Virginian - Pilot
BY STEVEN G. VEGH
THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
THE ABC FAMILY Channel, which airs The 700 Club, distanced itself from the show and host Pat Robertson last week with a new disclaimer that has been shown before and after every broadcast of the weekday television program.
The disclaimer states that the CBN telecast does not reflect the views of ABC Family. The new wording is significantly stronger than ABC Familys previous disclaimer, which stated that The 700 Club was brought to you by CBN.
The 700 Club is produced in Virginia Beach by the Christian Broadcasting Network, which was founded by Robertson, an evangelical pastor.
The new disclaimer followed worldwide criticism of Robertson last month after he called during The 700 Club for the assassination of Venezuelas left-wing president. Robertson subsequently apologized, though he initially asserted that his comments had been misunderstood.
ABC Family, which received dozens of telephone and e-mail complaints about Robertson after the Aug. 22 show, repudiated Robertson in a news release.
ABC Family is contractually obligated to air The 700 Club and has no editorial control over views expressed by the hosts or guests, the release stated. ABC Family strongly rejects the views expressed by Pat Robertson in the Aug. 22 telecast of the program.
The release said complaints about The 700 Club should be directed to CBN. CBN could not be reached for comment .
CBN created The Family Channel cable network in 1977 . In 1990 , it was sold in a leveraged buyout to a group led by Robertson. The Robertson-led company sold The Family Channel and its parent company to Fox Kids Worldwide Inc. for $1.9 billion in 1997 . The channel became part of ABC when that companys parent, Walt Disney Co., bought it in 2001.
As a condition of its purchase of The Family Channel, Fox gave The 700 Club daily airtime on the channel in perpetuity. That provision remained in effect after the channel joined ABC.
The guaranteed airtime ensures that CBN can always reach its core television audience. Earlier this year, the ministry said it had about 18 million viewers a month.
Although CBN doesnt receive any money from the deal, it counts the free airtime as revenue worth $46.8 million that the organization would otherwise have had to pay to get the same time slots filled by The 700 Club.
* Reach Steven G. Vegh at (757) 446-2417 or steven.vegh@pilotonline. com.
