The Inspiration Network (INSP)
Encyclopedia
The Inspiration Network, also known as INSP, is a religious and family programming based television network headquartered in Indian Land, South Carolina
, near Charlotte
. It is the flagship network of parent company The Inspiration Networks
, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Inspiration Ministries. It features a mixture of family value-based and religious programming, with programs from more than 70 different ministries representing more than 20 different Protestant or Protestant-based religious denominations, plus original programming for children, teens, and families. The network is also seen on various Ion Television network affiliates during the overnight hours, in addition to its own cable network.
The network was originally founded in the 1970s as the PTL Satellite Network
, by Christian televangelists Jim Bakker
and wife Tammy Faye Bakker, notable for their daily Christian variety program, The PTL Club
. During the Bakkers' tenure, the network later became known as the PTL Television Network and finally PTL - The Inspirational Network. In 1990, following Jim Bakker's resignation that ultimately sent the PTL ministry as well as Heritage USA
, a Christian family theme park near Fort Mill, SC where the network was originally located into bankruptcy, San Diego, CA based televangelist Morris Cerullo
bought the cable television network for $7 million from the United States Bankruptcy Court in Columbia, South Carolina.
After the Bakkers' departure in the late 1980s, the PTL call letters had been dropped and the network renamed simply The Inspirational Network in an effort to make it more marketable to cable systems and distance it from PTL and the Bakkers. After Morris Cerullo's purchase of the network, his son David and his family moved from San Diego to Charlotte to oversee operations with David Cerullo ultimately assuming the title of Chief Executive Officer. The network was moved from the grounds of the former Heritage USA to a newly constructed broadcast facility in Charlotte, NC and rebranded as "The New Inspirational Network", later becoming "INSP - The Inspirational Network" and then "INSP - The Inspiration Network". In the fall of 2008, the network debuted a new logo and dropped "Network" from its name. The network was known for a time simply as Inspiration but continued to use the call letters INSP. In October 2010, the network announced a major rebranding with an added emphasis on family programming. Infomercials, which were once a part of the weekend and late night lineup were removed and reruns of popular family oriented secular programming were added in prime time, including The Waltons
, Our House and Highway to Heaven
, including other secular family oriented shows, specials and movies. Along with the rebranding came a new logo, tagline and a return to the INSP moniker in place of the more formal "Inspiration" name. The broadcast facility remains in Charlotte, NC while the network's offices have been relocated to a newly constructed campus known as the City of Light in Indian Land, SC, a Charlotte NC suburb. All of the network's operations and broadcast facilities are eventually to be consolidated in planned facilities to be ultimately constructed at the South Carolina campus. David Cerullo remains as its CEO, with wife Barbara, son Ben, and daughter Becky all working in various leadership roles at the network.
In addition to being broadcast throughout the world on most major cable and satellite providers, INSP is broadcast on Dish Network Channel 259. The network was originally added to Dish on August 28, 2008. A brief carriage dispute took place in August 2011 that caused INSP to be removed from the Dish lineup for 3 weeks. After several fan petitions were started and overwhelming negative public outcry over the network's removal, Dish Network agreed to add INSP back to its lineup on August 31, 2011. The addition came just in time for INSP's new fall schedule to take place. INSP added Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
on August 29, 2011 as the first of 4 new shows the network will air. The others include The Brady Bunch
- September 26, 2011; The Big Valley
- September 26, 2011; and Bonanza
- October 1, 2011. INSP continues to air The Waltons, Our House, Highway to Heaven, and Wind at My Back
along with the new shows.
Indian Land, South Carolina
Indian Land is a fast-growing suburb in the northern neck of Lancaster County, South Carolina, United States. It lies just south of Ballantyne in southern Charlotte and east of Fort Mill. It is a major suburb of both Rock Hill and Charlotte. Its proximity to Ballantyne has enabled Indian Land to...
, near Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
. It is the flagship network of parent company The Inspiration Networks
The Inspiration Networks
The Inspiration Networks, is a group of networks and related entities. The parent company is Inspiration Ministries, an international ministry and inspirational media company, based in Indian Land, South Carolina, a suburb of Charlotte....
, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Inspiration Ministries. It features a mixture of family value-based and religious programming, with programs from more than 70 different ministries representing more than 20 different Protestant or Protestant-based religious denominations, plus original programming for children, teens, and families. The network is also seen on various Ion Television network affiliates during the overnight hours, in addition to its own cable network.
The network was originally founded in the 1970s as the PTL Satellite Network
PTL Satellite Network
The PTL Television Network -- often referred to as simply PTL -- was a global evangelical Christian television network based in Fort Mill, South Carolina, founded by Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker in 1974. PTL Satellite Network was dedicated in April of 1977...
, by Christian televangelists Jim Bakker
Jim Bakker
James Orsen "Jim" Bakker is an American televangelist, a former Assemblies of God minister, and a former host of The PTL Club, a popular evangelical Christian television program.A sex scandal led to his resignation from the ministry...
and wife Tammy Faye Bakker, notable for their daily Christian variety program, The PTL Club
The PTL Club
The PTL Club , later called The Jim and Tammy Show, and in its last days PTL Today and Heritage Today, was a Christian television program first hosted by evangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, which ran from 1974 to 1989...
