Pat Robertson

Religious Broadcaster


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

In his two-hour interview, Pat Robertson (1930-2023) describes the founding of his ministry and his creation of the Christian Broadcast Network. He speaks about his early years pursuing a law degree at Yale University, after which he discovered his calling and enrolled in the New York Theological Seminary. Robertson discusses his work with the underprivileged and his later vision to spread the Gospel through television. He describes in detail buying his first television station in Virginia, and starting up its programming, where he was a jack-of-all-trades, working in front of and behind the cameras. He talks about the growth of the network and the initiation of The 700 Club, a daily show featuring news, commentary, and feature stories on Christian themes. He also describes the use of satellite technology and syndication in the continued growth of the network. He talks about the controversy surrounding electronic ministries in the 1980s and the losses suffered by the religious broadcasting community in their wake. Additionally, he talks about the spin-off of The Family Channel, the creation of Regent University, and his political campaigns. Don Carleton conducted the interview on October 15, 2003 at the CBN offices in Virginia Beach, VA.

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

"[Television] is participatory and it's interactive... I think if you can show, as we do, our trucks going out to feed the poor....if you can show these people helping their neighbors; it's an ability to mobilize the community for action. There are all kinds of things to do, but I think more than anything, people should use television to serve."

People Talking About ...
Highlights
Pat Robertson on the sources for early CBN programming, and on the start of The 700 Club
02:01
Pat Robertson on ministering in Brooklyn, and what he learned from that experience
02:39
Pat Robertson on gathering news for The 700 Club early on
00:59
Pat Robertson on the Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker scandal, and the fallout they caused for religious broadcasters
03:24
Pat Robertson on his decision to get into politics and run for president in 1988
02:09
Pat Robertson on the Children's Programming on The Family Channel
03:36
Full Interview

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Chapter 1

On his early life and influences; on his interests growing up, including books, sports, and radio shows he enjoyed; on starting his own company after getting out of the Marines
On hearing his calling to become a minister and on the experience of attending the seminary; on ministering in Brooklyn, and what he learned from that experience
On his earliest experience with Billy Graham; on mentor Harald Bredesen; on his earliest experiences with television; on his earliest experiences with television

Chapter 2

On buying WTOV, a local television station in Portsmouth, Virginia, which was the beginning of CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network); on the difficulty he had in maintaining his television station, and getting CBN off the ground; on the early programming for his first CBN station
On dealing with the early equipment at his first television station; on the sources for early CBN programming, and on the start of The 700 Club; on learning how to be on camera
On the early benefactor of CBN, and on the decision not to accept advertising; on boosting the power of his early television station to reach more viewers

Chapter 3

On how The 700 Club came about; on how the format of The 700 Club evolved over time to include less music and more news; on appealing to his original target audience of The 700 Club
On gathering news for The 700 Club early on; on the personalities and hosts on The 700 Club and on CBN
On Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, hosts of the PLT Club; on the Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker scandal, and the fallout they caused for religious broadcasters; on eventually using satellite technology for CBN and The 700 Club

Chapter 4

On bringing CBN to cable, and it becoming The Family Channel; on the Standards & Practices of The Family Channel; on the great success of The Family Channel, and on its eventual downfall
On the Children's Programming on The Family Channel; on courting controversy with his political views on The 700 Club; on his decision to get into politics and run for president in 1988

Chapter 5

On his eventual decision to pull out of the presidential race in 1988; on his view of the separation of church and state; on his decision to start a university
On his overseas humanitarian program; on the power to television in terms of religion, and advice to aspiring religious hosts; on how he'd like to be remembered
Shows

700 Club, The

View Show Page
Pat Robertson on the sources for early CBN programming, and on the start of The 700 Club
02:01
Pat Robertson on how The 700 Club came about
08:30
Pat Robertson on how the format of The 700 Club evolved over time to include less music and more news
05:52
Pat Robertson on appealing to his original target audience of The 700 Club
01:32
Pat Robertson on gathering news for The 700 Club early on
00:59
Pat Robertson on the personalities and hosts on The 700 Club and on CBN
03:51
Pat Robertson on eventually using satellite technology for CBN and The 700 Club
03:00
Pat Robertson on courting controversy with his political views on The 700 Club
05:54

