Christian Broadcasting Network facts for kids
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Sign for CBN and Regent University
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| Type | Christian media television network/production company |
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| Country | United States |
| Availability | International; some shows carried by Trinity Broadcasting Network, FamilyNet, LeSEA, TCT, and Freeform, as well as through syndication |
| Founded | 1960 by Pat Robertson |
| Headquarters | Virginia Beach, Virginia |
| Owner | The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc. |
| Key people | Gordon P. Robertson (CEO) Rob Allman (news director) |
| Launch date | 1961 |
| Former affiliations | CBN Satellite Service (1977–1983) |
The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) is a media company in the United States. It creates and shares Christian-themed TV shows and other content. Pat Robertson started CBN in 1960. The company is known for its long-running TV show The 700 Club. It also helps make the Superbook animated series. CBN has run many TV and radio stations over the years. Its main office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in the United States.
CBN has been seen as a leader in sharing Christian values through media since it began in the early 1960s.
Contents
What CBN Does
One of CBN's most important programs is The 700 Club. This show is like a religious variety program. It includes talks, interviews, and Christian music. The name The 700 Club came from a time when Pat Robertson asked 700 viewers to donate $10 each month to help the station. It is one of the longest-running shows of its kind. At first, the show focused on religious topics. Later, in the late 1970s, it started to include news segments.
Today, CBN News provides news updates for The 700 Club. It also creates other news and opinion shows, like CBN NewsWatch and Christian World News. CBN also has a special news channel called the CBN News Channel. For Spanish-speaking people, CBN produces a version of The 700 Club called Club 700 Hoy.
CBN also helps people around the world. For example, CBN Asia manages Operation Blessing International. This group provides help and support to people in need in many countries. CBN also creates local TV shows in different languages, like Solusi in Indonesia and From Heart to Heart in Thailand.
In India, CBN India makes three shows: Ek Nayee Zindagi (in Hindi), Nireekshana (in Telugu), and Samadhan (in Bengali). Overall, CBN has broadcast programs in more than 70 languages.
CBN mainly works as a company that produces The 700 Club. It also produces four other shows that are shared with many TV stations: CBN NewsWatch, Christian World News, 700 Club Interactive, and The Brody File.
Some of CBN's shows are also shown on other Christian TV networks. These include the Trinity Broadcasting Network, Cornerstone Television, FamilyNet, LeSEA Broadcasting Corporation, TCT, and Middle East Television.
CBN's History
How CBN Started
Pat Robertson started CBN in 1960 in Portsmouth, Virginia. He had recently become a Christian. CBN began broadcasting in October 1961 with its first TV station, WYAH-TV (WTOV-TV), in Portsmouth. Small donations from people and local churches helped pay for its programs.
In August 1962, WYAH-TV was joined by a sister radio station, WXRI, in Norfolk, Virginia. This station played Christian music and teaching programs.
In 1966, a daily talk show started on WYAH. This show later became known as The 700 Club.
On July 7, 1968, CBN bought the Nuevo Continente radio station in Bogota, Colombia. This was the first Christian radio station in that country.
In 1969, CBN started CBN Northeast. This was a group of five FM radio stations in upstate New York.
CBN launched WHAE-TV in Atlanta in June 1971. In January 1973, CBN bought KBFI-TV in Dallas and changed its name to KXTX-TV. The company launched its last station, WXNE-TV in Boston, in October 1977.
CBN's broadcasting part, the Continental Broadcasting Network, ran its TV stations as family-friendly independent stations. They showed a mix of religious programs and other shows like westerns, comedies, dramas, and kids' programs.
On April 29, 1977, CBN launched a religious TV channel in the United States called the CBN Satellite Service.
Also in 1977, CBN University was founded. It was created to help prepare leaders who would succeed in their jobs and also make a positive impact as Christians. Its first classes began in September 1978.
The charity Operation Blessing was started on November 14, 1978. It first helped people by matching their needs for things like clothes and appliances with donated items from The 700 Club viewers. Later, it grew to include food and money help for families.
The 1980s
CBN moved its main offices from Portsmouth to Virginia Beach in 1980. Around this time, CBN helped create the first Superbook animated series. This series was later translated into many languages and shared around the world.
In June 1981, The 700 Club changed from being just a talk show to a news magazine style program.
The CBN Satellite Service became the CBN Cable Network on September 1, 1981. It started showing more family-friendly movies and TV series, along with some religious programs. This channel was one of the first to send its signal across the United States using satellites.
In August 1988, the CBN Cable Network changed its name to The CBN Family Channel.
