About
"[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."
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.
Highlights
Pat Robertson on the sources for early CBN programming, and on the start of The 700 Club
Pat Robertson on ministering in Brooklyn, and what he learned from that experience
Pat Robertson on gathering news for The 700 Club early on
Pat Robertson on the Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker scandal, and the fallout they caused for religious broadcasters
Pat Robertson on his decision to get into politics and run for president in 1988
Pat Robertson on the Children's Programming on The Family Channel
Full Interview
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
Pat Robertson on the sources for early CBN programming, and on the start of The 700 Club
Pat Robertson on how The 700 Club came about
Pat Robertson on how the format of The 700 Club evolved over time to include less music and more news
Pat Robertson on appealing to his original target audience of The 700 Club
Pat Robertson on gathering news for The 700 Club early on
Pat Robertson on the personalities and hosts on The 700 Club and on CBN
Pat Robertson on eventually using satellite technology for CBN and The 700 Club
Pat Robertson on courting controversy with his political views on The 700 Club
PTL Club
Pat Robertson on Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, hosts of the PLT Club
Topics
Advice
Pat Robertson on advice to aspiring religious television hosts
Bloopers
Pat Robertson on dealing with the early equipment at his first television station
Censorship / Standards & Practices
Pat Robertson on the Standards & Practices of The Family Channel
Creative Influences and Inspiration
Pat Robertson on mentor Harald Bredesen
Network Creation
Pat Robertson on buying WTOV, a local television station in Portsmouth, Virginia, which was the beginning of CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network)
Pat Robertson on the difficulty he had in maintaining his television station, and getting CBN off the ground
Pat Robertson on the early programming for his first CBN station
Pat Robertson on dealing with the early equipment at his first television station
Pat Robertson on the sources for early CBN programming, and on the start of The 700 Club
Pat Robertson on the early benefactor of CBN, and on the decision not to accept advertising
Pat Robertson on boosting the power of his early television station to reach more viewers
Pat Robertson on bringing CBN to cable
Pat Robertson on the transition from CBN to The Family Channel
Pivotal Career Moments
Pat Robertson on mentor Harald Bredesen
Technological Innovation
Pat Robertson on eventually using satellite technology for CBN and The 700 Club
Pat Robertson on bringing CBN to cable
Television and the Presidency
Pat Robertson on his decision to get into politics and run for president in 1988
Pat Robertson on his eventual decision to pull out of the presidential race in 1988
Television Industry
Pat Robertson on buying WTOV, a local television station in Portsmouth, Virginia, which was the beginning of CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network)
Pat Robertson on the difficulty he had in maintaining his television station, and getting CBN off the ground
Pat Robertson on the early programming for his first CBN station
Pat Robertson on dealing with the early equipment at his first television station
Pat Robertson on the sources for early CBN programming, and on the start of The 700 Club
Pat Robertson on the early benefactor of CBN, and on the decision not to accept advertising
Pat Robertson on boosting the power of his early television station to reach more viewers
Pat Robertson on bringing CBN to cable
Pat Robertson on the transition from CBN to The Family Channel
Pat Robertson on the Standards & Practices of The Family Channel
Pat Robertson on the great success of The Family Channel, and on its eventual downfall
Pat Robertson on the power to television in terms of religion
Pat Robertson on advice to aspiring religious television hosts
Professions
Hosts
Pat Robertson on learning how to be on camera
Pat Robertson on advice to aspiring religious television hosts
Religious Broadcaster
Pat Robertson on learning how to be on camera
Pat Robertson on advice to aspiring religious television hosts
Genres
Children's Programming
Pat Robertson on the Children's Programming on The Family Channel
Religious Programming
Pat Robertson on The 700 Club
Pat Robertson on Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker on The PLT Club
Pat Robertson on courting controversy with his political views on The 700 Club
People
Jim Bakker
Pat Robertson on Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, hosts of the PLT Club
Pat Robertson on the Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker scandal, and the fallout they caused for religious broadcasters
Tammy Faye Bakker Messner
Pat Robertson on Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, hosts of the PLT Club
Pat Robertson on the Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker scandal, and the fallout they caused for religious broadcasters
Billy Graham
Pat Robertson on his earliest experience with Billy Graham