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First, in late February Robertson took off after Islam on his daily television program, the 700 Club. According to a press release from Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Robertson claimed that, "[Islam] is not a peaceful religion that wants to coexist. They want to coexist until they can control, dominate and then if need be destroy." Robertson's remarks took direct aim at President Bush's oft-repeated characterization of Islam as a "peaceful religion" - a description the president reiterated in response to the Rev. Jerry Vines' blasting of Islam at the recently concluded Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting. From his television pulpit, Robertson pointed out that "I have taken issue with our esteemed president in regard to his stand in saying Islam is a peaceful religion. It's just not. And the Koran makes it very clear, if you see an infidel, you are to kill him." He then added, "The fact is that our immigration policies are now so skewed to the Middle East and away from Europe that we have introduced these people into our midst and undoubtedly there are terrorist cells all over them." On its heels, came news that Robertson has a race horse "jones." It seems that Pat owns race horses and while he claims not to believe in gambling, he admits loving to watch the ponies run. "I don't bet and I don't gamble," Mr. Robertson told New York Times sports reporter Bill Finley. "I just enjoy watching horses running and performing." Robertson's horse is named, "Mr. Pat," after himself. "I wish horse racing was not supported by gambling." he told Finley. "They call it the sport of kings. People from King Solomon on have been raising and racing horses. The people I see at the track, they don't seem to love horses. They're looking at the Racing Form and are trying to make money betting. I like to look at them [the horses] as performers and to study their bloodlines. That's what I find interesting."
Roth's profile is the latest in a series of exposes about Pat Robertson business, political and charitable operations. One of the best books on these subjects is "The Most Dangerous Man in America? - Pat Robertson and the Rise of the Christian Coalition," (Prometheus Books, 1996), written by Rob Boston, who is affiliated with Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Religion, 'news,' witnessing & prayer Just about everyday - sometimes more than once a day - Pat Robertson can be seen on the 700 Club selling his unique brand of religion, "news," witnessing and prayer. He commands a huge audience and that audience is supportive are generous - giving bountifully to the cause. Just what the cause is these days is fertile field for Roth's investigation. Writes Roth: "Robertson's businesses are sustained largely by his uncanny ability to persuade ordinary folks to send him cash. For his kingdom to survive without him, he needs new sources of income. That has led him to two of the world's oldest wealth creators: gold and oil. If his ventures pay off, Robertson's Christian conversion machine could become a permanent fixture in the media landscape all over the world. If they fail? Well, Robertson might be about to find out." At 72, Robertson has become a workout fanatic - the CBN website boasts that the he can "leg-press" 600 pounds. During his thirties and forties, Robertson concentrated on building a television empire. It wasn't until the late 1970s that he seriously stepped into politics. The building of Robertson's financial empire dates from 1960 when, after receiving divine guidance according to Robertson, he bought a small UHF television station in Portsmouth, Virginia, and set up the Christian Broadcasting Network. According to Rob Boston, financial appeals were always the cornerstone of the broadcasts. Early on he asked 700 viewers to pledge to send the ministry $10 every month" - ergo the origin of the 700 Club. In 1965, Robertson hired the now infamous Jim and Tammy Bakker to "coordinate children's programming." Boston reports that the turning point toward financial solvency might have come "during a telethon later that year, [when] Jim Bakker came on the air and with tears streaming down his face begged for contributions to keep the Christian Broadcasting Network alive. Money rolled in." The success of those early fundraising drives became the formula that Robertson has remained faithful to for nearly forty years. In the late 1960s, Robertson's network began aggressive expansion, and by 1975, Boston writes, CBN was reaching 110 million homes through cable. CBN describes itself as "one of the world's largest television ministries producing programming seen in over 90 nations and heard in over 65 languages around the world…. [I]ts flagship program, The 700 Club (hosted by Robertson), remains one of the longest running religious television shows, reaching an average of one million American viewers daily." Robertson established a 24-hour channel that in 1992 went public as International Family Entertainment (IFE). In September 1997, Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation and Haim Saban, the creator of the "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, acquired IFE from Robertson for a reported $1.9 billion. (According to Roth, Robertson took home $400 million with the rest going to shareholders: "Of that, writes Roth, Robertson "received $19 million, Regent $148 million, CBN $136 million, and the Robertson Charitable Remainder Trust - a trust that pays out to CBN in 2010, or at the death of either Robertson or his wife, Dede, whichever comes later - $109 million.) The original Robertson/Murdoch deal called for him to continue his 700 Club - perhaps in perpetuity. Several of Fox's assets, including Fox Family Worldwide, owner of the Fox Family Channel, were later sold to the Walt Disney Co. for between $3 and $5 billion. To this day, Robertson's 700 Club remains fixture on the Disney owned channel. Roth believes Robertson's current mission, away from the glare of the spotlight, is to "not just to boost his $300-million-a-year empire" - which includes the Christian Broadcasting Network, Regent University, and his Operation Blessing global charity -"but also to make sure it lasts forever." In trying to assure his little piece of immortality, however, Robertson "has been making big, risky bets." (Part II looks at the rise and fall of Robertson's Christian Coalition, and his hunt for political power in Washington, DC, gold in Liberia and millions from a decommissioned oil refinery in Southern California.) |
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Pat Robertson's empire extends from publishing to broadcasting to the Internet 
Conservative columnist Cal Thomas © 1997-2002 BEI
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