Jerry Falwell

Religious Broadcaster
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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

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About
About this interview

In his two-hour interview, Jerry Falwell (1933-2007) talks about growing up the son of an entrepreneur, and his eventual calling to the Christian ministry. He discusses starting his first television broadcast, Thomas Road Baptist Church Presents and how it eventually became The Old Time Gospel Hour. He speaks about the growing popularity of the program and its eventual syndication worldwide as well as its transmission over satellite. Falwell also describes his founding and the goals of the Moral Majority and Liberty University. He details the controversy surrounding his political views, the fallout from the PTL scandal that hit religious broadcasting in the late 1980s, and his treatment by the mainstream media. B-roll consists of a personally guided tour of a museum dedicated to his life on the campus of Liberty University. Don Carleton conducted the interview on October 16, 2003 at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"Television has been, from its inception, the most powerful medium for delivering a message, and I think it ever shall be."

People Talking About ...
Jerry Falwell
Highlights
Jerry Falwell on early religious broadcaster Charles E. Fuller, and on Falwell becoming a Christian 
03:37
Jerry Falwell on the first time he saw television and his college years
01:41
Jerry Falwell on what defines television at its best
01:41
Jerry Falwell on declining to appear on late night talk shows
01:15
Jerry Falwell on his purchase of the Liberty Broadcasting Cable Network
03:18
Jerry Falwell on the different approaches he uses on different platforms, including his appearances on Fox News and Larry King Live
03:04
Full Interview

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Chapter 1
On his early life and influences; on the first time he saw television and his college years; on early religious broadcaster Charles E. Fuller, and on his becoming a Christian
On his religious training and his early interest in religious broadcasting; on starting a congregation in Lynchburg, Virginia in 1956; on growing his congregation by broadcasting their services on television and radio
On his early Old Time Gospel Hour broadcasts; on the 1968 "Wall Street Journal" article "The Electric Church" about Falwell's Old Time Gospel Hour; on his goal with the show

Chapter 2
On why he thinks Old Time Gospel Hour was so successful; on the syndication of Old Time Gospel Hour; on his purchase of the Liberty Broadcasting Cable Network
On how the enormity of his enterprise impacts his message of Old Time Gospel Hour and the use of music on the show; on Ted Turner's station running Old Time Gospel Hour and Falwell's vast program archive
On his broadcast properties and on various shows produced by Liberty Channel; on civil rights issues; on Liberty University and his various broadcast properties dealing with controversial topics

Chapter 3
On how his ministry, and by extension Old Time Gospel Hour, deals with homosexuality; on the different approaches he uses on different platforms, including his appearances on Fox News and Larry King Live
On his relationships with political rivals like Ted Kennedy and Alan Dershowitz; on demonization in politics; on his 1965 sermon "Ministers and Marches," broadcast on Old Time Gospel Hour
On the formation and goals of his right wing political organization the Moral Majority, and on his involvement with Ronald Reagan; on the impact of the Moral Majority on Old Time Gospel Hour; on the notion of his running for office and on his view of the separation of church and state

Chapter 4
On pioneering televangelism with Old Time Gospel Hour; on Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker's PTL Club scandal; on dealing with the fallout from the PTL Club scandal and the Jimmy Swaggart scandal
On declining to appear on late night talk shows; on the general view that the media is dominated by liberals and regrets he has about things he's said in the media; on how he defines himself as a public figure and career highlights
On what defines television at its best; on advice to aspiring televangelists; on the communications school at Liberty University and on the University's Christian based curriculum; on how he'd like to be remembered

Chapter 5
On b-roll tour of Liberty University Library including pictures, footage, and memorabilia of Falwell and his family
Shows

Larry King Live

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Jerry Falwell on the different approaches he uses on different platforms, including his appearances on Fox News and Larry King Live
03:04

