R.I.P.: Triinty Broadcasting Network Co-Founder Paul Crouch, 1934-2013

[Joseph_Gallant]

Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) co-founder Paul Crouch has died at the age of 79.

CNN story: http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/30/us/trinity-broadcasting-network-founder-crouch-dies/index.html .

The article noted that TBN claims to be the "most-watched Faith network", but I suspect the reason why is that TBN owns a lot of over-the-air TV stations and that most cable systems that carry TBN do so because of the "must-carry" option that forces systems to carry TBN stations.

 

[jamesjimcie]

Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) co-founder Paul Crouch has died at the age of 79.

CNN story: http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/30/us/trinity-broadcasting-network-founder-crouch-dies/index.html .

The article noted that TBN claims to be the "most-watched Faith network", but I suspect the reason why is that TBN owns a lot of over-the-air TV stations and that most cable systems that carry TBN do so because of the "must-carry" option that forces systems to carry TBN stations.

Paul Crouch was to Trinity Broadcasting Network as Neil Bogart was to Casablanca Records of the 1970's when it comes to choosing to support lavish spending to support their greedy, piggish, and selfish lavish lifestyles.

I will not watch TBN at all and won't miss Paul Crouch very much at all.

 

[JayR]

Paul Crouch was to Trinity Broadcasting Network as Neil Bogart was to Casablanca Records of the 1970's when it comes to choosing to support lavish spending to support their greedy, piggish, and selfish lavish lifestyles.

I will not watch TBN at all and won't miss Paul Crouch very much at all.

Ditto.

 

[jamesjimcie]

There's the list of all stations affiliated with TBN for readers and online users to know about:

Alabama

Berry WSFG-LD 51.6 / 38 Ettie Clark

Fayette WSSF-LD 51.6 / 15

Gadsden (Birmingham) WTJP-TV++ 60.1 / 26 Trinity Broadcasting Network

Montgomery WMCF-TV++ 45.1 / 46

Mobile WMPV-TV++ 20.1 / 20

Alaska

North Pole (Fairbanks) KJNP-TV 4.1 / 20 Evangelistic Alaska Missionary Fellowship

Arizona

Phoenix KPAZ-TV 21.1 / 20 Trinity Broadcasting Network

California

Santa Ana (Los Angeles) KTBN-TV (flagship station) 40.1 / 33 Trinity Broadcasting Network

Colorado

Greeley (Denver) KPJR-TV 38.1 / 38 Trinity Broadcasting Network

Florida

Cocoa (Orlando) WHLV-TV 51.1 / 52 Trinity Broadcasting Network

Fort Pierce (West Palm Beach) WTCE-TV**++ 21.1 / 38 Community Educational Television

Jacksonville WJEB-TV**++ 59.1 / 44

Miami - Fort Lauderdale WHFT-TV 45.1 / 46 Trinity Broadcasting Network

Georgia

Dalton (Chattanooga, TN) WELF-TV 23.1 / 16 Trinity Broadcasting Network

Monroe (Atlanta) WHSG-TV 63.1 / 44

Hawaii

Honolulu KAAH-TV 26.1 / 27 Trinity Broadcasting Network

Illinois

Galesburg (Quad Cities) WMWC-TV 53.1 / 8 Trinity Broadcasting Network

La Salle (Chicago) WWTO-TV++ 35.1 / 10

Indiana

Bloomington (Indianapolis) WCLJ-TV ++ 42.1 / 42 Trinity Broadcasting Network

Jeffersonville WJYL-CD 16.1 / 16 Dominion Media, Inc.

Richmond (Cincinnati, OH) WKOI-TV++ 43.1 / 39 Trinity Broadcasting Network
Iowa

Ames (Des Moines) KEFB 34.1 / 34 Family Educational Broadcasting

Kentucky

Beattyville (Lexington) WLJC-TV 65.1 / 7 Hour of Harvest, Inc.

Louisiana

Opelousas K39JV 39 Luken Communications

Michigan

Detroit W47DL-D 47.1 / 47 Regal Media, Inc.

Minnesota

Minneapolis - St. Paul K25IA-D 25.1 / 25 Trinity Broadcasting Network

Willmar K28IF-D 28.1 / 28 UHF TV, Inc.

