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Daystar Television Network

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Daystar Television Network
TypeReligious broadcasting
CountryUnited States
Broadcast areaNationwide
Worldwide
AffiliatesList of Daystar affiliates
HeadquartersBedford, Texas
Programming
Language(s)English
Picture format1080i(HDTV)
(downscaled to480i/576ifor theSDTVfeed)
Ownership
OwnerWord of God Fellowship
Key peopleJoni Lamb
Jonathan Lamb
History
Founded1993;31 years ago(1993)
LaunchedDecember 31, 1997(26 years ago)(1997-12-31)
FounderMarcusandJoni Lamb
Links
Websitewww.daystar.com
Availability
Terrestrial
Digital terrestrial televisionSeeList of Daystar affiliates

TheDaystar Television Networkcommonly known asDaystar Televisionor justDaystar,is an American evangelicalChristian-basedreligioustelevision networkowned by the Word of God Fellowship, founded byMarcus Lambin 1993. Daystar is headquartered in theDallas/Fort Worth MetroplexinBedford, Texas.[1]The network is based aroundprosperity theology.

History

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In 1984,MarcusandJoni Lamb(née Trammell) moved toMontgomery,Alabamato 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 toDallas,Texas,where, in 1993, they purchased the formerly defunctKMPX.In 1996, with a large contribution fromKenneth CopelandMinistries, the Lambs purchased a station inColorado,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 onNew Year's Eve1997.[2][3]

On March 21, 2011, Daystar announced that it would downsize its production studios inAshland, Kentucky;Houston, Texas;andDenver, Colorado,effective the following month; the facilities would continue to be used as transmitters, but not broadcasting centers, leading to layoffs. Further studios were abandoned and centralized to the network'sBedford, Texasheadquarters with the 2019 repeal of the FCC's Main Studio Rule.

On November 30, 2021, Marcus Lamb died after being hospitalized withCOVID-19.[4]

Controversies

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FCC investigation

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In 2003, Daystar was investigated by theFederal Communications Commission(FCC), centering on allegations that Daystar sold air time on itsnon-commercial educationalstations to for-profit groups. The investigation complicated Daystar'sUS$21.5 million bid forKOCE-TV,aPBSstation inHuntington Beach, Californiawhich at the time mainly served the suburban area ofOrange County,[5][6]and other license renewals. After a lengthy process, Daystar and KOCE-TV eventually came to an agreement where Daystar leased adigital subchannelof KOCE, and broadcast network programming over KOCE-DT3 into Orange County and theLos Angelesarea. This agreement has remained in place into the early 2020s, with KOCE since becoming the flagship Los Angeles area member station of PBS in January 2011, replacingKCETafter that station defected from the network (the groups eventually merged, with KCET re-joining PBS secondarily).

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 theunderwriting spotguidelines applied by the FCC to non-commercial television stations, and would make additionalgood faithefforts to review all content received from external providers and remove directcalls for actionbefore 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 inWaco, Texas(which was renamedKDYW) and WMFE-TV inOrlando, Florida.[8]The WMFE deal was canceled two days later; the station was later resold and returned to PBS asWUCF-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

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Daystar became the first foreign Christian network to be given a broadcast license by the Israeli government in 2006. The announcement was criticized byJewishleaders in both Israel and the United States, who believed the network aimed at converting Israeli Jews through its numerousMessianic Jewishprograms. In 2007, Israeli cable providerHOTannounced it would drop Daystar from its lineup, stating that the decision was made after the company received complaints about Daystar's content. Daystar filed a petition with theIsraeli Supreme Courtto hear the case, accusing HOT ofreligious discrimination.[11]Two years later, HOT reversed its decision and resumed carrying Daystar.[12]

Lawsuits

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On November 30, 2010, Marcus Lamb appeared onCelebrationand admitted to having had anextramarital affairseveral years before,[13]telling viewers that unidentified individuals had attempted toextortmoney from him over the incident. He said that he had since reconciled with Joni over the matter; the Lambs subsequently appeared onGood Morning AmericaandDr. Philto discuss their experiences with marriage counseling.[14]

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".[15]In February 2011, Jennifer Falcon, a former Daystar employee, filed a lawsuit claiming to have sufferedsexual harassment,as well as demotion anddefamationby the Lambs.[16]The following month, Karen Thompson, a former producer forJoni,sued Daystar forwrongful termination,claiming to have been harassed and fired for dating a male co-worker.[17]

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

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Word of God Fellowship applied for aPaycheck Protection Programloan and received $3.9 million, under the reasoning of meeting employeepayroll.Two weeks later, WoGF purchased a luxury 1997Gulfstream Vjet.Inside Editionquestioned 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

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During theCOVID-19 pandemic in the United States,Daystar was criticized for airing several programs which featured prominentanti-vaccinepersonalities such asRobert F. Kennedy Jr.,Del Bigtree,andSimone Gold,who along with Daystar hosts promotedmisinformation about the pandemic.[21]In their broadcasts, Marcus and Joni Lamb repeatedly touted discredited COVID-19 treatments such ashydroxychloroquineandivermectin;both contracted COVID-19 despite these treatments, with Marcus Lamb dying from COVID-related complications in November 2021. Daystar had also filed a lawsuit against theBiden administrationover its COVID-19 vaccination mandate, calling it a "sin against God's Holy Word".[22]

In October 2021, Australian pay television companyFoxtel,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 theAustralian 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

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Main article:List of Daystar affiliates
See also:Category:Daystar Television Network stations

Daystar is available onbroadcastandcable televisionin the United States and worldwide ondirect broadcast satellitesystems such asDirecTVandDish Network,and unencrypted satellite. The network is composed of twoVHFand 37UHFtelevision stations,which each broadcast all or part of Daystar's program lineup. Daystar owns a number of television stations in the U.S., either directly or through its parent company, Word of God Fellowship, Inc. The network also offersSpanish languagetranslation of most programming via thesecond audio program,which is sometimes offered by some pay television providers as its own network.

