FamilyNet
| FamilyNet | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Owned by | Rural Media Group |
| Slogan | "Come Home to FamilyNet!" |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Affiliates | Currently in over 25 million cable and satellite homes |
| Headquarters | Nashville, Tennessee |
| Formerly called | National Christian Network (1979-88) |
| Replaced | Rural TV |
| Sister channel(s) | RFD-TV |
| Website |
www |
Availability | |
| Satellite | |
| Dish Network | 232 (SD) |
| Cable | |
| Available on some cable providers | Check local listings for channel number |
| IPTV | |
| Verizon FiOS | 246 (SD) |
| AT&T U-verse | 566 (SD) |
FamilyNet is an American family-friendly cable television network in over 25 million cable and satellite homes. The network was founded in 1979 as the National Christian Network, and took the name FamilyNet in 1988 under the ownership of Jerry Falwell.[1] It is currently owned by Rural Media Group, which also owns RFD-TV.
History
The channel was acquired by InTouch Ministries in October 2007 from the Southern Baptist Convention.[2] In December 2009, FamilyNet was acquired by Robert A. Schuller's ComStar Media Fund.[3] In 2010, FamilyNet was spun out into its own company, with Robert A. Schuller as the chairman.[4]
The organization also operated FamilyNet Radio 161, a full-time Christian talk channel on Sirius Satellite Radio, but was discontinued on November 30, 2010; FamilyTalk replaced it.
On October 24, 2012, Rural TV purchased FamilyNet. The two channels merged on January 1, 2013.[5] At first the network was used to carry an all-trading day format of farm and market news, which eventually moved to a reduced timeslot on RFD-TV due to low interest and ratings. Rural Media, which had considered merging RFD-TV and FamilyNet together to gain over-the-air carriage, eventually decided to keep FamilyNet as a separate service, but with a refocus in programming towards classic television programming which was not picked up by competitors Me-TV, Antenna TV and Cozi TV. Rural Media also decided not to renew over-the-air contracts with stations in a slow process which will eventually see FamilyNet become a cable-only service.
On September 2014, FamilyNet was rebranded with classic television series and films from the Sony Pictures Television library. Religious programming, which used to make up the vast majority of the schedule under SBC and Schuller's ownership, is now limited to Sunday mornings, though Rural Media also maintained FamilyNet's paid programming overnights despite their executives' traditional disdain for depending on those programs for revenue (RFD-TV has since begun also carrying overnight paid programming).
Affiliates
- WTBL-CD channel 49.1, Lenoir, North Carolina
- WSSF-LD channel 51.2, Fayette, Alabama
- WSFG-LD channel 51.2, Berry, Alabama
- WWEO-CD channel 24.1, DeFuniak Springs, Florida
- W39BP channel 39 Pensacola, Florida
- WGUD-LD channel 38.4 Pascagoula, Mississippi
- KCFT-CD channel 35.1, Anchorage, Alaska
- K28DJ-D channel 28.1, Broken Bow, Oklahoma
- K18JX-D channel 9.1, Hoehne, Colorado
References
- ↑ "Religious Networks Change for Profits". Broadcasting & Cable. 114 (19): 51. 1988-05-09. ISSN 1068-6827.
- ↑ Noah, Mickey (October 29, 2007). "NAMB completes FamilyNet sale to In Touch". Baptist Press.
- ↑ "FamilyNet TV and Radio Network Sold to Robert A. Schuller's ComStar". Black Christian News. December 29, 2009. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
- ↑ "Celebrated Televangelist Robert Schuller Named Chairman of FamilyNet TV". March 23, 2011.
- ↑ "Rural Media Group Purchases FamilyNet". Melodika. October 24, 2012. Retrieved November 13, 2012.