The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) is an American Christian media production and distribution organization founded in 1960 by televangelist Pat Robertson. It produces the long-running television program The 700 Club, co-produces the ongoing Superbook animated series, and operates several television channels and radio stations. Its international headquarters are located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. CBN has been described as being "at the forefront of the culture wars since the network's inception in the early 1960s".[2]
CBN today serves primarily as a production company for its flagship program The 700 Club, as well as news and religious programming produced by CBN News.[2] Other syndicated shows include CBN NewsWatch, Christian World News, and 700 Club Interactive.[3]
The 700 Club began as a local telethon in the 1960s and developed into a daily religious variety program combining sermons, interviews, and music. By the late 1970s, the program had incorporated news segments and political commentary, making it one of the longest-running religious television programs in the United States.[2]
CBN News produces daily and weekly news programming for Christian and general audiences. It also operates the CBN News Channel, launched in 2018, with bureaus in Virginia Beach, Washington, D.C., and Jerusalem.[4]
Internationally, CBN has produced content in more than 70 languages through affiliated organizations such as CBN Asia and CBN India, which create localized versions of The 700 Club and other programs.[5]
CBN began broadcasting in October 1961 with WYAH-TV (now WGNT-TV) in Portsmouth—it's flagship station.[7] The ministry's subsidiary, Continental Broadcasting Network, operated several family-oriented independent stations. Their programming combined predominantly religious content on Sundays with secular acquired shows such as westerns, sitcoms, drama series, and children's shows.[citation needed] Funding primarily came from small donations by individuals and local churches.[2]
The organization acquired several stations across the United States. In August 1962, WYAH-TV added an FM sister station, Norfolk-licensed WXRI,[8] which broadcast Christian music and teaching programs.[citation needed] In 1969, CBN Northeast was launched as a simulcast network of five FM radio stations (formally part of the Rural Radio Network): WBIV in Wethersfield, WEIV in Ithaca, WJIV in Cherry Valley, WMIV in South Bristol, and WOIV in DeRuyter. Subsequent acquisitions included WHAE-TV in Atlanta in 1971 and KBFI-TV in Dallas in 1973, which later changed it's call sign to KXTX-TV. The ministry signed on its final station, WXNE-TV in Boston, in October 1977.[citation needed]
CBN expanded outside the U.S. in 1968 when it acquired the Nuevo Continente radio station in Bogota, Colombia, which was the first evangelical radio station in that country.[8] CBN transferred ownership of Nuevo Continente to Colombian pastor and broadcaster Ignacio Guevara on June 7, 1972.[9] In June 1979, CBN partnered with George Otis Ministries to establish a combined radio and TV station in southern Lebanon, broadcasting 28 hours per week of Christian programming in Hebrew.[8]
The upstate New York radio stations were sold in 1982. Three over-the-air TV stations were sold between 1984 and 1989. WXRI radio in Portsmouth was also sold in 1989.[citation needed]
In November 2008, CBN launched a new radio service.[10]
Television
On April 29, 1977, CBN launched the CBN Satellite Service, a religious television channel in the United States.[11] The CBN Satellite Service became the CBN Cable Network on September 1, 1981. It adopted a more secular programming format featuring family-oriented series and films while retaining some religious programs from various televangelists (mirroring the format used by CBN's broadcast stations). Its coverage grew to 10.9 million homes with cable television subscriptions. The channel was notable for being one of the first cable channels to distribute its signal across the United States through satellite transmission (the third overall, after HBO and TBS).[citation needed] CBN Cable Network began airing a late-night block of classic family-oriented shows such as You Bet Your Life with Groucho Marx, I Married Joan, and The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. In August 1988, the CBN Cable Network became The CBN Family Channel.[citation needed]
On January 8, 1990, the national TV network was sold to an affiliated entity, International Family Entertainment (IFE). IFE was majority owned by the Robertson family, with a minority interest held by John C. Malone.[12][13] On September 15 that year, the newly sold channel rebranded as The Family Channel. It remained the most-watched outlet for CBN programs. IFE went on to launch other TV channels in the US and UK, with plans to expand further.
