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Movies:
Hidden Secrets
One Night with The King
Radio: Jay Sekulow Live
TV: LivePrayer with Bill Keller
Books: Danger Road
Networks: TBN
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TBN's Acquisition Of 'Holy Land Experience' Theme Park Seeks To Change More Lives
June 9, 2007 ORLANDO -- Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), the world's largest religious broadcaster and America's most-watched faith channel, hopes to change more lives through its addition of the "Holy Land Experience" theme park in Orlando, Fl., to the TBN family. Through the acquisition, TBN will bring an integration of the powerful living recreation of ancient Jerusalem with a cutting edge facility that will be used for television production, dramas, musical concerts, special events and movies.
"This marriage will bring an unprecedented synergy to both ministries and the production that is done there will be seen by a worldwide audience. TBN's involvement made sense, because both ministries are about changing and effecting people's lives. We've been doing that for 34 years," said Paul Crouch, Jr., TBN Vice President of Administration. "We believe this opportunity was heaven sent because it bought TBN an Orlando-based facility to fulfill it's local programming obligations for WGTL CH-52 and it will provide "The Holy Land Experience" with much needed promotion to bring more people to the theme park and Orlando as a whole."
The Holy Land Experience could well be considered Orlando's most inspiring destination as visitors experience a full day of discovery that takes them 2,000 years back in time to the world of the Bible. It brings to life ancient Israel as a unique, thriving world filled with fascinating exhibits and venues. Visitors learn about the Wilderness Tabernacle and the Great Temple; discover the amazing history of the Bible; explore the city of Jerusalem in miniature; see re-enactments of Jesus' ministry, His life, death, and resurrection; and feel the power and passion of our original musical productions.
WGTL TV, Channel 52, has a reach of over four million viewers in the Orlando and Cocoa Beach metropolitan areas with TBN's wide range of innovative faith-based programming. In October of 2006, TBN celebrated the inaugural broadcast of WGTL Ch-52 in Orlando with a dedicatory service attended by TBN founders Paul and Jan Crouch, Pastor Benny Hinn, Singer and Preacher Judy Jacobs hosted by Pastor George Cope and Calvary Assembly in Winter Park, Fl.
The combination of the production facilities and the Holy Land Experience offers Orlando visitors a powerful and unique faith based experience that can be promoted worldwide through the TBN network. The promotional capability can drive visitors to the complex.
"Some of the staff was asking what is going to be the immediate effect here at the park and my answer was 'I'm planning on you having more people coming through the turnstiles this summer,'" said Crouch. "Universal Studios does the same thing. We want the 'Holy Land Experience' to be a faith-based version of that."
About TBN
TBN is the world's largest religious network and America's most watched faith network. Each day TBN offers 24 hours of commercial-free inspirational programming that appeals to people in a wide variety of denominations. Beginning in 1973 as a single UHF station in southern California, TBN now reaches every major continent via 65 satellites and more than 12,500 television and cable affiliates worldwide. In the United States, TBN is available to 92 percent of the total households. Its website receives more than 27 million visitors monthly. For more information on TBN, visit www.tbn.org
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Christian News and Media Agency
2006-01-04 -- WDC Media News -- WDC MEDIA NEWS (Update 3)
Grief And Outrage At W.Va. Mine
TALLMANSVILLE, W.Va -- (CBS/AP)-- In a stunning and heartbreaking reversal, family members were told early Wednesday that 12 of 13 trapped coal miners found were dead — three hours after they began celebrating news that they were alive.
The devastating new information shocked and angered family members, who had rejoiced with Gov. Joe Manchin hours earlier when a rumor began to spread that the miners were alive.
"Tell me why they’ve done this to our family!" cried one woman upon hearing the news.
It was like the cruelest of jokes played on those inside the church, reports CBS News correspondent Jim Krasula (audio).
"It was horrible. I felt like I was losing my heart. I couldn’t believe it. No one could believe it," said a man.
"I’ve never been through something so gut-wrenching in my life. Never," Manchin said on CBS News’ The Early Show.
Rescue crews found the first victim earlier Tuesday evening.
The sole survivor of the disaster, identified by mining officials as 27-year-old Randal McCloy, was hospitalized in critical condition early Wednesday, a doctor said. When he arrived, he was unconscious but moaning, the hospital said.
