Central and South America via TBN Enlace which consists of Spanish Language programming. Enlace Juvenil is their Spanish Youth network. Both are based out of San Jose, Costa Rica.

Asia is reached by TBN Philippines, and TBN South Pacific covers Australia, New Zealand and the surrounding islands.

As of 2005 TBN's broadcast signals are carried by 48 satellites and cover every major continent with the exception of Antarctica. Simply put, TBN is easily one of the world's largest broadcasting groups.

They are currently building a large studio in Altamonte Springs, Florida, although many doubt the building will ever be completed, as the original building permits are expiring and the exterior has yet to be completed.

TBN generates $170 million in revenue annually. It does not air commercials; rather, two-thirds of its revenue comes from viewer contributions and one-third from other televangelists' payments for running their programming. Its $120 million donation revenue is larger than any other television ministry. It has posted average annual surpluses since 1997 of about $60 million. It holds two week-long fundraising telethons per year, as well as numerous other solicitation drives. It maintains a direct mail database of 1.2 million names. As of 2002, it boasted $583 million in assets, including $238 million in government-backed securities and $31 million in cash. Also among its assets are a $7.2 million Canadair Turbojet and thirty houses in California, Texas and Ohio with values ranging up to $8 million. The elder Crouchs and their son Paul Jr. earn an estimated combined annual income of $850,000. In September 2004 the Los Angeles Times characterized their personal lifestyle as a "life of luxury." The network reports that during the first twenty years of the network's operation, Paul and Jan were paid roughly one-tenth their current income, with the amounts rising in the past ten years as they approached retirement.

Further investigation proves there is no building in Altamonte Springs, Florida. The station is in Pembroke Pines Florida and they just finished a new gift shop and VR Theater. The VR Theater is a state of the art facility that is free to all visitors showing 5 movies that share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Criticism

The network has attracted criticism for its continuous fundraising activities, including the "prosperity gospel," an offshoot of the Word of faith doctrine that appears to promise donors, including impecunious ones, that God will make them rich as long as they have faith and give to TBN. Paul Crouch has made statements to his viewers such as, "Have you got something that you have been praying about ten, fifteen, twenty years? You have been praying for it and haven't gotten it...," and that people haven't received it because they haven't given their ten percent. During a 1997 program, he conversely said, "If you have been healed or saved or blessed through TBN and have not contributed...you are robbing God and will lose your reward in heaven." The network reports that seventy percent of its donations are in amounts under fifty dollars. Some viewers consider Crouch's prosperity as a positive demonstration of the success of their prosperity gospel message. A group of critical Christians has banded together to attempt to jam the TBN phones during its telethons as a protest against its fundraising, which the group's organizer, a retired pastor, likens to robbery.
The network cancelled its November 2004 "Praise-a-thon" fundraising telethon in favor of showing forty hours of reruns from past telethons. Network officials blamed the cancellation mostly on health concerns for both Paul and Jan Crouch, the latter of whom had gall bladder surgery at the time. They also said the cancellation would take pressure off other religious figures who would have appeared on the live telethon.

Around this time it was also revealed that Paul Crouch paid $425,000 as part of a court settlement in 1998 to a former male employee - apparently to keep him quiet about claims of a homosexual tryst with Crouch. and the AP also cited the recent newspaper reports about the Crouchs' "lavish lifestyle" as well as ongoing rumors of marital strife between Paul Sr. and Jan. Paul Crouch staunchly maintains that these accusations are completely false, and has voiced regret that he listened to his lawyers' advice to settle out of court. The former employee, who violated the terms of the settlement, has a criminal past.

Paul Crouch Jr. voiced his belief that other ministries were concerned that "they are going to be next on the hit list." R. Marie Griffith, a Princeton University scholar studying evangelical Christianity and the media, said that "to take the live broadcasting off...suggests...the chaos" at TBN.

