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

    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.
    People Talking About ...
    Thumbnail of Jerry Falwell

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

    03:37
    Thumbnail of Jerry Falwell

    Jerry Falwell on the first time he saw television and his college years

    01:41
    Thumbnail of Jerry Falwell

    Jerry Falwell on what defines television at its best

    01:41
    Thumbnail of Jerry Falwell

    Jerry Falwell on declining to appear on late night talk shows

    01:15
    Thumbnail of Jerry Falwell

    Jerry Falwell on his purchase of the Liberty Broadcasting Cable Network

    03:18
    Thumbnail of Jerry Falwell

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

    03:04
    Play Full Interview

    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

    09:24

    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

    09:23

    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

    08:07

    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

    08:25

    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

    11:44

    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

    08:14

    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

    08:14

    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

    09:24

    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

    10:55

    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

    13:06

    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

    09:24

    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

    06:24

    Chapter 5

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

    17:24

    Larry King Live

    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

    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

    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

    Advice

    Jerry Falwell on advice to aspiring televangelists 

    01:00

    Celebrities in the News

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

    12:15

    Civil Rights Movement

    Jerry Falwell on civil rights issues

    03:01

    Creative Influences and Inspiration

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

    03:37

    Historic Events and Social Change

    Jerry Falwell on civil rights issues

    03:01

    Network Creation

    Jerry Falwell on his purchase of the Liberty Broadcasting Cable Network

    03:18

    Pivotal Career Moments

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

    03:37

    Pop Culture

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

    12:14

    Ronald Reagan

    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 and the Presidency

    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

    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

    News and Documentary

    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

    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

    Jim Bakker

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

    07:47

    Tammy Faye Bakker Messner

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

    07:47

    Ted Kennedy

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

    04:09

    Ronald Reagan

    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

    Ted Turner

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

    04:43

    All Interviews

    Loading Interviews...