INSP (TV network)

Last updated
INSP
Country United States
Headquarters Indian Land, South Carolina
Programming
Language(s) English
Picture format 1080i (HDTV)
480i (SDTV)
Ownership
OwnerINSP LLC
(The Inspirational Network, Inc.)
Key people David Cerullo Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Dale Ardizzone Chief Operating Officer
Mark Favaro Executive VP Worldwide Sales
Doug Butts Senior VP Programming
History
Launched1978;46 years ago (1978)
Former names PTL – The Inspirational Network (1978–90)
The Inspiration Network (1990–2010)
Links
Website http://www.insp.com
Availability
Streaming media
Service(s) Frndly TV, Philo, FuboTV, Sling TV,

INSP (formerly The International Newport Spectrum Productions; the initialism is sounded out letter-by-letter) is an American digital cable television network that features primarily westerns (both shows and movies) and is headquartered in Indian Land, South Carolina - a suburb of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Contents

Between 1991 and 2010, INSP was a non-profit ministry focused network. In October 2010, it was re-branded and launched as a socially conservative, commercial-supported family entertainment network (over time becoming centered around westerns), and has Nielsen C3 ratings status. As of 2021, more than 60 million households receive INSP. [1]

History

INSP was founded in 1978 as the PTL Television Network, a religious television network founded by Christian televangelists Jim Bakker and his wife, Tammy Faye Bakker. The network was the flagship channel for their daily Christian variety program, The PTL Club . The network later became known as the PTL Satellite Network and finally PTL – The Inspirational Network.

In 1990, after Jim Bakker resigned, the PTL Television network filed for bankruptcy. Morris Cerullo World Evangelism eventually purchased the network from the United States Bankruptcy Court in Columbia, South Carolina. Morris’ son, David, was later named CEO of the network. David Cerullo remains as its CEO. [2]

In October 2010, the network announced a major re-branding with an added emphasis on family programming. Along with the re-branding came a new logo, tagline and name change from Inspiration to INSP. At the end of 2021, Variety reported that INSP's household viewers were up 1,171% since 2010. [3]

In 2022, INSP changed its logo to include a cowboy hat to emphasize the growing success of its western-based shows and films. Prior to the logo change, INSP had also introduced the tagline, “Heroes Live Here.” Its focus on western-based programming is said to be the reason behind its continued ratings success, with primetime viewing growing 17% on the previous year. [4]

On March 30, 2022, it was announced that Imagicomm Communications, a shell company affiliated with INSP, would enter the broadcasting business by purchasing 18 stations in 12 markets from Cox Media Group, namely KYMA in Yuma, Arizona; KIEM and KVIQ-LD in Eureka, California; KPVI in Idaho Falls, Idaho; KLAX in Alexandria, Louisiana; WABG, WNBD and WXVT in Greenwood, Mississippi; WICZ in Binghamton, New York; WSYT in Syracuse, New York; KOKI and KMYT in Tulsa, Oklahoma; KMVU and KFBI-LD in Medford, Oregon; WHBQ in Memphis, Tennessee; KAYU in Spokane, Washington; and KCYU-LD and KFFX in Yakima, Washington for an undisclosed price to help them comply with regulatory requirements related to a proposed merger with Tegna and Standard Media. [5] [6] [7] [8] The sale was completed on August 1. [9]

In September 2023, Comcast's cable television division Xfinity announced that it would be removing INSP from its basic cable package and moving it to its "More Sports & Entertainment Package," [10] a package that primarily includes sports networks; this was controversial on Xfinity's forum, [11] and Reddit's subreddit devoted to Comcast/Xfinity. [12] Many customers assumed the change was not meant to benefit customers, as Xfinity claimed, but instead was to "charge [seniors] $10 for INSP even though INSP does not charge Xfinity for its programming." [13] [14] [15] [11]

Cowboy Way Channel

In May 2022, INSP launched the Cowboy Way Channel, an Internet streaming service aimed at younger viewers. Named for INSP's original series, The Cowboy Way: Alabama , the channel features other original series and Western- and outdoor-themed movies. [16] On July 25, 2024, it was announced that the channel would be rebranding as Western Bound on September 3. [17]