PTL Club

View Show Page
Pat Robertson on Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, hosts of the PLT Club
01:53
Topics

Advice

View Topic
Pat Robertson on advice to aspiring religious television hosts
01:28

Bloopers

View Topic
Pat Robertson on dealing with the early equipment at his first television station
02:17

Censorship / Standards & Practices

View Topic
Pat Robertson on the Standards & Practices of The Family Channel
02:21

Creative Influences and Inspiration

View Topic
Pat Robertson on mentor Harald Bredesen
02:17

Network Creation

View Topic
Pat Robertson on buying WTOV, a local television station in Portsmouth, Virginia, which was the beginning of CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network)
08:21
Pat Robertson on the difficulty he had in maintaining his television station, and getting CBN off the ground
04:15
Pat Robertson on the early programming for his first CBN station
01:59
Pat Robertson on dealing with the early equipment at his first television station
02:17
Pat Robertson on the sources for early CBN programming, and on the start of The 700 Club
02:01
Pat Robertson on the early benefactor of CBN, and on the decision not to accept advertising
02:38
Pat Robertson on boosting the power of his early television station to reach more viewers
04:52
Pat Robertson on bringing CBN to cable
07:18
Pat Robertson on the transition from CBN to The Family Channel
04:45

Pivotal Career Moments

View Topic
Pat Robertson on mentor Harald Bredesen
02:17

Technological Innovation

View Topic
Pat Robertson on eventually using satellite technology for CBN and The 700 Club
03:00
Pat Robertson on bringing CBN to cable
07:18

Television Industry

View Topic
Pat Robertson on buying WTOV, a local television station in Portsmouth, Virginia, which was the beginning of CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network)
08:21
Pat Robertson on the difficulty he had in maintaining his television station, and getting CBN off the ground
04:15
Pat Robertson on the early programming for his first CBN station
01:59
Pat Robertson on dealing with the early equipment at his first television station
02:17
Pat Robertson on the sources for early CBN programming, and on the start of The 700 Club
02:01
Pat Robertson on the early benefactor of CBN, and on the decision not to accept advertising
02:38
Pat Robertson on boosting the power of his early television station to reach more viewers
04:52
Pat Robertson on bringing CBN to cable
07:18
Pat Robertson on the transition from CBN to The Family Channel
04:45
Pat Robertson on the Standards & Practices of The Family Channel
02:21
Pat Robertson on the great success of The Family Channel, and on its eventual downfall
03:16
Pat Robertson on the power to television in terms of religion
01:33
Pat Robertson on advice to aspiring religious television hosts
01:28

Television and the Presidency

View Topic
Pat Robertson on his decision to get into politics and run for president in 1988
02:09
Pat Robertson on his eventual decision to pull out of the presidential race in 1988
00:54
Professions

Hosts

View Profession
Pat Robertson on learning how to be on camera
01:33
Pat Robertson on advice to aspiring religious television hosts
01:28

Religious Broadcaster

View Profession
Pat Robertson on learning how to be on camera
01:33
Pat Robertson on the origin of The 700 Club
28:38
Pat Robertson on advice to aspiring religious television hosts
01:28
Genres

Children's Programming

View Genre
Pat Robertson on the Children's Programming on The Family Channel
03:36

Religious Programming

View Genre
Pat Robertson on The 700 Club
29:01
Pat Robertson on Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker on The PLT Club
05:17
Pat Robertson on courting controversy with his political views on The 700 Club
05:54
People

Jim Bakker

View Person Page
Pat Robertson on Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, hosts of the PLT Club
01:53
Pat Robertson on the Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker scandal, and the fallout they caused for religious broadcasters
03:24

Billy Graham

View Person Page
Pat Robertson on his earliest experience with Billy Graham
01:40

Tammy Faye Bakker Messner

View Interview Page
Pat Robertson on Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, hosts of the PLT Club
01:53
Pat Robertson on the Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker scandal, and the fallout they caused for religious broadcasters
03:24

All Interviews

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