Mississippi

Holly Springs (Memphis, TN) WBUY-TV 40.1 / 41 Trinity Broadcasting Network

Magee (Jackson) WRBJ-TV 34.1 / 34

Missouri

St. Joseph (Kansas City) KTAJ-TV 16.1 / 21 Trinity Broadcasting Network

New Jersey

Burlington (Philadelphia, PA) WGTW-TV 48.1 / 27 Trinity Broadcasting Network

New Mexico

Albuquerque KNAT-TV 23.1 / 24 Trinity Broadcasting Network

New York

Poughkeepsie (New York City) WTBY-TV 54.1 / 27 Trinity Broadcasting Network

Ohio

Canton (Cleveland) WDLI-TV 17.1 / 49 Trinity Broadcasting Network

Newark (Columbus) WSFJ-TV 51.1 / 24

Oklahoma

Bartlesville (Tulsa) KDOR-TV 17.1 / 17 Trinity Broadcasting Network

Oklahoma City KTBO-TV++ 14.1 / 15

Oregon

Portland KNMT 24.1 / 45 Trinity Broadcasting Network

South Carolina

Greenville - Spartanburg - Asheville WGGS-TV 16.1 / 16 Carolina Christian Broadcasting

Tennessee

Hendersonville (Nashville) WPGD-TV++ 50.1 / 33 Trinity Broadcasting Network

Texas

Beaumont KITU-TV**++ 34.1 / 33 Community Educational Television

Dallas - Fort Worth KDTX-TV++ 58.1 / 45 Trinity Broadcasting Network

Harlingen KLUJ-TV**++ 44.1 / 34 Community Educational Television

Houston KETH-TV**++ 14.1 / 33

Killeen KPLE-LD 31.1 / 30 Killeen Christian Broadcasting Corporation

San Antonio KHCE-TV **++ 23.1 / 23 Community Educational Television

Virginia

Virginia Beach (Hampton Roads) WTPC-TV 21.1 / 7 Trinity Broadcasting Network

Washington

Tacoma - Seattle KTBW-TV 20.1 / 14 Trinity Broadcasting Network

Yakima KDHW-CD 45.1 / 35 Christian Broadcasting of Yakima

Wisconsin

Mayville (Milwaukee) WWRS-TV 43.1 / 52 Trinity Broadcasting Network

The TBN owned and operated stations are as followed:

WTJP-TV, WMCF-TV, WMPV-TV, KPAZ-TV, KTBN-TV (flagship station), KPJR-TV, WHLV-TV, WHFT-TV, WELF-TV, WHSG-TV, KAAH-TV, WMWC-TV, WWTO-TV, WCLJ-TV, WKOI-TV, WBUY-TV, WRBJ-TV, KTAJ-TV, WGTW-TV, KNAT-TV, WTBY-TV, WDLI-TV, WSFJ-TV, KDOR-TV, KTBO-TV, KNMT, WPGD-TV, KDTX-TV, WTPC-TV, KTBW-TV, WWRS-TV

 

[dave73]

Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) co-founder Paul Crouch has died at the age of 79.

CNN story: http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/30/us/trinity-broadcasting-network-founder-crouch-dies/index.html .

The article noted that TBN claims to be the "most-watched Faith network", but I suspect the reason why is that TBN owns a lot of over-the-air TV stations and that most cable systems that carry TBN do so because of the "must-carry" option that forces systems to carry TBN stations.

I'm only aware of Comcast carrying TBN's OTA signal on select Comcast systems in the Chicago market, since WWTO is too far from Chicago, has not been on the air long enough to even be given significantly viewed status, & airs nothing local to even be given must carry status. WWTO isn't even on satellite for Chicago viewers. WWTO covers more of the Peoria market than the Chicago market. If they really wanted to try & reach more of the Chicago market, they should have seen if they could have located their tower in Will County (possibly near Joliet), just to cover the city of Chicago, while still providing a signal over LaSalle. As it stands, despite a larger coverage area then before, it's mainly viewable for those around Joliet & Aurora areas of the Chicago market, & for those in the eastern part of the Peoria market.

It's like for Time Warner subscribers in Walworth, Racine, & Kenosha Counties of Wisconsin, Time Warner was allowed to keep WWRS Mayville, WI off their cable systems, since their OTA signal doesn't reach those counties effectively. They however were forced to add WWRS to their Milwaukee system, resulting in WHA Madison, WI to be moved to the digital tier, in order to make room for WWRS in the basic analog tier. WWRS can not move their antenna into Milwaukee, since they're broadcasting on channel 43, & there's a channel 43 in Chicago (WCPX, an ION station). I'm not sure if WWRS is on satellite.

 

[crainbebo]

That list was WAY bigger when all those LPTVs and class A stations were on the air with TBN. As I recall, they would have IDs in morse code every once in a while. (And does anyone remember IDs in morse code on the TV?)

 

[anotherguyTN]

Crouch allowed a lot of preachers with bad theology (Word of Faith and so-called "prophecy experts") on TBN and I VERY rarely watched anything on it. There were a few good programs but the bad outweighed it.