. During the Bakkers' tenure, the network later became known as the PTL Television Network and finally PTL - The Inspirational Network. In 1990, following Jim Bakker's resignation that ultimately sent the PTL ministry as well as Heritage USA
Heritage USA
Heritage USA was a Christian theme park, water park, and residential complex built in Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA, by PTL Club founders televangelist Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye Bakker Messner...
, a Christian family theme park near Fort Mill, SC where the network was originally located into bankruptcy, San Diego, CA based televangelist Morris Cerullo
Morris Cerullo
Morris Cerullo is an American pentecostal televangelist.-Early life and ministry:Cerullo, whose evangelistic ministry is based in San Diego, California, was born in Passaic, New Jersey to a Russo Jewish/Italian family. His parents died in an automobile accident when he was only two years old...
bought the cable television network for $7 million from the United States Bankruptcy Court in Columbia, South Carolina.
After the Bakkers' departure in the late 1980s, the PTL call letters had been dropped and the network renamed simply The Inspirational Network in an effort to make it more marketable to cable systems and distance it from PTL and the Bakkers. After Morris Cerullo's purchase of the network, his son David and his family moved from San Diego to Charlotte to oversee operations with David Cerullo ultimately assuming the title of Chief Executive Officer. The network was moved from the grounds of the former Heritage USA to a newly constructed broadcast facility in Charlotte, NC and rebranded as "The New Inspirational Network", later becoming "INSP - The Inspirational Network" and then "INSP - The Inspiration Network". In the fall of 2008, the network debuted a new logo and dropped "Network" from its name. The network was known for a time simply as Inspiration but continued to use the call letters INSP. In October 2010, the network announced a major rebranding with an added emphasis on family programming. Infomercials, which were once a part of the weekend and late night lineup were removed and reruns of popular family oriented secular programming were added in prime time, including The Waltons
The Waltons
The Waltons is an American television series created by Earl Hamner, Jr., based on his book Spencer's Mountain, and a 1963 film of the same name. The show centered on a family growing up in a rural Virginia community during the Great Depression and World War II. The series pilot was a television...
, Our House and Highway to Heaven
Highway to Heaven
Highway to Heaven is an American television drama series which ran on NBC from 1984 to 1989.- Season 1 :- Season 2 :- Season 3 :- Season 4 :- Season 5 :...
, including other secular family oriented shows, specials and movies. Along with the rebranding came a new logo, tagline and a return to the INSP moniker in place of the more formal "Inspiration" name. The broadcast facility remains in Charlotte, NC while the network's offices have been relocated to a newly constructed campus known as the City of Light in Indian Land, SC, a Charlotte NC suburb. All of the network's operations and broadcast facilities are eventually to be consolidated in planned facilities to be ultimately constructed at the South Carolina campus. David Cerullo remains as its CEO, with wife Barbara, son Ben, and daughter Becky all working in various leadership roles at the network.
In addition to being broadcast throughout the world on most major cable and satellite providers, INSP is broadcast on Dish Network Channel 259. The network was originally added to Dish on August 28, 2008. A brief carriage dispute took place in August 2011 that caused INSP to be removed from the Dish lineup for 3 weeks. After several fan petitions were started and overwhelming negative public outcry over the network's removal, Dish Network agreed to add INSP back to its lineup on August 31, 2011. The addition came just in time for INSP's new fall schedule to take place. INSP added Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman is an American post-Civil War western/drama series created by Beth Sullivan. Dr. Michaela "Mike" Quinn, played by Jane Seymour, left Boston in search of adventure. She goes to Colorado Springs, Colorado where she establishes herself as doctor/adviser.The show ran on CBS...
on August 29, 2011 as the first of 4 new shows the network will air. The others include The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz and starring Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, and Ann B. Davis. The series revolved around a large blended family...
- September 26, 2011; The Big Valley
The Big Valley
The Big Valley is an American television Western which ran on ABC from September 15, 1965, to May 19, 1969, which starred Barbara Stanwyck, as a California widowed mother. It was created by A.I. Bezzerides and Louis F. Edelman...
- September 26, 2011; and Bonanza
Bonanza
Bonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
- October 1, 2011. INSP continues to air The Waltons, Our House, Highway to Heaven, and Wind at My Back
Wind at My Back
Wind at My Back is a television series which aired in Canada on CBC Television between 1996 and 2001. It was created and produced by Kevin Sullivan, best known for his adaptation of Anne of Green Gables and Road to Avonlea...
along with the new shows.
External links
- INSP website
- The Revelation Will Be Televised, How a Christian media organization is preaching a prosperous gospel Creative Loafing, March 14, 2007
- Surging ministry, growing questions, Charlotte Observer, May 26, 2009
- Religious network promises, fails to deliver the goods, Charlotte Observer, May 26, 2009
- INSP Seeks a Broader Audience, Multichannel News, September 27, 2010