Daystar Television Network
List of Daystar affiliates |
The Daystar Television Network commonly known as Daystar Television or just Daystar, is an American evangelical
.History
In 1984, Marcus and Joni Lamb (née Trammell) moved to Montgomery, Alabama to launch the state's first full-power Christian television station, WMCF-TV. The Lambs built the station for the next five years, and sold it in 1990. They next moved to Dallas, Texas, where, in 1993, they purchased the formerly defunct KMPX. In 1996, with a large contribution from Kenneth Copeland Ministries, the Lambs purchased a station in Colorado, officially turning their television ministry into a network. In August 1997, the small staff moved into a 32,000-square-foot (3,000 m2) facility that included production studios; Daystar was officially launched on New Year's Eve 1997.[2][3]
On March 21, 2011, Daystar announced that it would downsize its production studios in
On November 30, 2021, Marcus Lamb died after being hospitalized with COVID-19.[4]
Controversies
FCC investigation
In 2003, Daystar was investigated by the
On December 22, 2008, the FCC and Daystar entered into an agreement whereby Daystar would continue to utilize a multi-level review process to make sure its programming would not breach the underwriting spot guidelines applied by the FCC to non-commercial television stations, and would make additional good faith efforts to review all content received from external providers and remove direct calls for action before broadcasting the programming on Daystar's non-commercial educational stations. Daystar also agreed to pay a fine of $17,500 for past non-compliance.[7]
On March 13, 2012, the FCC questioned whether Daystar, through associated nonprofit companies, was qualified to purchase former PBS outlets KWBU-TV in Waco, Texas (which was renamed KDYW) and WMFE-TV in Orlando, Florida.[8] The WMFE deal was canceled two days later; the station was later resold and returned to PBS as WUCF-TV.[9] On September 7, 2012, KDYW's licensee, the Brazos Valley Broadcasting Foundation, informed the FCC that it would request the dismissal of the license assignment application and the cancellation of the KDYW license, with the cancellation becoming final on September 27.[10]
Israel
Daystar became the first foreign Christian network to be given a broadcast license by the Israeli government in 2006. The announcement was criticized by
Lawsuits
On November 30, 2010, Marcus Lamb appeared on Celebration and admitted to having had an
Lamb's confession sparked a series of legal actions against Daystar. Former Daystar executive Jeanette Hawkins filed a lawsuit against the network, claiming that her knowledge of the affair caused "great emotional pain".
An October 2011 decision, entered after a contested hearing by a Dallas court, dismissed the Hawkins fraud claim. All of the suits were withdrawn two months later when Falcon and Thompson withdrew their suit against the network, and no parties received compensation for the dispute.[18]
Paycheck Protection Program
Word of God Fellowship applied for a Paycheck Protection Program loan and received $3.9 million, under the reasoning of meeting employee payroll. Two weeks later, WoGF purchased a luxury 1997 Gulfstream V jet. Inside Edition questioned in an investigation if the organization had used the PPP loan funds to purchase the aircraft rather than for payroll purposes. Shortly after the report aired, the loan was paid back with interest.[19][20]
COVID-19 claims
During the
In October 2021, Australian pay television company Foxtel, which offers Daystar as part of its channel package, announced that it was conducting a review after receiving complaints about Daystar programs featuring interviews promoting conspiracy theories about, and unproven treatments for, COVID-19.[23] The review subsequently found that Daystar did not breach any industry codes of practice for news and current affairs programs, or any federal or state law. Although the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has issued a Code of Practice on Disinformation and Misinformation for online platforms, this does not include television broadcasters.[24]
Availability
Daystar is available on
On June 13, 2013, Daystar entered into a strategic partnership with Canadian-based religious network
Daystar's HD service is available in the UK via the Astra 2G satellite as part of the Sky and Freesat platforms[27] and via terrestrial TV on the Freeview platform.[28]
See also
References
- ^ "About the Daystar Television Network". Daystar Television Network, USA. December 27, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
- ^ "About Daystar Television with Marcus Lamb and Joni Lamb".
- ^ "Daystar - Christian Satellite TV". Archived from the original on August 2, 2012. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
- ^ Marfin, Catherine (November 30, 2021). "Marcus Lamb, founder of Dallas-area Christian TV network Daystar, dies at 64". Dallas Morning News. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
- ^ Arellano, Gustavo (February 26, 2004). "Jesus, Meet Michael Powell". OC Weekly. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved May 22, 2007.
- ^ Castillo, Andrew (October 23, 2006). "Governor stops sale of KOCE-TV station". Mt. San Antonio College Mountaineer. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved May 22, 2007.
- ^ Consent Decree between FCC and Daystar. Retrieved on December 23, 2008.
- ^ "Re: Form 314 Application for Consent to Assignment of License of…". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. March 13, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 8, 2013. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
- ^ Boedecker, Hal (August 15, 2012). "FCC grants UCF the license for Channel 24". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on September 22, 2012.
- ^ Harding, Kevin R. (September 27, 2012). "In Re: BLCDT-20060622AAS…". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 8, 2013. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
- ^ "Ousted Christian TV Network Takes Case to Israeli High Court". September 19, 2007.
- ^ "Daystar creeps back into Israel". Jewish Israel. Archived from the original on December 25, 2014. Retrieved October 19, 2009.
- ^ "Woman Sues TV Preacher for Failing to Disclose Affair | Employment". Archived from the original on June 8, 2017. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
- ^ Televangelist says he cheated on wife Archived March 8, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, CNN.com, December 1, 2010.
- ^ Jabali-Nash, Naimah (December 3, 2010). "Rev. Marcus Lamb of DayStar TV Faces Unusual Lawsuit After Admitting Affair". CBS News.
- ^ Katherine T. Phan (February 20, 2011). "New Daystar Lawsuit Accuses Joni Lamb's Father of Sexual Harassment". The Christian Post. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
- ^ "Third Former Employee Sues Daystar". March 28, 2011.
- ^ Jeffrey Weiss (March 21, 2012). "High-profile sexual harassment lawsuits against Christian broadcaster Daystar quietly withdrawn". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
- ^ Crowley, James (December 15, 2020). "Televangelist Network Returns Millions in PPP Loan After Buying Private Jet". Newsweek. Newsweek Digital LLC. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
- ^ "Marcus Lamb's Daystar TV Pays Back $3.9M PPP Loan After Inside Edition Investigates Church's Jet Purchase". Inside Edition. Inside Edition Inc. December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
- ^ Johnson, Timothy (March 18, 2021). "Anti-vaccine ministry uses Facebook to promote dangerous COVID-19 and vaccine falsehoods to millions of followers". Media Matters for America. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
- ^ Derysh, Igor (December 2021). "Anti-vax televangelist dies after using "protocols" his TV network promoted to treat COVID". Salon. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
- ^ Foxtel Australia launches review into Christian TV channel with anti-vax message ABC News, October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
- ^ Drinkwater, Dale Founder of anti-vaccination Christian TV network dies after contracting COVID-19, as review finds no breach of TV codes ABC News, December 2, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
- ^ "PRESS RELEASE: Grace TV has entered into a strategic partnership with Daystar Television - News | Grace TV". Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
- ^ "ANNOUNCEMENT FOR GRACE TV AND DAYSTAR". Grace Media. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
- ^ Astra 2G at 28.2°E LyngSat. Accessed October 16, 2018
- ^ Daystar Television launches full-time on Freeview Digital TV Europe January 7, 2015. Accessed October 16, 2018