Congress should help ensure availability of family programming

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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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WDC MEDIA NEWS
Christian News and Media Agency

Congress should help ensure availability of family programming

2006-01-30 -- WDC Media News -- Editorial Opinion Christian Coalition of America In our current political climate, diversity is a buzz word that is most often used to justify the promotion of liberal viewpoints in our mainstream culture, usually at the expense of the views of the majority. If such importance is to be placed on diversity however, it must be recognized that true diversity also includes the views and preferences of those in the mainstream, such as a conservative voice that promotes pro-family values and Christian beliefs. When it comes to our nation?s television programming, local religious broadcasters are the backbone of faith-based media outreach in America and work tirelessly to promote pro-family messages that are direct reflections of their communities. They provide a haven for many who are in-need, suffering or simply seeking a positive, comfortable television environment. Unless Christian conservatives act however, the level of religious programming made available on America?s local cable systems could well diminish in coming years. This is due to the fact that all local broadcasters rely on what are known as ?must carry? regulations that require cable companies to carry their local broadcast signal. With the advent of digital television however, that requirement will no longer exist unless Congress takes action. This means that the balance between cable and broadcast stations on a family?s cable system will be disrupted. Digital technology will give cable programmers and broadcasters the ability to ?multicast??air multiple programming streams within their government allocated spectrum?in digital television. While multicasting will afford broadcasters the opportunity to provide more free-over-the-air programming, cable operators are refusing to carry these additional channels in favor of those which they have a financial interest in, or those that are affiliated with major networks. This phenomenon is extremely distributing because religious broadcasters were hardest hit when Congress and the FCC instituted an unfunded mandate that required broadcasters to spend substantial funds to build new digital stations while simultaneously maintaining their old analog operations. The digital transition mandate was thrust upon religious broadcasters without a roadmap for recovering their investments and now they are being left out in the cold by Congress. Families will be left out in the cold as well, in that the overall amount of wholesome, religious and family oriented broadcasting made available to them on cable will diminish, resulting in an even greater percentage of programming being dedicated to indecent, violent or sexually explicit material. In order that the voice of religious broadcasters not be diminished, it is imperative that Congress add a ?multicast must-carry? provision to our digital television laws and regulations. Such a provision will require that local cable systems must carry the programming of all local broadcasters ? whether secular or religious. We strongly believe that without ?multicast must-carry? the conservative, faith and family broadcasters will be at a disadvantage. The major media networks do not need this provision to get their programming carried on local cable systems. However, the cable companies do not readily carry the Christian networks and this provision would force cable companies to treat secular and faith oriented broadcasters equally. The bottom line is that, unless Congress acts, the overall level of family friendly programming that will be available on America?s cable television systems will diminish drastically. Yet, there is hope and the remedy is simple. Congress can pass a ?multicast must-carry? amendment to our nation?s digital television laws, which would ensure that religious and family oriented broadcasters can survive in the digital television environment. In other words, it will help maintain diversity. It is my hope that others in Congress will join leaders like Senators Lindsey Graham and Kay Bailey-Hutchison and Congressman Paul Gillmor to recognize the contributions that religious broadcasters make to our great nation and help preserve their family friendly voice on our country?s cable television systems. America?s families deserve no less. ***** Roberta Combs is President of the Christian Coalition of America and has been active in conservative politics for over twenty-five years. She has represented the Coalition on numerous television news programs and has been quoted in major national newspapers, magazines and international publications. *****

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