"It’s sorrow beyond belief," International Coal Group Chief Executive Officer Ben Hatfield said during a news conference.
Thirteen miners had been trapped 260 feet below the surface of the Sago Mine since an explosion early Monday. The mine is located about 100 miles northeast of Charleston. As rescue workers tried to get to the men, families waited at the Sago Baptist Church during an emotional two-day vigil.
But late Tuesday night, families began streaming out of the church, yelling "They’re alive!" The church’s bells began ringing and families embraced, as politicians proclaimed word of the apparent rescue a miracle.
As an ambulance drove away from the mine carrying what families believed was the first survivor, they applauded, not yet knowing there were no others.
Though the governor announced that there were 12 survivors, he later indicated he was uncertain about the news. As word buzzed through the church of survivors, he tried to find out what was going on, he said.
"All of a sudden we start hearing cheering and clapping and euphoria. It’s unbelievable. They said, ’they found them, they found them!’ With that, I’m saying, ’are you sure?’ By this time, everyone is running out, church bells are ringing. We’re all in a very euphoric situation," Manchin said. "We go up [to the mine portal] and the people up there in the command center are all euphoric and it’s just continuing. I’m thinking, ’my goodness, this is for real.’"
"Just in case you might be thinking maybe the families misheard, we were at our satellite truck when word was survivors were out and a nurse came up to the truck and came over and detailed the conditions of each of those 12 survivors," reports CBS News correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi. "So a lot of people are wondering how in the world this could happen, how could they get this information so wrong."
Hatfield blamed the wrong information on a "miscommunication." The news spread after people overheard cell phone calls, he said. In reality, rescuers had only confirmed finding 12 miners and were checking their vital signs. At least two family members in the church said they received cell phone calls from a mine foreman.
"That information spread like wildfire, because it had come from the command center," he said.
Three hours later, Hatfield told the families that "there had been a lack of communication, that what we were told was wrong and that only one survived," said John Groves, whose brother Jerry Groves was one of the trapped miners.
"There was no apology. There was no nothing. It was immediately out the door," said Nick Helms, son of miner Terry Helms.
Chaos broke out in the church and a fight started. About a dozen state troopers and a SWAT team were positioned along the road near the church because police were concerned about violence.
Company officials waited to correct the information until they knew more about the rescue, Hatfield said.
"I know Mr. Hatfield, being a human being, that he cannot be feeling very good right now and certainly has some soul searching himself to do," State Senator Randy White said on CBS News’ The Early Show. "But, yes, for those families who had to have waited an additional 2 hours and 40 minutes to get the horrific news that they did, it was just not right."
"Let’s put this in perspective. Who do I tell not to celebrate? I didn’t know if there were 12 or 1 (who were alive)," Hatfield said.
The explosion was the state’s deadliest mining accident since November 1968, when 78 men — including the uncle of Manchin — died in an explosion at Consol’s Farmington No. 9 mine in Marion County, an hour’s drive north of here. Nineteen bodies remain entombed in the mountain. It was that disaster that prompted Congress to pass the Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969.
It was also the worst nationwide since a pair of explosions tore through the Jim Walter Resources No. 5 mine in Brookwood, Ala. on Sept. 23, 2001, killing 13.
"We had known from day one that ... the odds were stacked against us, that we were in the most difficult of situations," Manchin told Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith.
Federal Department of Labor officials promised an investigation. Acting Assistant Secretary David Dye, who heads the Mine Safety and Health Administration, said it will include "how emergency information was relayed about the trapped miners’ conditions."
The 12 miners were found together behind a barrier they had constructed to block carbon monoxide gas. They were found near where the company had drilled an air hole early Tuesday in an attempt to contact the men.
The miners had stretched a piece of fabric across an area about 20 feet wide to block out the gas, Hatfield said. The fabric is designed for miners to use as a barrier. Each miner had carried a breathing apparatus and had been able to use it, according to mining officials.
The hole also was used to check air quality in the mine, which revealed high concentrations of carbon monoxide. The odorless, colorless gas can be lethal at high doses. At lower levels, it can cause headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea, fatigue and brain damage.
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