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Local religious programming in your area

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Some discussions on local religious shows in a Birmingham retro listing got me thinking about local religious programming in general. The only local religious programming in my area (Yakima/Tri-Cities) was a Lutheran church in the Tri-Cities that broadcast its Sunday services. The picture quality was mediocre but watchable. It aired in the 80s/90s and perhaps longer. What churches and religious organizations in your area aired shows?
 
In Charlotte NC WSOC-TV has aired First Presbyterian's 11:00 service for as long as I can remember. The way I understand it the man who ran the station went there. It seems somewhat professionally done. The sound is a little off compared to a real professional production. Memorial Day, the Indy 500 gets priority. The last time it snowed and the service was called off, I thought I would get to see the Memorial Day service (I think it had been done in the past), but everything suggested it was a September service. The music is traditional.

WBTV has First Baptist. I've turned that on and seen a soloist singing along with a contemporary music tape. I would hate to be stuck with that as my only option if I needed to stay home and watch a service on TV.
 
Houston TV is replete with religious programming.

KHOU preempts the second half of "Face The Nation" until 3 am Monday morning to accommodate Joel Osteen's Sunday pay for pray-a-thon.

First Methodist Church also has a show as does the second largest fleece...er... Megachurch in Houston, Second Baptist Church (because having 5 "convenient" satellite locations isn't enough).

I think we're saved from Kerry Shook's Woodlands Church broadcasts except on the local Trinity station, KETH.
(Oops spoke to soon... Looks like KPRC carries this late Sunday mornings)
 
WCCT in Hartford, CT, carries Catholic Mass every morning at 10 a.m. and has done so for many years. This is a heavily Roman Catholic state and I don't think there are any other locally produced religious services on the air.
 
The SWPA synod of the ELCA had a local cable access show on Comcast in Pittsburgh. It might still be on, but I don't live in Pittsburgh any more. It was actually pretty good, if you appreciated hearing about the finer points of Lutheran theology.
 
WFQX airs a mass from the Diocese of Gaylord on Sundays at 8am. WGTU airs a program called Traverse City Message and Music on Sundays at 10:30am.
 
Don't stop there, Tim. Osteen is on 11, 14, 22, 57 and let's not forget the two Spanish stations 21 & 43. I've seen him on all of them here in Houston, and there's probably other showings that I've missed.

Then there's New Light, and its pressing need for helicopter blades. They're on 39, and I think 20 as well, for their version of "teaching".

Must need several avenues to channel the false prophecies around Houston. Just in case you miss an earlier opportunity to put a smile on your face and reap the endless bounty of rewards God is just waiting to bestow upon you, as a result of your good deeds and positive outlook, of course.
 
KTRE in Lufkin, Texas used to have "Sounds of Inspiration" with Rev. Bob Lewis. He brought some of the choir members from his Assembly of God church. The music was actually pretty good.

They also had a show by the same name on KRBA radio. Unfortunately I don't know how long the show was on the air. I know it was on by 1977 and at least through 1982.
 
purpledevil said:
Don't stop there, Tim. Osteen is on 11, 14, 22, 57 and let's not forget the two Spanish stations 21 & 43. I've seen him on all of them here in Houston, and there's probably other showings that I've missed.

Then there's New Light, and its pressing need for helicopter blades. They're on 39, and I think 20 as well, for their version of "teaching".

Must need several avenues to channel the false prophecies around Houston. Just in case you miss an earlier opportunity to put a smile on your face and reap the endless bounty of rewards God is just waiting to bestow upon you, as a result of your good deeds and positive outlook, of course.
Click to expand...

Even though this isn't local, two of the four major commercial stations based in the Traverse City market carry Shepherd's Chapel at the same time (5am weekdays). However, both of these stations are junior partners in separate virtual duopolies with the top two stations.
 
ftballfan said:
Even though this isn't local, two of the four major commercial stations based in the Traverse City market carry Shepherd's Chapel at the same time (5am weekdays). However, both of these stations are junior partners in separate virtual duopolies with the top two stations.
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Are there any other markets where the same religious program (Shepherd's Chapel, 700 Club, Joel Osteen, etc.) airs on two or more non-co-owned commercial stations?
 
Tim-In-Houston said:
KHOU preempts the second half of "Face The Nation" until 3 am Monday morning to accommodate Joel Osteen's Sunday pay for pray-a-thon.