 

[TVCOOL]

How long will it be until TBN is either closed or sold off slowly since the "Franchise" Paul Crouch is dead?

 

[vjm]

How long will it be until TBN is either closed or sold off slowly since the "Franchise" Paul Crouch is dead?

TBN is rolling in cash...they'll be around awhile.

Crouch's son Matthew and his wife Laurie have actually been running things for the last year or so, while Paul and Jan Crouch had been essentially figureheads.

 

[tested]

While it may be rolling in cash and others have taken over...his death is going to bring changes. Don't be surprised if there isn't some infighting that ultimately brings TBN down.

 

[Rollo-Smokes]

I grew up in a Christian environment, but today I'm more of an agnostic person. In fact, it was the kind of word-faith and prosperity preaching espoused on TBN that turned me off from mainstream Christianity.

As a student of the broadcast industry, what kept me interested in Paul Crouch and TBN was the enthusiasm he displayed as he talked about building and acquiring stations at home, venturing into foreign territory to launch stations, and then moving on into the new platforms as technology advanced. Had Crouch remained in secular commercial broadcasting, he probably would have been a mogul along the lines of Sinclair Broadcast Group's Smith family. But he chose the path by which his Higher Power led him and while his focus became singular, that does not change his place as a television pioneer.

Somewhere along the way Paul and Jan lost the innocence of being pioneers and succumbed to the excesses of their chosen vocation. Thus, they will carry with them a stigma of contempt. (The scary part of that statement is that their appointed successors, son Matt and his wife Laurie, may be far worse.) But take away what you may think about religion and televangelism, take away the controversies and scandals and the family infighting...and you have to admit, Paul Crouch Sr. was one heck of a broadcaster.

 

[nathannah]

]It's like for Time Warner subscribers in Walworth, Racine, & Kenosha Counties of Wisconsin, Time Warner was allowed to keep WWRS Mayville, WI off their cable systems, since their OTA signal doesn't reach those counties effectively. They however were forced to add WWRS to their Milwaukee system, resulting in WHA Madison, WI to be moved to the digital tier, in order to make room for WWRS in the basic analog tier. WWRS can not move their antenna into Milwaukee, since they're broadcasting on channel 43, & there's a channel 43 in Chicago (WCPX, an ION station). I'm not sure if WWRS is on satellite.

The Racine/Kenosha was eventually made moot as TWC's Milwaukee headends were consolidated and WWRS now airs on Channel 21 in those areas. Isn't carried on satellite, but it's moot as the national feed is carried there.

 

[dave73]

The Racine/Kenosha was eventually made moot as TWC's Milwaukee headends were consolidated and WWRS now airs on Channel 21 in those areas. Isn't carried on satellite, but it's moot as the national feed is carried there.

That may be true in SE Wisconsin with WWRS, but not so in Chicagoland with Comcast & other cable systems (Wide Open West & RCN). At least on the Illinois, select Comcast systems have voluntarily carried WWTO, while on the Indiana side, all 3 Comcast systems in Lake County Indiana still don't carry WWTO, while the national feed of TBN is carried in one of the digital tier packages. Same with satellite, not carrying WWTO, but carry the national TBN feed. The only time I ever remember seeing TBN on OTA TV, was when one of the translators from Chicago reached Gary Indiana. One of them was on channel 68, then on channel 40, when they were forced off of 68 in 2009. The sold off the channel 40 translator, which I think was licensed to Palatine Illinois. The new owners converted the station to digital, & brought Estrella TV to the Chicago market. Due to the LPTV channel 40 being short-spaced to WPXE Kenosha/Milwaukee, Wisconsin, it's only seen in portions of Chicago, & the south suburbs. Had it not been for Comcast Chicago for making WWTO LaSalle available on their cable system, then TBN might have kept the translator in Chicago.

 

[vjm]

While it may be rolling in cash and others have taken over...his death is going to bring changes. Don't be surprised if there isn't some infighting that ultimately brings TBN down.

Respectfully gotta disagree.

Paul Crouch had been having health issues for awhile, and the transfer of power to his son was more than likely in the works for several years.

Regardless of anyone's feelings about their programming, TBN isn't a fly by night outfit. They're a multi-million dollar broadcasting conglomerate, and companies like that make sure that when there are shake-ups (especially when you know they're eventually coming), that the transition goes as smooth as possible.

While in the broadcasting field you can never say never, it would be against MAJOR ODDS that TBN would come crumbling down anytime soon.

