Did Disney miss a golden opertunity to ditch the 700 club?

[JeeperOne]

This whole thread is such a laugh!!

First, let's get a few things out of the way.....

1) **ONE** RELIGIOUS PROGRAM A NETWORK DAGGER **DOES NOT** MAKE

2) Daystar is HARDLY a "small" ministry (Lest some of you forget what they did to PBS in DFW a couple of years ago)

3) Even if 700 Club were to lose its unique contract with ABC Family, it could still be carried on the network in the same fashion local stations carry it

4) 700 Club broadcasts cost Disney NOTHING to produce as CBN picks up these costs (Why do you think Disney bothers to air it?) In fact if anything - DISNEY MAKES $$$ by airing it if I'm not mistaken

While it's true that ABC Family's target audience are young adults & teenagers, the vast majority of those who watch the channel are teenagers. Why? Programs with characters which teenagers can identify with are produced on the network. This not only makes for one highly entertaining network in a world where they are so few these days (Because the network has - At least so far - NO so-called "Reality" shows like TVLand does), but it also makes Pat Robertson & the God Freaks happy that they ave at least ONE place they can call home without feeling like they have to turn to Daystar 24/7.

As for KITV using the weekdays to fulfill the E/I requirements - Thank the time zone difference for that. That & ESPN's insistence on clogging ABC primetime (Mainland ET) with live College Football on Saturday Nights instead of confining that to the ESPN cable nets.

Just my opinion.....

Cheers

 

[R.D.P.]

Most of Christian TV doesn't appeal to me.  They say and promote things that I find to be unbiblical anyway. 

Pat Robertson is one of my least favorite people to listen to.  He has gone off the deep end as of late.  Most of his views and thoughts, I find to be detestable indeed.

Although I may not be a big fan of his any longer, he still has the right to broadcast his program on TV.  If the man has money and is able to buy airtime, then I say let him stay on. 

That's my two cents.

R.D.P. <><

P.S. Outside of ABC Family, I can also get his program on these channels: NRB TV (Direct TV 378), TCT Network (Direct TV 377) CTN (Direct TV 376) and TBN (Direct TV 372).

 

[Tim L]

Here in the Cleveland/Akron/Canton, Ohio Market, 700 Club airs daily on WUAB-43 at 9AM
and WDLI-17(TBN) and WRLM-47 (TCT-The former WOAC-67) Canton at 3PM..

 

[imhomerjay]

Re: Did Disney miss a golden opportunity to ditch the 700 club?

I don't think there is a win win situation now. Maybe Disney/ABC can purchase another channel, like TV Land (a channel Viacom doesn't know what to do with as it seems), or acquire AMC, or some weak channel in the cable universe, and revamp it to be the better ABC on cable network (to compete against TBS TNT USA FX Spike etc.), while dumping random stuff like Andy Griffith, Roseanne, America's Funniest Home Video, AMC commercial ridden movies, with The 700 Club, on ABC Family.

However it doesn't seem Disney is all that into acquisition at this point. They likely see the success of CBS and Viacom splitting ways as more optimal.

Except Viacom is doing just fine with TV Land from a business standpoint, and ditto AMC (Mad Men, anyone?). Moreover, when it counts most--primetime--ABC Family has been growing by finding a groove with its original programming. They have no--zero, zilch, nada--need to worry about one show in less significant dayparts right now.

 

[YEKIMI]

Daystar is HARDLY a "small" ministry (Lest some of you forget what they did to PBS in DFW a couple of years ago)

Seeing as how the rest of the world doesn't follow what goes on in the broadcast industry in DFW, what DID they do to PBS?

 

[cowboybud]

Daystar is HARDLY a "small" ministry (Lest some of you forget what they did to PBS in DFW a couple of years ago)

Seeing as how the rest of the world doesn't follow what goes on in the broadcast industry in DFW, what DID they do to PBS?

Bought out the #2 PBS station there (not heritage KERA).

 

[trusty]

Quote from: YEKIMI on Today at 10:47:58 AM
Daystar is HARDLY a "small" ministry (Lest some of you forget what they did to PBS in DFW a couple of years ago)

Seeing as how the rest of the world doesn't follow what goes on in the broadcast industry in DFW, what DID they do to PBS?

Bought out the #2 PBS station there (not heritage KERA).

Hmmmm... Leseee.. The North Texas Public Broadcasting Board, which runs KERA-TV/FM and KDTN, was trying to dump KDTN because of costs (quotes from Current.org in 2003):

A Christian television network based in Dallas has signed a contract to buy KERA’s second TV station, KDTN. If the FCC approves the sale, KERA will put the $20 million in proceeds into a new program endowment.

As in the other cities, the second channel in Dallas was used for less-watched programming and regarded as a fiscal drag.

One clause in the sale agreement leases a portion of KDTN’s unused digital spectrum back to KERA.

Even though the deal was to get Daystar $37 million, it paid KERA $20 million for its second channel + other perks.