First Methodist Church also has a show as does the second largest fleece...er... Megachurch in Houston, Second Baptist Church (because having 5 "convenient" satellite locations isn't enough).

I think we're saved from Kerry Shook's Woodlands Church broadcasts except on the local Trinity station, KETH.
(Oops spoke to soon... Looks like KPRC carries this late Sunday mornings)
Click to expand...

purpledevil said:
Don't stop there, Tim. Osteen is on 11, 14, 22, 57 and let's not forget the two Spanish stations 21 & 43. I've seen him on all of them here in Houston, and there's probably other showings that I've missed.

Then there's New Light, and its pressing need for helicopter blades. They're on 39, and I think 20 as well, for their version of "teaching".

Must need several avenues to channel the false prophecies around Houston. Just in case you miss an earlier opportunity to put a smile on your face and reap the endless bounty of rewards God is just waiting to bestow upon you, as a result of your good deeds and positive outlook, of course.
Click to expand...

We have had some productive interaction with the Manager of our site lately on the proper way to address one another and how to respond to one another when we get into disputes.

Though I have no fondness for any of the religious broadcasters mentioned in these two quotes, I offer this question: some of these comments in these two posts seem to be pretty insulting. Is there an exemption in our "house rules" which says "Play nice.... except when discussing ministers!"
 
mvcg66b3r said:
Are there any other markets where the same religious program (Shepherd's Chapel, 700 Club, Joel Osteen, etc.) airs on two or more non-co-owned commercial stations?
Click to expand...

From this: http://www.joelosteen.com/Pages/BroadcastListings.aspx

Chicago: WCIU (9am Sun), WMAQ (10:30am Sun), WPWR (7:30am Sun)
Minneapolis: KARE (10:30am Sun), WFTC (9am Sun)
New York City: WNBC (11:30am Sun), WNYW (9:30am Sun), WWOR (10am Sun)
Oklahoma City: KOCO and KWTV, both at 10am Sunday
Orlando: WKMG (8:30am Sun), WRBW (9am Sun)
Phoenix: KNXV (9:30am Sun), KUTP (8am Sun)

This is in addition to Osteen airing on three major cable networks back to back to back on Sunday mornings (Discovery, USA, Lifetime) from 8-9:30am ET/PT
 
In Atlanta:

In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley (whose church/ministry happens to be based here) airs on WXIA Sundays at 6:30 am and again at 9:00 am on sister station WATL.

WAGA airs Joel Osteen Sundays at 10:00 am.

But 20 or 30 years ago, the Atlanta stations used to broadcast services from various local churches. For example, WSB had Peachtree Presbyterian Church, while the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church was on WAGA.

Oh yeah...back in Alaska, KATN/KYUR/KJUD has been the statewide TV home of the Anchorage Baptist Temple since 1996 (prior to that, it was on other outlets including KJNP in Fairbanks, where they still have the First Baptist Church of North Pole to this day (originally on Sunday nights, but now on Saturday nights)). Joel Osteen has no over-the-air homes there.
 
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I'll answer for my post, GRC, and firmly stand by it. He is a false prophet. He is not a true minister, called by God, to deliver the Word to his congregation. That is my opinion, one derived from endless study of the Bible and its teachings. That is not me attempting to be funny, insulting, or sarcastic. He, as a minister, is insulting in his delivery of his "good deeds and a positive outlook will gather great rewards" sermons to those of us Christians that recognize what he truly is, and that is a tool, or a mouthpiece as it were, of the devil. He is a false prophet, and his congregation is being fooled into believing that what he is preaching is the Gospel.

I make no apologies for what I typed, and have no need nor desire to exhibit any tolerance for what he is wrongly doing, either in my heart or through my fingers posting on this board.

Heck, if anything, I hope someone that belongs to his congregation reads this and re-evaluates exactly what they are personally doing going to Lakewood and subjecting themselves to that garbage.

I don't expect for everyone else to agree with my stance, wouldn't even attempt to convert someone to my way of thinking, but if you study Joel Osteen, and you recognize what he is doing is specifically laid out in the Bible as the work of a false prophet, then I wouldn't need to. It's glaringly apparent, if you know and believe what is written by the inspiration of our Maker.

The question then becomes whether or not this is the time or the place for such a discussion, which given this is a discussion regarding local religious programming, tends to open up a can of worms such as this. Is what Joel Osteen, I.V. Hilliard, Benny Hinn, Rodolfo Font, or any other pulpit pounder like them, truly "religious" programming?