IFE was sold to News Corporation in June 1997.[14] At this time, The Family Channel was the U.S.'s ninth-largest cable network, reaching 67 million homes.[14] The terms of the sale stipulated that the channel continue carrying The 700 Club in perpetuity.[15] Pat Robertson said that "We expect to continue to benefit from The Family Channel's... growing family entertainment franchise."[16] The Family Channel was renamed Fox Family Channel in August 1998. The channel was then sold to The Walt Disney Company in 2001, which renamed it as ABC Family, later renaming it again to Freeform.[17]
CBN's Dallas TV station was sold in 2000.[10] In October 2002, CBN launched CBN NewsWatch, a new half-hour weekend program.[10]
On April 29, 2008, the 24-hour CBN News Channel was launched as an online-only channel.[10] On October 1, 2018, the CBN News Channel was relaunched. It became available over the air via 15 stations in the United States, as well as continuing online. It was based in Virginia Beach, with bureaus in Washington, D.C., and Jerusalem.[18]
On April 10, 1982, a Christian-based television station in South Lebanon, Hope TV, was donated to CBN and became Middle East Television (METV). At this time, METV broadcast from Marjayoun.[19] In Israel, METV was known for broadcasting WWF wrestling that was not available on Israeli TV. The station also broadcast news, sports, family entertainment, and religious programming.[citation needed] On June 5, 1997, METV launched its 24-hour programming broadcast on the Israeli satelliteAmos 2. This allowed it to reach a potential audience of 200 million people in 15 nations, including Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, and Cyprus.[10] METV was sold to LeSEA Broadcasting in July 2001.[10]
In 1990, CBN programs began broadcasting in the Soviet Union, and then in its successor states after they declared independence. It started with primetime specials, and later The 700 Club and Superbook. These broadcasts were followed by 190 rallies throughout the region that resulted in the establishment of 190 churches.[10] Similar special projects were implemented in the Philippines and Romania in 1994.[10]
Television programs
A daily talk program began on WYAH in 1966, which eventually became known as The 700 Club.[8] In June 1981, The 700 Club changed from being a religious talk show to having a news magazine format.[8]
The International 700 Club was first broadcast on November 7, 1976, in the Philippines.[8] International versions of the show continued with The 700 Club Asia in 1999;[20]Le Club 700 for Francophone Africa in 2002;[21]Club 700 for German speakers in 2007[22] (renamed Erlebt TV in December 2019);[23]The 700 Club with Paul and Fiona for UK audiences in 2004 and later dubbed in Dutch, hosted by Paul Jones and Fiona Hendley;[22]The 700 Club Canada[24] in 2011;[10] and 700 Club Nigeria. The TV program 700 Club Interactive began on May 25, 2009.[10]
In 1997, Turning Point International (TPi), an English-language magazine program for people of African descent worldwide, was established.[25]
In 2001, a youth-oriented show, One Cubed, began in Asia.[20] On September 18, 2003, a U.S. version of One Cubed launched, featuring extreme sports, music videos, and celebrity interviews.[10] A Nigerian version of One Cubed was also later created.[when?][26]
In 2004, Club 400 Hoy began as a daily program for Spanish speakers throughout the Americas.[27] In October 2021, Club 400 Hoy was relaunched as a weekly U.S.-focused program.[27]
On April 30, 2007, the First Landing was produced by CBN and Regent University documenting the English settlement of Jamestown. It aired on ABC Family and various broadcast stations across the United States.[10]
In 1977, CBN University was established for "the specific purpose of preparing leaders who would not only succeed in their professions but also advance as Christians equipped to effectively impact their world." CBN University rebranded to Regent University in 1990[11] and built the luxury hotel The Founders Inn and Spa at the university campus. The name of the hotel refers to the U.S. Founding Fathers.[28]
Affiliated charity Operation Blessing was set up on November 14, 1978. It was initially intended to help struggling individuals and families by matching their needs for items such as clothing, appliances, and vehicles with donated items from viewers of The 700 Club. Coordinating with local churches and other organizations, OBI expanded its matching funds program to also include food provisions and financial assistance for low-income families.
CBN has established international offices, including CBN Europe in the UK,[citation needed][when?] CBN Deutschland in 2007,[23] CBN Africa,[29][when?] and CBN India in 2000.[30]CBN Asia was established in the Philippines and Hong Kong on October 1, 1994.[citation needed] Since then, CBN Asia has launched launched the kids program A.S.T.I.G. (All Set to Imitate God);[20]Oyayi;[20] and the music program CBN Asia Reverb, later renamed Reverb Worship PH.[20]
During the first Trump administration (2017–2021), CBN hosted events at Trump properties, paying at least $170,000. Subsequently, CBN obtained access to the White House similar to that of larger news outlets and was given frequent exclusive interviews with senior administration staff, including Trump himself.[31]
The 700 Club – a daily news magazine that debuted in 1966, the program is hosted by Pat Robertson (retired in 2021), Terry Meeuwsen, and Gordon Robertson. The 700 Club features a daily news segment with commentary on certain stories, as well as interviews.
Club 700 Hoy – a half-hour weekly Spanish-language version of The 700 Club that is syndicated throughout Latin America, and previously aired in the United States on Azteca America. The magazine-style formatted morning program features opinions on current issues, interviews, informative features, stories about people, places, and music, as well as life advice.
CBN NewsWatch – produced by CBN News, it is a half-hour daily news program featuring reports on national and international news stories from a conservative, Christian perspective. It is broadcast nationally on several Christian-oriented cable and satellite networks.
Christian World News – produced by CBN News, it is a half-hour weekly conservative news program that is broadcast nationally on the Trinity Broadcasting Network.
One Cubed USA and One Cubed International – aimed at teenagers and young adults between the ages of 13 and 24, the two programs focus on youth culture, action sports, and music videos.
In addition, CBN planned to build a television station in Richmond, Virginia, WRNX on UHF channel 63. However, CBN sold the construction permit for that station to National Capitol Christian Television in 1982, which signed on the station as WTLL in 1984. That station was eventually sold and, in 1986, converted into a secular independent station WVRN-TV, which shut down in 1988.
Notes:
1 CBN traded the broadcast license for KXTX-TV on channel 33 to Doubleday Broadcasting, in exchange for Doubleday's license to operate KDTV on channel 39, in November 1973;
↑ "History of CBN". CBN Europe. June 26, 2024. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
↑ Balmer, Randall Herbert (2004). Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism: Revised and Expanded Edition. USA: Baylor University Press. p.157. ISBN9781932792041.
↑ "Interview with Pat Robertson". Archive of American Television. October 15, 2003. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
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