I wouldn't mind getting "done" like that.

 

[ixnay]

Re: Did Disney miss a golden opportunity to ditch the 700 club?

[A] cable network is not licensed by the FCC.

That's news to me, TT. Who *does* license cable networks for the US? Or does anybody? Under what parameters are cable networks licensed?

ixnay

 

[imhomerjay]

No licensing for cable networks by anyone.

 

[azumanga]

Under what parameters are cable networks licensed?

No licensing for cable networks by anyone.

Unlike Canada, where cable channels are licensed according to format and content, cable channels in the US are not licensed -- all one practically needs is money, a satellite transponder, and cable systems willing to carry the channel.

 

[formeraa]

In the Springfield example, I'm sure that Pat Robertson wrote something in the contract. It might be free airing for x years, while it might be an inexpensive airing for y years. Pat is very savvy about these things, as we see from the FOX/ABC Family deal.

That seems unlikely. Aside any legal issues involving control of the station by a broadcast licensee, the simple fact is that CBN did not own -- and never owned -- the Springfield station.

It was owned by TBN, which has it's own flagship program, "Praise the Lord". TBN's lawyers would be writing the sale contract, not anyone associated with CBN. Assuming that TBN could include such a clause in the sale of an LPTV station, why on earth would they use that ability to benefit CBN's "The 700 Club" instead of their own program? On some level, TBN and CBN are competitors, after all.

My mistake! I didn't read the previous post correctly. Obviously, Pat is paying for time in the Springfield case.

 

[stdjsb25]

Quote from: YEKIMI on Today at 10:47:58 AM
Daystar is HARDLY a "small" ministry (Lest some of you forget what they did to PBS in DFW a couple of years ago)

Seeing as how the rest of the world doesn't follow what goes on in the broadcast industry in DFW, what DID they do to PBS?

Bought out the #2 PBS station there (not heritage KERA).

Hmmmm... Leseee.. The North Texas Public Broadcasting Board, which runs KERA-TV/FM and KDTN, was trying to dump KDTN because of costs (quotes from Current.org in 2003):

A Christian television network based in Dallas has signed a contract to buy KERA’s second TV station, KDTN. If the FCC approves the sale, KERA will put the $20 million in proceeds into a new program endowment.

As in the other cities, the second channel in Dallas was used for less-watched programming and regarded as a fiscal drag.

One clause in the sale agreement leases a portion of KDTN’s unused digital spectrum back to KERA.

Even though the deal was to get Daystar $37 million, it paid KERA $20 million for its second channel + other perks.

I wouldn't mind getting "done" like that.

And if I recall correctly, KERA has not once used KDTN's digital channel....

And let us not forget the mess in California that Daystar started involving a PBS station there....much more messy than the Dallas affair.

 

[DToTheJ]

Re: Did Disney miss a golden opportunity to ditch the 700 club?

Maybe Disney/ABC can purchase... some weak channel in the cable universe, and revamp it to be the better ABC on cable network (to compete against TBS TNT USA FX Spike etc.), while dumping random stuff like Andy Griffith, Roseanne, America's Funniest Home Video, AMC commercial ridden movies, with The 700 Club, on ABC Family...

Once Comcast starts the gutting process with NBC's family of cable networks, maybe they can sell MSNBC off to them cheap!

 

[Madmansam]

So if Disney is required to keep the "Family" name, how about them twisting the meaning of that word? Like how about "ABC Extreme Family Channel" or "ABC Xtreme Family Channel"? Or how about "ABC Not So Family Channel"? or "ABC Dysfunctional Family Channel"? I think as long as ABC keeps the word "Family" in the name of the channel, it would be legal.

 

[azumanga]

Once Comcast starts the gutting process with NBC's family of cable networks, maybe they can sell MSNBC off to them cheap!

If that does happen, Pat would find a way to put The 700 Club on that channel -- like it or not.

So if Disney is required to keep the "Family" name, how about them twisting the meaning of that word? Like how about "ABC Extreme Family Channel" or "ABC Xtreme Family Channel"? Or how about "ABC Not So Family Channel"? or "ABC Dysfunctional Family Channel"? I think as long as ABC keeps the word "Family" in the name of the channel, it would be legal.

Maybe that same contract restricts the usage to the owner's name and "Family", with "Channel" being optional.

Since none of us have seen the original contract -- everything here is speculation.

 

[TexasTom]

So if Disney is required to keep the "Family" name, how about them twisting the meaning of that word? Like how about "ABC Extreme Family Channel" or "ABC Xtreme Family Channel"? Or how about "ABC Not So Family Channel"? or "ABC Dysfunctional Family Channel"? I think as long as ABC keeps the word "Family" in the name of the channel, it would be legal.

"Coming up next on the ABC Same Sex Family Channel, it's Pat Robertson and The 700 Club, followed by The L Word!"

snicker

I certainly can't imagine it actually happening, but the thought is truly entertaining...