On June 13, 2013, Daystar entered into a strategic partnership with Canadian-based religious networkGrace TV,in which the network's non-Canadian content(constituting 65% of programming) would be supplied by Daystar. Additionally, Daystar picked upYou Are Loved,a program hosted by Grace TV's CEO,Peter Youngren.[25]The network ultimately re-branded as Daystar Canada.[26]

Daystar's HD service is available in the UK via theAstra 2Gsatellite as part of theSkyandFreesatplatforms[27]and via terrestrial TV on theFreeviewplatform.[28]

See also

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References

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  1. ^"About the Daystar Television Network".Daystar Television Network, USA. December 27, 2016.RetrievedDecember 27,2016.
  2. ^"About Daystar Television with Marcus Lamb and Joni Lamb".
  3. ^"Daystar - Christian Satellite TV".Archived fromthe originalon August 2, 2012.RetrievedJuly 26,2011.
  4. ^Marfin, Catherine (November 30, 2021)."Marcus Lamb, founder of Dallas-area Christian TV network Daystar, dies at 64".Dallas Morning News.RetrievedNovember 30,2021.
  5. ^Arellano, Gustavo (February 26, 2004)."Jesus, Meet Michael Powell".OC Weekly.Archived fromthe originalon October 12, 2007.RetrievedMay 22,2007.
  6. ^Castillo, Andrew (October 23, 2006)."Governor stops sale of KOCE-TV station".Mt. San Antonio College Mountaineer. Archived fromthe originalon September 28, 2007.RetrievedMay 22,2007.
  7. ^Consent Decree between FCC and Daystar.Retrieved on December 23, 2008.
  8. ^"Re: Form 314 Application for Consent to Assignment of License of…".CDBS Public Access.Federal Communications Commission.March 13, 2012. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on April 8, 2013.RetrievedMarch 17,2012.
  9. ^Boedecker, Hal (August 15, 2012)."FCC grants UCF the license for Channel 24".Orlando Sentinel.Archived fromthe originalon September 22, 2012.
  10. ^Harding, Kevin R. (September 27, 2012)."In Re: BLCDT-20060622AAS…".CDBS Public Access.Federal Communications Commission. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on April 8, 2013.RetrievedSeptember 28,2012.
  11. ^"Ousted Christian TV Network Takes Case to Israeli High Court".September 19, 2007.
  12. ^"Daystar creeps back into Israel".Jewish Israel. Archived fromthe originalon December 25, 2014.RetrievedOctober 19,2009.
  13. ^"Woman Sues TV Preacher for Failing to Disclose Affair | Employment".Archived fromthe originalon June 8, 2017.RetrievedSeptember 4,2012.
  14. ^Televangelist says he cheated on wifeArchivedMarch 8, 2012, at theWayback Machine,CNN.com, December 1, 2010.
  15. ^Jabali-Nash, Naimah (December 3, 2010)."Rev. Marcus Lamb of DayStar TV Faces Unusual Lawsuit After Admitting Affair".CBS News.
  16. ^Katherine T. Phan (February 20, 2011)."New Daystar Lawsuit Accuses Joni Lamb's Father of Sexual Harassment".The Christian Post.RetrievedJune 20,2013.
  17. ^"Third Former Employee Sues Daystar".March 28, 2011.
  18. ^Jeffrey Weiss (March 21, 2012)."High-profile sexual harassment lawsuits against Christian broadcaster Daystar quietly withdrawn".The Dallas Morning News.RetrievedJune 20,2013.
  19. ^Crowley, James (December 15, 2020)."Televangelist Network Returns Millions in PPP Loan After Buying Private Jet".Newsweek.Newsweek Digital LLC.RetrievedDecember 24,2020.
  20. ^"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.RetrievedDecember 24,2020.
  21. ^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.RetrievedDecember 5,2021.
  22. ^Derysh, Igor (December 2021)."Anti-vax televangelist dies after using" protocols "his TV network promoted to treat COVID".Salon.RetrievedDecember 5,2021.
  23. ^Foxtel Australia launches review into Christian TV channel with anti-vax messageABC News,October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  24. ^Drinkwater, DaleFounder of anti-vaccination Christian TV network dies after contracting COVID-19, as review finds no breach of TV codesABC News,December 2, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  25. ^"PRESS RELEASE: Grace TV has entered into a strategic partnership with Daystar Television - News | Grace TV".Archived fromthe originalon March 5, 2016.RetrievedJuly 15,2013.
  26. ^"ANNOUNCEMENT FOR GRACE TV AND DAYSTAR".Grace Media. Archived fromthe originalon February 22, 2014.RetrievedFebruary 11,2014.
  27. ^Astra 2G at 28.2°ELyngSat. Accessed October 16, 2018
  28. ^Daystar Television launches full-time on FreeviewDigital TV Europe January 7, 2015. Accessed October 16, 2018
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