Programming

Current programming

Currently, INSP features mostly Westerns (both series and movies), with Mike Murdock's Campmeeting in the early mornings. [18] [19] As of January 9, 2024, western TV series regularly aired by INSP include Gunsmoke , Bonanza , Wagon Train , The Virginian , Rawhide , Tales of Wells Fargo , The Rifleman , Laramie , The Big Valley , Cheyenne , Alias Smith and Jones , and How the West Was Won . [20] Movies regularly aired by INSP (as of January 9, 2024) include More Dead Than Alive , Rage at Dawn , Gun the Man Down , High Lonesome , Hardcase , Yuma , Fort Dobbs , Yellowstone Kelly , The Outlaw Josey Wales , They Call Me Trinity , Joe Kidd , Comanche Station , Tall Man Riding , Badman's Territory , Man in the Saddle , Tulsa , Ambush at Cimarron Pass , Colt .45 , and Open Range . [21]

Original programming

In its early years, INSP produced numerous original specials, concerts, and inspirational [22] [23] entertainment programs.

The development of original entertainment content became a focus after the 2010 re-brand, [24] beginning with A Walton’s Family Reunion, starring surviving cast members of The Waltons who journey back to Walton's Mountain almost 30 years after the series ended its iconic run.

In 2011, a web network series entitled Moments was launched. Originally airing exclusively on INSP, Moments is an original, short-form inspirational video series that ranges in formats like documentary, narrative, and interviews, with each sharing an uplifting story. One of the featured short videos, "Thank You For Your Service", [25] quickly went viral: it has been featured on ABC’s The View , the Pentagon Channel, and USAA’s web site. It has been shown at several national conventions and conferences, including the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Vietnam Veterans of America, and Jewish War Veterans. In 2013, INSP was honored by the Vietnam War Commemoration for Thank You For Your Service. General Claude “Mick” Kicklighter noted the video's impact: “This stirring tribute never fails to inspire deep emotions. It has helped bring healing and encouragement to true patriots, many of whom have felt taken for granted and ignored.” [26]

Old Henry is a series of interstitials on INSP that starred Ralph Waite (The Waltons) and Rachel Hendrix ( October Baby ). The drama initially aired in October 2013 as a series of six interstitials, with a 30-minute version produced to incorporate the entire series along with never-before-seen footage and exclusive interviews. [27]

In early 2014, INSP moved forward in their commitment to original content, creating the position of Vice President of Original Programming. [28]

In 2015, INSP co-produced, with Susie Films, an original American reality television series entitled Handcrafted America . Handcrafted America originally aired exclusively on INSP. After its linear run, the series was licensed by Amazon Prime. In Handcrafted America, host Jill Wagner travels the country to seek out talented artisans who continue to make products the traditional way—with their own two hands. Throughout each program, artisans are given the opportunity to reveal the history and cultural heritage that inspire and influence the design of their handcrafted products.

In 2016, INSP co-produced, with RIVR Media, an original American reality television series entitled State Plate. State Plate originally aired exclusively on INSP. It is now available on streaming services. The series stars former American Idol winner Taylor Hicks, who travels the country tasting each state's most symbolic and popular foods, from appetizers and main courses to sides and desserts. Maureen McCormick also served as a guest host on the show.

During the same year, INSP piloted a reality series, The Cowboy Way . The show ran until 2020 for a total of seven seasons.

Facilities and studio

INSP originally was headquartered in studios and offices in Charlotte, North Carolina. The broadcast facility remains in Charlotte, while the network's offices have been relocated to a newly constructed campus known as CrossRidge (formerly named the City of Light) in Indian Land, South Carolina, with an eventual consolidation of all operations at CrossRidge to come. [29] [30]

Television stations

The Imagicomm Communications unit of INSP LLC owns broadcast television stations in markets as large as Memphis, Tennessee and as small as Eureka, California.

City of license / Market StationChannel
TV (RF)		Owned sinceNetwork affiliation
Yuma, AZ–El Centro, CA KYMA-DT 11, 13 (13)2022
Eureka, CA KIEM-TV 3 (3)2022NBC
KVIQ-LD 14 (14)2022CBS
Pocatello–Idaho Falls, ID KPVI-DT 6 (23)2022NBC
Alexandria, LA KLAX-TV 31 (31)2022
Greenville–Greenwood, MS WABG-TV 6 (32)2022
  • ABC
  • Fox (DT2)
WNBD-LD 33 (33)2022NBC
WXVT-LD 17 (17)2022CBS
Binghamton, NY WICZ-TV 40 (7)2022
Syracuse, NY WSYT 43, 68 (14)2022
  • Fox (68)
  • MyNetworkTV (43)
Tulsa, OK KOKI-TV 23 (22)2022Fox
KMYT-TV 41 (34)2022MyNetworkTV
Medford, OR KMVU-DT 26 (26)2022Fox
KFBI-LD 48 (19)2022
  • MyNetworkTV
  • Telemundo (DT2)
Memphis, TN WHBQ-TV 13 (13)2022Fox
Spokane, WA KAYU-TV 28 (28)2022Fox
Tri-Cities–Yakima, WA KFFX-TV 11 (11)2022
  • Fox
  • Telemundo (DT2)
KCYU-LD [A] 41 (29)2022
  • Fox
  • Telemundo (DT2)
  1. ↑ Semi-satellite of KFFX-TV.