Old Time Gospel Hour

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Jerry Falwell on his early Old Time Gospel Hour broadcasts
03:06
Jerry Falwell on Old Time Gospel Hour going national
02:12
Jerry Falwell on the 1968 "Wall Street Journal" article "The Electric Church" about Fawell's Old Time Gospel Hour
01:59
Jerry Falwell on his goal with the Old Time Gospel Hour
00:50
Jerry Falwell on why he thinks Old Time Gospel Hour was so successful
03:30
Jerry Falwell on the syndication of Old Time Gospel Hour
01:36
Jerry Falwell on how the enormity of his enterprise impacts his message on Old Time Gospel Hour and the use of music on the show
07:01
Jerry Falwell on Ted Turner's station running Old Time Gospel Hour and Falwell's vast program archive
04:43
Jerry Falwell on how his ministry, and by extension Old Time Gospel Hour, deals with homosexuals
05:09
Jerry Falwell on his 1965 sermon "Ministers and Marches," broadcast on Old Time Gospel Hour
02:51
Jerry Falwell on the impact of the Moral Majority on Old Time Gospel Hour
03:13
Jerry Falwell on pioneering televangelism with Old Time Gospel Hour
00:52

PTL Club

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Jerry Falwell on Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker's PTL Club scandal
07:47
Jerry Falwell on dealing with the fallout from the PTL Club scandal and the Jimmy Swaggart scandal
04:27
Topics

Advice

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Jerry Falwell on advice to aspiring televangelists 
01:00

Celebrities in the News

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Jerry Falwell on Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker's PTL Club scandal
12:15

Civil Rights Movement

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Jerry Falwell on civil rights issues
03:01

Creative Influences and Inspiration

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Jerry Falwell on early religious broadcaster Charles E. Fuller, and on Falwell becoming a Christian 
03:37

Historic Events and Social Change

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Jerry Falwell on civil rights issues
03:01

Network Creation

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Jerry Falwell on his purchase of the Liberty Broadcasting Cable Network
03:18

Pivotal Career Moments

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Jerry Falwell on early religious broadcaster Charles E. Fuller, and on Falwell becoming a Christian 
03:37

Pop Culture

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Jerry Falwell on Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker's PTL Club scandal
12:14

Ronald Reagan

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Jerry Falwell on the formation and goals of his right wing political organization the Moral Majority, and on his involvement with Ronald Reagan
04:53

Television Industry

View Topic
Jerry Falwell on his purchase of the Liberty Broadcasting Cable Network
03:18
Jerry Falwell on what defines television at its best
01:41
Jerry Falwell on advice to aspiring televangelists 
01:00

Television and the Presidency

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Jerry Falwell on the formation and goals of his right wing political organization the Moral Majority, and on his involvement with Ronald Reagan
04:53
Genres

News and Documentary

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Jerry Falwell on the different approaches he uses on different platforms, including his appearances on Fox News and Larry King Live
03:04

Religious Programming

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Jerry Falwell on his Old Time Gospel Hour broadcast (Part 1)
08:07
Jerry Falwell on Old Time Gospel Hour (Part 2)
20:09
Jerry Falwell on Old Time Gospel Hour (Part 3)
25:44
Jerry Falwell on pioneering televangelism with Old Time Gospel Hour
00:52
Jerry Falwell on Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker's PTL Club scandal
12:14
People

Jim Bakker

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Jerry Falwell on Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker's PTL Club scandal
07:47

Ronald Reagan

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Jerry Falwell on the formation and goals of his right wing political organization the Moral Majority, and on his involvement with Ronald Reagan
04:53

Tammy Faye Bakker Messner

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Jerry Falwell on Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker's PTL Club scandal
07:47

Ted Kennedy

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Jerry Falwell on his relationships with political rivals like Ted Kennedy and Alan Dershowitz
04:09

Ted Turner

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Jerry Falwell on Ted Turner's station running Old Time Gospel Hour and Falwell's vast program archive
04:43

All Interviews

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