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Religious broadcasters foresee lost viewership(Virginian-Pilot, The (Norfolk, VA) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Mar. 2--The idea of paying for only the cable channels they want might have strong appeal for consumers, but to religious programmers, the prospect seems just short of apocalyptic. Pay-per-channel pricing "would have a devastating effect on the inspirational programming we currently provide" and "decimate both the audience and financial support for religious broadcasting," according to the Faith and Family Broadcasting Coalition. The group includes Pat Robertson 's Christian Broadcasting Network, which is based in Virginia Beach. Last month, the Federal Communications Commission said that with per-channel pricing, consumers could save as much as 13 percent on their cable bills. Under the arrangement, consumers would no longer have to buy cable in packages or bundles that may include dozens of channels they do not want. The FCC said the average household watches only 17 channels. In South Hampton Roads, Cox Communications' "standard" cable package has 70 channels, according to the company's Web site. Many evangelical broadcasters, and much of the cable industry, dispute the consumer savings claim and oppose per-channel pricing, also known as a la carte cable. In addition to CBN, the Faith and Family Broadcasting Coalition includes televangelist Jerry Falwell , Benny Hinn Ministries , Trinity Broadcasting Network and FamilyNet TV . For CBN, the effect of per-channel pricing could be buffered by the network's guaranteed airtime on the ABC Family channel, under the terms of CBN's sale of The Family Channel in 1990. ABC Family is a mainly non religious channel that has one of the country's largest cable audiences. Michael D. Little , CBN's president, said CBN also buys airtime on broadcast networks such as NBC and Fox that probably would be part of most consumers' channel lineups. Still, much of CBN's revenue is generated by telethons, and that income might suffer if CBN's cable-based audience shrank under per-channel pricing. The network's latest tax return showed that 68 percent of its revenue came from contributions, gifts and grants. Additionally, Robertson's own influence as a prominent conservative could be reduced if per-channel pricing caused CBN's viewership to slump. "People would notice his audience share dropping and they'd comment on it and say, 'Look, religious broadcasting is declining,' and some people would assume that's because Robertson is no longer popular," said John Green , a University of Akron political scientist who studies the "religious right." The coalition also represents the American Center for Law and Justice, a non profit legal advocacy group Robertson created as a conservative counterweight to the American Civil Liberties Union. Jay Sekulow , the group's chief counsel, hosts a television show carried on Christian cable such as Inspiration Networks . Religious broadcasters' predictions of lost viewership are based in the roundabout route that leads some consumers to faith-based channels. Jerry Rose , president of the evangelical Total Living Network , said a big chunk of religious networks' audience comes from viewers who inadvertently discover religious programs while flipping through the channel lineup in their cable package. Some viewers who sample the programming become fans, he said. Per-channel pricing would eliminate easy sampling because consumers would order channels piecemeal. Rose predicted that consumers probably would buy only prominent channels, such as CNN or ESPN, and the specialty channels in which they have personal interest. Many consumers, "especially people who'd be considered non religious, they're just not going to click off on that Christian channel and pay for it," said Rose, whose network carries "The 700 Club." For religious broadcasters, he said, "it would limit our audiences considerably and be a challenge to all of us." John Roos , senior vice president for communications at Inspiration Networks, had similar expectations of per-channel pricing . "People are probably not going to opt for religious networks, that's just the way it is," he said. Even Christians may skip a la carte religious channels, said Megan Mullen , a communications scholar who wrote "The Rise of Cable Programming in the United States." "People may say, 'Well, we go to church on Sunday, we try to teach our kids good lessons, we can tune-in'" to Christian programs "'on the radio, and it would be nice if it was cheaper, but it cuts into our budget,'" Mullen said. If their viewership were to sink, religious broadcasters worry that cable and satellite operators would drop religious networks from the menu of channels offered to subscribers, the Faith and Family Broadcasting Coalition said. Little, however, expressed optimism that CBN would remain available to viewers. The network, which distributes programming by cable, broadcast and satellite, claims an average daily audience of 1 million for "The 700 Club." Half or more of all viewers see the show on broadcast networks, like NBC, where CBN buys airtime in major markets, Little said. He also predicted that Disney, which owns the ABC Family channel, would have enough leverage to ensure most cable distributors carry the channel, thereby preserving another piece of "The 700 Club" audience. At the same time, Little agreed that other religious networks could be pushed to the periphery of mainstream audiences. "For the larger sake of Christian programming being distributed in America, I would fight for the continuation of the package approach," he said. Unlike secular specialty channels, evangelical networks might also be concerned about per-channel pricing's impact on their political and social influence. Robertson in particular uses "The 700 Club" as a venue for commentaries that keep him in the public spotlight. While his pronouncements are often criticized, Robertson maintains a certain amount of credibility because of the show's perceived popularity. "Audience size is a measure of influence that a lot of people use," said Green, the political scientist at the University of Akron. If per-channel pricing cuts viewership for Robertson and CBN, "it would affect their credibility," Green said. But according to Little's view, CBN's news commentaries don't cross into political activity that is forbidden under its tax-exempt status. "We do not have a political agenda," he said. "Our core mission is to get the gospel out." Little added: "What Pat Robertson does as a private citizen is his own business and is not a topic we even comment on." One way religious broadcasters could survive per-channel pricing would be by allowing higher subscription fees for their viewers. But the religious broadcasting coalition called that option "unacceptable." In any case, coalition spokesman Colby M. May said, religious broadcasting should be preserved because on-air worship and inspirational messages are a "public service" for consumers facing personal crises. "Our coalition groups have many stories of literally hundreds of folks ready to blow their brains out who didn't, because just at that critical time, they came across" a worship service, "and realized there is hope," he said. But while religious broadcasting certainly contributes to the diversity of cable programming, Richard Hanley questioned whether it is a public service. Hanley directs graduate programs at Quinnipiac University's school of communications in Hamden, Conn. "That, to me, is a stretch," he said. "You could make the same argument for non religious organizations to have channels -- non-faith-based organizations like the Red Cross or United Way." The FCC cannot force the cable industry or Congress to institute per-channel pricing. But its latest stance encouraged a la carte advocates such as U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who said last month that he would introduce legislation to "entice" cable distributors to offer per-channel service in addition to cable packages. Despite his dire forecasts, May said per-channel pricing would not completely eradicate religious channels on cable. "There's every reason to think that religious cable will still be included," he said, "but in the end, you want it available to people who don't even know they'll want it at some time." Reach Steven G. Vegh at (757) 446-2417 or [email protected]. |