Accolades

INSP has been honored with several industry awards in television:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WSYT</span> Fox affiliate in Syracuse, New York

WSYT is a television station in Syracuse, New York, United States, affiliated with the Fox network and owned by Imagicomm Communications. The station's studios are located on James Street/NY 290 in Syracuse's Near Northeast section, and its transmitter is located near Maple Grove, a hamlet of Otisco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xfinity</span> American cable provider

Comcast Cable Communications, LLC, doing business as Xfinity, is an American telecommunications business segment and division of the Comcast Corporation. It is used to market consumer cable television, internet, telephone, and wireless services provided by the company. The brand was first introduced in 2010; prior to that, these services were marketed primarily under the Comcast name.

KAYU-TV is a television station in Spokane, Washington, United States, affiliated with Fox and MyNetworkTV. Owned by Imagicomm Communications, the station has studios on South Regal Street in Spokane, and its transmitter is on Krell Hill southeast of the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KFFX-TV</span> Fox affiliate in Pendleton, Oregon

KFFX-TV is a television station licensed to Pendleton, Oregon, United States, serving the Tri-Cities, Washington area as an affiliate of Fox and Telemundo. It is the only major commercial station in the Tri-Cities area that is licensed to the Oregon side of the market. Owned by Imagicomm Communications, KFFX-TV has studios on Clearwater Avenue in Kennewick, Washington, and its transmitter is located in the Umatilla National Forest east of Pendleton.

In Demand is an American cable television service which provides video on demand services, including pay-per-view. Comcast, Cox Communications, and Charter Communications jointly own In Demand.

KPVI-DT is a television station licensed to Pocatello, Idaho, United States, serving as the NBC affiliate for the Idaho Falls–Pocatello market. Owned by Imagicomm Communications, the station maintains studios on East Sherman Street in downtown Pocatello. Its transmitter is situated on a mountain top about four miles (6.4 km) east-northeast of the Pocatello city limits; this location was chosen because of possible interference from KIVI-TV in Boise, which also broadcast its analog signal on channel 6. At one time, KPVI and KIVI were sister stations with the same affiliation. KPVI broadcast its analog signal at 100 kW.

KVIQ-LD is a low-power television station in Eureka, California, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Imagicomm Communications alongside NBC affiliate KIEM-TV. The two stations share studios on South Broadway in Spruce Point near the southwestern corner of Eureka; KVIQ-LD's transmitter is located along Barry Road southeast of the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KIEM-TV</span> NBC affiliate in Eureka, California

KIEM-TV is a television station in Eureka, California, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Imagicomm Communications alongside low-power CBS affiliate KVIQ-LD. The two stations share studios on South Broadway in Spruce Point near the southwestern corner of Eureka; KIEM-TV's transmitter is located along Kneeland Road southeast of the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KMVU-DT</span> TV station in Medford, Oregon

KMVU-DT is a television station in Medford, Oregon, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. It is owned by Imagicomm Communications alongside low-power dual MyNetworkTV/Telemundo affiliate KFBI-LD. The two stations share studios on Crater Lake Avenue in Medford; KMVU-DT's transmitter is located atop Mount Baldy, near Phoenix, Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KLAX-TV</span> ABC affiliate in Alexandria, Louisiana

KLAX-TV is a television station in Alexandria, Louisiana, United States, affiliated with ABC and owned by Imagicomm Communications. The station's studios are located on England Drive/LA 498 in Alexandria, and its transmitter is located in the Kisatchie National Forest southwest of Dry Prong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KFBI-LD</span> TV station in Medford, Oregon

KFBI-LD is a low-power television station in Medford, Oregon, United States, affiliated with MyNetworkTV, Heroes & Icons, and Telemundo. It is owned by Imagicomm Communications alongside Fox affiliate KMVU-DT. The two stations share studios on Crater Lake Avenue in Medford; KFBI-LD's transmitter is located atop Mount Baldy, near Phoenix, Oregon.

