Pat Robertson

Religious Broadcaster

"(Television) is participatory and it's interactive... I think if you can show, as we do, our trucks going out to feed the poor....if you can show these people helping their neighbors; it's an ability to mobilize the community for action. There are all kinds of things to do, but I think more than anything, people should use television to serve."

About This Interview

Pat Robertson was interviewed for two hours plus at the CBN offices in Virginia Beach, VA. Robertson described the founding of his ministry and his creation of the Christian Broadcast Network. He spoke about his early years pursuing a law degree at Yale University, after which he discovered his calling and enrolled in the New York Theological Seminary. Robertson discussed his work with the underprivileged and his later vision to spread the Gospel through television. He described in detail buying his first television station in Virginia, and starting up its programming, where he was a jack-of-all-trades, working in front of and behind the cameras. He talked about the growth of the network and the initiation of The 700 Club, a daily show featuring news, commentary, and feature stories on Christian themes. He also described the use of satellite technology and syndication in the continued growth of the network. He talked about the controversy surrounding electronic ministries in the 1980s and the losses suffered by the religious broadcasting community in their wake. Additionally, he talked about the spin-off of The Family Channel, the creation of Regent University, and his political campaigns. The interview was conducted by Don Carleton on October 15, 2003.