 

[EricStein]

Somewhere along the way Paul and Jan lost the innocence of being pioneers and succumbed to the excesses of their chosen vocation. Thus, they will carry with them a stigma of contempt. (The scary part of that statement is that their appointed successors, son Matt and his wife Laurie, may be far worse.) But take away what you may think about religion and televangelism, take away the controversies and scandals and the family infighting...and you have to admit, Paul Crouch Sr. was one heck of a broadcaster.

I can see TBN becoming more contemporary in its presentation. Over the past couple years, it appears that they've started airing ENTERTAINMENT programming of a Christian nature on the flagship network, including made-for-TV and theatrical movies (I believe "The Passion of the Christ" was one of them)--something (if I recall correctly) the elder Crouches were pretty much against. Sure, the core of TBN will continue to be televangelism, but just like INSP has done, they'll be more open to Hollywood-sourced faith-based programming (as much of an oxymoron as it sounds).

I also think that TBN might also think about giving up their terrestrial transmitters (at least, in the United States) and focusing on their three-tiered distribution strategy of cable, satellite, and broadband/smart TV devices. That may leave some old-timers with no cable/satellite and/or broadband out in the cold, but the numbers would most likely be few.

 

[Sammi Brie]

I also think that TBN might also think about giving up their terrestrial transmitters (at least, in the United States) and focusing on their three-tiered distribution strategy of cable, satellite, and broadband/smart TV devices. That may leave some old-timers with no cable/satellite and/or broadband out in the cold, but the numbers would most likely be few.

Given their holdings the spectrum incentive auction would be a pretty nice one-time cash out for them. They own stations in the markets of New York City, LA, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Atlanta, Houston, Phoenix, Seattle, Denver, Miami, and quite a few other desirable major markets (though those stations that it has licensed as noncoms may be harder to surrender). Keep in mind that being fringe doesn't matter; you don't even need to be in the same DMA (see recent spectrum speculator acquisitions of stations in Providence, Rhode Island, and in Palm Springs) to get value for your station being close to a spectrum-starved major city.

 

[vjm]

Given their holdings the spectrum incentive auction would be a pretty nice one-time cash out for them. They own stations in the markets of New York City, LA, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Atlanta, Houston, Phoenix, Seattle, Denver, Miami, and quite a few other desirable major markets (though those stations that it has licensed as noncoms may be harder to surrender). Keep in mind that being fringe doesn't matter; you don't even need to be in the same DMA (see recent spectrum speculator acquisitions of stations in Providence, Rhode Island, and in Palm Springs) to get value for your station being close to a spectrum-starved major city.

I don't know if they'll want to give up their terrestrial stations.

Remember, TBN's OTA stations come with numerous subchannels - the preach & teach formatted Church Channel, the tween/teen focused JCTV, the Spanish Enlace USA, and the Smile of a Child kids channel.

 

[ding12]

There's the list of all stations affiliated with TBN for readers and online users to know about:


New Jersey

Burlington (Philadelphia, PA) WGTW-TV 48.1 / 27 Trinity Broadcasting Network


The TBN owned and operated stations are as followed:

WTJP-TV, WMCF-TV, WMPV-TV, KPAZ-TV, KTBN-TV (flagship station), KPJR-TV, WHLV-TV, WHFT-TV, WELF-TV, WHSG-TV, KAAH-TV, WMWC-TV, WWTO-TV, WCLJ-TV, WKOI-TV, WBUY-TV, WRBJ-TV, KTAJ-TV, WGTW-TV, KNAT-TV, WTBY-TV, WDLI-TV, WSFJ-TV, KDOR-TV, KTBO-TV, KNMT, WPGD-TV, KDTX-TV, WTPC-TV, KTBW-TV, WWRS-TV

WGTW is a TBN owned and operated station. I remember Dorothy Brunson, a minority owner awarded the station because of her race, sold it to TBN which is far from anything that is minority ownership. Was this the last major market entry TBN acquired?

I still don't see full power TBNs broadcasting from the center of the market in New York, Washington DC, San Francisco, Chicago - but of all things Philly had to get TBN.

 

[ihEARDtHAT]

I have only taken a quick look at TBN over the last few days and was surprised that there is no mention of Paul's passing. I would have expected either a graphic with his photo and 1934-2013 or a scrolling banner at the screen bottom that might include messages from the viewers but nothing. I did see a banner to invite everyone to their Holy Land Experience in Orlando.
(Since I only looked quickly while running up or down the channels, I might have missed something that they did.)

 

[Groove1670]

Billy Graham is the only televangelist I hold in high regard. I do express condolences to the Crouch family. When TBN, and certain TV & (radio networks) acquire stations, they put dozens of people out of work for the pupose of running a simulcast. I'll leave it at that.