Radio

An audio relay of the station is available on:
*KTBN Superpower Radio
*KTBN Shortwave - Salt Lake City, Utah
*7505 kHz
*15590 kHz

Studios

Trinity Christian City International in Costa Mesa, California

TBN broadcasts from its International Production Center in Irving, Texas near Dallas and from its Trinity Christian City International facility in Costa Mesa, California. It also operates Trinity Music City USA (the former estate of country music player Conway Twitty) in Nashville, Tennessee. The complex attracts thousands of visitors every week, and includes the 2000-seat Trinity Music City Church Auditorium, which hosts TBN-produced concerts, dramas, seminars and special events.

Movies

TBN has produced a number of major Christian movies. They include "The Revolutionary" and "The Revolutionary II," based on the life of Jesus; "The Emissary," a film on the life of the apostle Paul, "The Omega Code", "Carman: The Champion", "Megiddo", "Time Changer", "Six: The Mark Unleashed", and "One Night with the King."

Programming

Adult programming

TBN is an ecumenical Christian network, showing Protestant, and Messianic Jewish programming. However, most of its shows feature ministers from the charismatic and Pentecostal movements, plus secular celebrities sharing their religious faith to the public. Its cornerstone program is Praise the Lord, a two-hour nightly program featuring talk, music, and prayer. As of 2005, programs on the network include:
Back on Course, hosted by Gavin and Patti MacLeod (former of The Love Boat fame)
Believer's Voice of Victory, hosted by Kenneth Copeland
Betty Jean Robinson
*Billy Graham
Breakthrough, hosted by Rod Parsley
*Carol Lawrence (Hollywood actress)
Changing Your World, hosted by Creflo Dollar
Christian World News
Creation in the 21st Century, hosted by Dr. Carl Baugh
Dean and Mary Brown
Enjoying Everyday Life, hosted by Joyce Meyer
International Intelligence Briefing, hosted by Hal Lindsey
Jack Van-Impe Presents
*John Hagee Today
*Lakewood Church
*Life is Worth Living, classic religious series hosted by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen
*Life Today, hosted by James Robison
*MC Hammer (hip-hop star - turned preacher)
*Reflections from the Crystal Cathedral, hosted by Gretchen Schuller Penner
*The 700 Club
*Team Impact
*The Way of the Master, starring Growing Pains actor Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort
*This Is Your Day, hosted by Benny Hinn
*T.D. Jakes Ministries
*Walt Mills''
*Zola Levitt

Children's Programming

On Christmas Eve of 2005, TBN started an all-Christian, all-children's network titled Smile of a Child. But, TBN also airs children's programming on Saturday morning starting at 4:30 A.M. central time zone. Many of these shows can be used by local affiliates to fulfill Federal educational "E/I" requirements. Their programs are as follows (central time zone):
* 4:30 A.M.: Kids Against Crime
* 5:00 A.M.: Maralee Dawn and Friends
* 5:30 A.M.: Kingdom Adventure
* 6:00 A.M.: The Flying House
* 6:30 A.M.: Cherub Wings
* 7:00 A.M.: The Reppies
* 7:30 A.M.: BJ's Teddy Bear Club and Bible Stories
* 8:00 A.M.: Faithville
* 8:30 A.M.: Colby's Clubhouse
* 9:00 A.M.: Dooley and Pals
* 9:30 A.M.: McGee and Me!
* 10:00 A.M.: Pahappahooey Island
* 10:30 A.M.: The Knock Knock Show
* 11:00 A.M.: Mr. Henry's Wild and Wacky World
* 11:30 A.M.: Miss Charity's Diner
* 12:00 P.M.: Bibleman
* 12:30 P.M.: Davey and Goliath
* 1:00 P.M.: Greatest Heroes and Legends of the Bible
* 2:00 P.M.: K10C: Kids' Ten Commandments
* 2:30 P.M.: Retro News: A Blast from the Past

External links

Official

*Official Site
*Smile of a Child Network

Critical

*Scandal at the network - Years of coverup.
*Apologetics Index entry on TBN - includes the moniker, "The Blasphemy Network"
*Religion News Blog - Apologetics Index's weblog entry on TBN
*Ministry Watch - organization critical of TBN's fundraising amidst a cash surplus
*Trinity Foundation - organization critical of TBN fundraising
*Rick Ross Institute Section on TBN