I can't believe you called people out, GRC, including me. I don't think I've ever seen you engage a fellow poster like that in my many years here at RI/RD. Quite surprising, I must say, but I see what you are saying. Why are things like what I posted allowed here? I would say it has much to do with the speech freedom we are all afforded within the Constitutional bylaws our country was built on, that many of us fought for, and that the operator of this board surely recognizes, and has implemented.
 
Osteen is using the money he's collected from his "don't worry, be happy" flock to buy himself a channel on Sirius XM starting this fall. It's only going to get worse.
 
purpledevil said:
I'll answer for my post, GRC, and firmly stand by it. He is a false prophet. He is not a true minister, called by God, to deliver the Word to his congregation. That is my opinion, one derived from endless study of the Bible and its teachings. That is not me attempting to be funny, insulting, or sarcastic. He, as a minister, is insulting in his delivery of his "good deeds and a positive outlook will gather great rewards" sermons to those of us Christians that recognize what he truly is, and that is a tool, or a mouthpiece as it were, of the devil. He is a false prophet, and his congregation is being fooled into believing that what he is preaching is the Gospel.

// s n i p //

I can't believe you called people out, GRC, including me. I don't think I've ever seen you engage a fellow poster like that in my many years here at RI/RD. Quite surprising, I must say, but I see what you are saying. Why are things like what I posted allowed here?
Click to expand...

Excellent response to what is a very tedious task: Walking the narrow trail that winds between TRUTH and COURTESY.

I had to think long and hard before my previous post. The easy thing would have been to just walk away and say nothing. Freedoms bring responsibility. And our freedom to express our faith concepts requires us to exercise some self-discipline when we express our faith, lest society come to the point that a civilization decides "religious thought is just too hot to handle, so let's not allow public discussion of faith. Do it in private only."

My personal faith system does not agree with Mr. Olsteen's expression of the mechanics of belief and rewards. My point is that we have learned in various discussion boards on various industries and topics, that we must do as our Moderators have insisted here. We steer away from exchanging our thoughts using words that are too harsh, too confining. There is a difference between saying: "GRC, you are just the biggest liar of this century" and saying "What I know about the industry is contrary to what you just said. Let me explain:"

My post intended to simply point out that maybe some of the specific verbiage used to characterize some ministers, broadcasts and churches should be a little more.... neighborly, civilized, words we would use face-to-face.

Within your faith group, your place of worship, your church, it may be common practice to say: "He is not a true minister, called by God, to deliver the Word to his congregation. He is a false prophet!" But it would be awkward if you were a guest at a gathering of my extended family where many different expressions of Christianity are present, along with the Buddhist participant in the gathering.

Yes, you are free to say it. But what good does it do to say it, if you have caused people to pull up the draw bridge and refrain from future conversation?

Been there. Done that. Got the tee-shirt.
 
I don't know if there is a point in this, but cable systems around Charlotte NC have a full-time religious station, an independent commercial over-the-air broadcaster which is not low-power. There is a point to saying that if some markets don't have it.

I happened to look to see what one program was, thinking it might be a high school sports program. TiVo can't show the entire title if it is too long unless you select the show and see the whole thing. It was a Lutheran church, not the high school named after the community where the church was. And the description was "Contemporary services". I hadn't seen a contemporary service in any TV listings.
 
WJYS in Tinley Park, IL (licensed to Hammond, IN) airs local religious programming from various churches in the Chicago market, as well as churches that are in other parts of the country that broadcast on a national level. I know 3 local mega churches that record their services, then pay broker fees to WJYS as well as WEDE-CD (who leases a subchannel on WJYS, 62.2). Those churches are Embassies of Christ Ministries in Gary Indiana, run by Cedrick & Joyce Oliver (one of a few couples I see living in a regular house, & keep most of the church's money to run their schools, church, & recording their services to be broadcasted), Family Christian Center in Munster Indiana (this church lost their tax exemption status for living lavishly, & numerous other scandals with Stephen & Melodye Munsey), & First Baptist Church of Hammond Indiana (This church is always getting hit with scandals, with sexual abuse being the worst of them, plus running a for-profit subsidiary, in order to buy up various properties, then depending on the business or residency, they make it a requirement that you have to be a member of their church in order to work for them in any part of the church or subsidiary, or even some of the places that people live in, including a trailer park that's next door to the one I live in that's owned by First Baptist Church).
 
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