The 1990s
On January 8, 1990, the national TV network was sold to a related company called International Family Entertainment (IFE). The Robertson family owned most of IFE. The sale happened because the channel had become very successful. On September 15 that year, the channel was renamed The Family Channel. It remained the main place to watch CBN programs.
In 1990, CBN University became known as Regent University. CBN also built a hotel, The Founders Inn and Spa, at the university campus.
Also in 1990, CBN programs began to be shown in the Soviet Union. Later, they were shown in the countries that formed after the Soviet Union broke apart. This led to many events and the creation of new churches in the region.
CBN Asia was started in the Philippines and Hong Kong on October 1, 1994.
CBN launched its first website in March 1995. Also that year, The 700 Club Asia began, which was in the Tagalog language.
CBN Africa was established. In 1997, Turning Point International (TPi), an English-language magazine show for people of African descent, began.
In June 1997, IFE was sold to News Corporation. At this time, The Family Channel was a very large cable network in the US. The sale agreement said that the channel must continue to show The 700 Club forever. (The Family Channel was later renamed Fox Family Channel, then ABC Family, and is now called Freeform.)
On March 24, 1999, the first live broadcast of The 700 Club Asia aired.
The 2000s
CBN India was started in 2000. It has produced many TV shows in Hindi, Tamil, and Bengali.
In 2001, a show for young people called One Cubed began in Asia. This show later aired in the US as One Cubed International.
In September 2001, a new show for women called Living the Life was launched.
In October 2002, CBN launched CBN NewsWatch, a new weekend news program.
Also in 2002, Le Club 700 began for French-speaking people in Africa.
On September 18, 2003, a US version of One Cubed started. It featured extreme sports, music videos, and interviews with famous people.
In 2004, Club 400 Hoy began as a daily show for Spanish speakers across the Americas.
CBN Europe was started in the UK. In October 2004, The 700 Club With Paul and Fiona began airing for UK audiences.
CBN Deutschland was started in 2007. Club 700 for German speakers began on January 9, 2007.
On April 29, 2008, the 24-hour CBN News Channel was launched as an online-only channel.
In November 2008, a new CBN Radio service was launched.
A new TV show called 700 Club Interactive began on May 25, 2009.
The 2010s
In 2011, a new version of the Superbook series began to air in many countries.
The 700 Club Canada, a weekday show, was launched in November 2011.
700 Club Nigeria began around 2013.
A new program called Oyayi began to be made by CBN Asia in 2016.
On October 1, 2018, the CBN News Channel was relaunched. It became available on TV in 15 cities in the United States, and it continued to be available online.
The 2020s
In 2020, a music program called CBN Asia Reverb began. It was later renamed Reverb Worship PH.
In October 2021, Club 400 Hoy was relaunched as a weekly show focused on the US.
CBN Programs
Current Shows
- The 700 Club – This is a daily news and magazine show that started in 1966. It is one of the longest-running shows of its kind. The program features news, discussions, and interviews. It is watched by about one million people each day.
- Club 700 Hoy – This is a half-hour weekly version of The 700 Club in Spanish. It is shown in many countries in Latin America. The show includes opinions on current topics, interviews, and stories about people and places.
- CBN NewsWatch – This is a half-hour daily news program from CBN News. It reports on national and international news from a Christian viewpoint. It is shown on several Christian TV networks.
- Christian World News – Also from CBN News, this is a half-hour weekly news program. It is shown on the Trinity Broadcasting Network.
- One Cubed USA and One Cubed International – These shows are for teenagers and young adults (ages 13 to 24). They focus on youth culture, action sports, and music videos. The goal is to share God's love and salvation with this generation.
People at CBN
Current Personalities
- Gordon P. Robertson – He is a co-host of The 700 Club.
- David Brody – He hosts The Brody File.
- Terry Meeuwsen – She is a co-host of The 700 Club and 700 Club Interactive.
- Chuck Holton – He is a military reporter.
- Ashley Key – She is a co-host for 700 Club Interactive and The 700 Club.
Former Personalities
- Pat Robertson – He was a co-host of The 700 Club until he retired in 2021.
- Ben Kinchlow – He was a co-host of The 700 Club.
- Sheila Walsh – She was a co-host of The 700 Club.
- Danuta Rylko Soderman – She was a co-host of The 700 Club.
- Lisa Ryan – She was a co-host of The 700 Club.
- Susan Howard – She was a co-host of The 700 Club.
See also
In Spanish: Christian Broadcasting Network para niños