KCYU-LD is a low-power television station in Yakima, Washington, United States, affiliated with Fox and Telemundo. The station is owned by Imagicomm Communications, and maintains studios on West Lincoln Avenue in Yakima; its transmitter is located on Ahtanum Ridge.

Saigon Broadcasting Television Network, abbreviated SBTN, is a 24-hour Vietnamese-language and liberal television channel targeted at Vietnamese audiences living outside of Vietnam. Its headquarters are in Garden Grove, California.

Xumo, LLC is an American internet television and consumer electronics company. It is a joint venture of Charter Communications and Comcast that operates the free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) and advertising video on demand (AVOD) service Xumo Play, and develops digital media players and smart TVs. The Xumo Play platform's service operations are based in the Orange County suburb of Irvine, California. As of October 2020, Xumo Play has 24 million monthly active users.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afrotainment</span> Family of television channels

Afrotainment, often branded as simply Afro, is an American media company based in New York City, founded by television producer Yves Bollanga in 2005, and owned by Soundview Africa. The company operates linear television channels and digital properties that target African American viewership. Its productions include budgeted films, television series and talk shows.

Myx is an American pay TV channel based in Daly City, California with an office also in Redwood City, California targeting a multicultural audience. As a sister network to Myx (Philippines), it launched in the United States in 2007. MyxRadio launched in November 2019 as a radio station on Dash Radio & as a global podcast on Spotify, iHeartRadio & Apple iTunes in March 2020. A video on demand service for Myx shows is also available via iWantTFC and TFC IPTV.

WNBD-LD is a low-power television station licensed to Grenada, Mississippi, United States, serving as the NBC affiliate for the Delta area. It is owned by Imagicomm Communications alongside Greenwood-licensed dual ABC/Fox affiliate WABG-TV and Cleveland-licensed low-power CBS affiliate WXVT-LD. The three stations share studios on Washington Avenue in Greenville; WNBD-LD's transmitter is located northeast of Inverness, Mississippi.

Viamedia is a cable television and digital advertising company headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky. Viamedia provides advertising sales management for cable TV operators, MVPD's, telcos, OTT/streaming and video providers across the US. Viamedia is one of the industry's leading providers of media advertising solutions for local, regional and national businesses and brands. The company currently has more than 12,000 active and prospective advertisers nationwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philo (company)</span> American internet television company

Philo is an American internet television company based in San Francisco, California. First founded at Harvard University in 2010 by Tuan Ho and Nicholas Krasney, investors in the company include HBO, Andrew McCollum, and Mark Cuban. The company and its service is named in honor of one of the pioneering engineers of television, Philo T. Farnsworth. As of 2021, their OTT streaming television service has over 800,000 subscribers.

WXVT-LD is a low-power television station licensed to Cleveland, Mississippi, United States, serving as the CBS affiliate for the Delta area. It is owned by Imagicomm Communications alongside Greenwood-licensed dual ABC/Fox affiliate WABG-TV and Grenada-licensed low-powered NBC affiliate WNBD-LD. The three stations share studios on Washington Avenue in Greenville; WXVT-LD's transmitter is located near O'Reilly, Mississippi.

References

  1. ↑ "INSP Distribution". INSP.
  2. ↑ Chris Kraul (June 1, 1990). "S.D. Evangelist Gets OK to Buy Bakker's PTL Cable Network – Deal: At $7 million, Morris Cerullo outbid Oral Roberts for the bankrupt holdings. He also plans to buy the grounds of the former Heritage USA theme park for $45 million". Los Angeles Times.
  3. ↑ Schneider, Michael (December 30, 2021). "Most-Watched Television Networks: Ranking 2021's Winners and Losers". Variety.
  4. ↑ "INSP Reveals New Logo and Brand Refresh, Embracing Westerns and the Cowboy Hat". Variety. January 11, 2022.
  5. ↑ Miller, Mark (2022-03-30). "Cox Sells 18 Stations In 12 Markets To INSP". TV News Check. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
  6. ↑ LLC, Cox Media Group (2022-03-30). "Cox Media Group to Sell Television Stations in Twelve Markets to Imagicomm Communications". GlobeNewswire News Room (Press release). Retrieved 2022-03-31.
  7. ↑ Jacobson, Adam (2022-03-30). "An INSP-ired TV Deal For Cox Is Done | Radio & Television Business Report" . Retrieved 2022-03-31.
  8. ↑ George Winslow (2022-03-30). "Cox Media Group to Sell TV Stations in 12 Markets to Imagicomm". TVTechnology. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
  9. ↑ Winslow, George (August 1, 2022). "Cox Media Group, INSP Close Deal for Sale of Cox TV Stations to Imagicomm". TVTechnology. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  10. ↑ "INSP moving to More Sports and Entertainment Package in September 2023". Xfinity.com. Comcast/Xfinity. 16 October 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  11. 1 2 "Xfinity Community Forum: TV: Channels and Programming: INSP removal???". Xfinity.com. Comcast/Xfinity. 16 May 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Reddit: r/Comcast_Xfinity: INSP requires a subscription." Reddit.com. 30 September 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Xfinity Community Forum: TV: Channels and Programming: Xfinity charging for INSP". Xfinity.com. Comcast/Xfinity. 26 September 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Xfinity Community Forum: TV: Channels and Programming: INSP Change...just one more reason to dump cable". Xfinity.com. Comcast/Xfinity. November 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Xfinity Community Forum: Customer Service: Customer Service: Lost channel". Xfinity.com. Comcast/Xfinity. 7 October 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  16. ↑ "INSP Launches Cowboy Way Fast Channel". Cablefax. 18 May 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  17. ↑ Cablefax Staff. "Cowboy Way Western Bound". Cablefax. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Inspiration Network: Family Friendly Fun". The Largest Online Jewish Business Directory and Marketplace. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
  19. ↑ "INSP | TV Schedule" . Retrieved Jan 16, 2023.
  20. ↑ "INSP: Shows". INSP.com. INSP. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  21. ↑ "INSP: Movies". INSP.com. INSP. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  22. ↑ "Mark Lowry Bio | Mark Lowry Career". MTV. Archived from the original on April 25, 2014. Retrieved 2014-04-25.
  23. ↑ @InspirationMins. "Where Do People Go When They Die?Where Do People Go When They Die?". Wheredopeoplego.com. Archived from the original on 2014-04-25. Retrieved 2014-04-25.
  24. ↑ Weirton Daily Times (2013-06-23). "City native holds post with family channel in N.C. - WeirtonDailyTimes.com | news, sports, jobs - Weirton, Hancock County — Weirton Daily Times". WeirtonDailyTimes.com. Archived from the original on 2014-04-25. Retrieved 2014-04-25.
  25. ↑ "Thank You For Your Service (A Moment of Truth)" . Retrieved Jan 16, 2023– via www.youtube.com.
  26. ↑ "INSP Teams with The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration to Honor Vietnam Veterans and Their Families | VWCC News - News | Vietnam War Commemoration". Vietnamwar50th.com. 2013-10-01. Retrieved 2014-04-25.
  27. ↑ "Old Henry Synopsis". INSP.
  28. ↑ 1/21/2014 12:23 PM Eastern (2014-01-21). "INSP Adds Craig Miller to Head Original Programming". Multichannel. Retrieved 2014-04-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  29. ↑ "The Inspiration Networks City of Light Corporate Campus | Southeast Construction | McGraw-Hill Construction". Southeast Construction. Retrieved 2014-04-25.
  30. ↑ "About". Archived from the original on September 28, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
  31. ↑ "INSP Network Earns PTC Seal of Approval". Parentstv.org. 2012-05-23. Archived from the original on 2014-04-25. Retrieved 2014-04-25.
  32. ↑ "The CableFAX FAXIES and Sales Executive of the Year Executives Finalists :: CableFax Portal". Cablefax.com. Archived from the original on 2014-04-24. Retrieved 2014-04-25.
  33. ↑ "Bravo Nominated for 9 Prestigious TV Awards | Bravo TV Dish | Official News". Bravotv.com. 2013-08-14. Retrieved 2014-04-25.
  34. ↑ "New York Festivals - 2014 World's Best Television & Films™ Winners". Archived from the original on 10 April 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  35. ↑ "The CableFAX Digital & Tech Awards Luncheon - March 13 :: CableFax Portal". Cablefax.com. 2014-03-13. Retrieved 2014-04-25.
  36. ↑ INSP-GoingHome-Image 24p-h.264 INSP (HD). Vimeo. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  37. ↑ INSP Family. 24 March 2014. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 12 April 2016– via YouTube.
  38. ↑ "CableFax Program Award". Cablefax.com. Archived from the original on 2018-07-10. Retrieved 2018-07-10.
  39. ↑ Handcrafted America. 2017 – via Telly Awards.
  40. ↑ "CableFax Program Award- Best Host Family Friendly". Cablefax.com.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.