# The following program does not reflect the views of ABCFamily



## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

Ok, last night I was watching some reruns of Whose Line is it Anyway (Drew Carey version) on ABCFamily... and after the last one goes off, there was the stern-announcer voice and a graphic stating "The following program does not reflect the views of ABCFamily"...

And then the 700 Club came on!

I kid you not.

Usually when you see that kind of "warning" you expect to see a paid-for-promo for Girls Gone Wild or something.

I know the history of the Family Channel -> FOX Family -> ABC Family... and I know ABC Family has a lot of non-family programming on there now... but I'm guessing are somehow contractually obligated to still air 700 Club from the original network... but I would not have expected to see that warning!

So... does that mean ABC Family is siding with Beelzebub?


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## FTA Michael (Jul 21, 2002)

I see that on other stations just before infomercials. Sounds like a CYA to me.


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## SamC (Jan 20, 2003)

Deal goes back to the sale of the Family Channel to Fox. Part of the sale was that the 700 Club show must be aired, at no charge BTW, in several specific time slots forever. ABC bought out Fox and is bound by the Fox contract.

The disclaimer can be translated as "if you don't like what Doc Robertson says, call him and not us".


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## John W (Dec 20, 2005)

SamC said:


> Deal goes back to the sale of the Family Channel to Fox. Part of the sale was that the 700 Club show must be aired, at no charge BTW, in several specific time slots forever. ABC bought out Fox and is bound by the Fox contract.
> 
> The disclaimer can be translated as "if you don't like what Doc Robertson says, call him and not us".


OK. But, what does that say about programs they don't run the disclaimer before?


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## SamC (Jan 20, 2003)

John W said:


> OK. But, what does that say about programs they don't run the disclaimer before?


The same thing it says about any company that does such a thing. For example, Fat Rosie said that the Bush administrations planted bombs in the WTC as a part of a "massive plot". In other words, that he is guilty of murdering 6000 people and that a, as yet undiscovered group of 'CIA operatives', planted enough explosives in that office complex without being noticed by the now sainted workers there, or by anybody else in the city for that matter. Since ABC does not disclaim this, we must conclude that they agree.


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## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

There's more involved here than just the transitions noted above.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABC_Family#History

The "ABC Family" actually started out as the "Christian Broadcast Network", and when it was first sold, the contract stated that 700 Club had to stay on. That clause carried forward, so ABC Family still has to carry it.

The disclaimer is all about the views expressed on the 700 Club, mostly Pat Robertson, who often express his very strong opinions about world leaders and even some U.S. leaders. See the link below for some of the controversies and criticisms he has inspired: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Robertson#Controversies_and_criticisms

ABC Family is definitely just covering their a$$, because Pat Robertson could just go off at any moment, and the network can't do anything about it because the contract keeps him on the air.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

drew2k said:


> ABC Family is definitely just covering their a$$, because Pat Robertson could just go off at any moment, and the network can't do anything about it because the contract keeps him on the air.


That much I figured... but I don't see similar disclaimers before Face the Nation or 20/20 or the View or any number of other shows.

I guess the problem is being locked into the contract so they can't just take the program off the air... still, it seemed odd to see it before a religious program. Kind of made you think that implicitly the opposite views were supported, which makes your mind wander!


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## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

HDMe said:


> Ok, last night I was watching some reruns of Whose Line is it Anyway (Drew Carey version) on ABCFamily... and after the last one goes off, there was the stern-announcer voice and a graphic stating "The following program does not reflect the views of ABCFamily"...
> 
> And then the 700 Club came on!


I was expect the next line to read about the Pat Robinson Grill.... no dice.

As you are aware, there is a "forever" clause which specifies that both the 700 Club and the "Family" must remain on the channel. The disclaimer is because ABC has absolutely no control over the content of the 700 Club (unlike Nightline and 20/20). Therefore, they distance themselves from any responsibility for anything that comes out of Pat Robinson's mouth.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

I wonder if there are any other caveats to the contract... For instance, any restrictions on the blocks of programming before or after 700 Club?

I have seen Cruel Intention on ABC Family, for instance... hardly a "family" movie.

I wonder if they put that before, and then the Omen on after 700 Club if anyone would complain?


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## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

I guess no one clicked the first link I posted earlier, about the history of the ABC Family Channel? It's very short, I promise, and includes the following:



> *700 Club disclaimers*
> 
> Following controversial remarks made by 700 Club host Pat Robertson about Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, as well as other comments, ABC Family moved to distance itself from the program, changing the disclaimers before, during, and after the broadcasts from "The following/preceding program is brought to you by CBN" to "The following/preceding CBN telecast does not reflect the views of ABC Family."


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## machavez00 (Nov 2, 2006)

Mark Holtz said:


> I was expect the next line to read about the Pat Robinson Grill.... no dice.
> 
> As you are aware, there is a "forever" clause which specifies that both the 700 Club and the "Family" must remain on the channel. The disclaimer is because ABC has absolutely no control over the content of the 700 Club (unlike Nightline and 20/20). Therefore, they distance themselves from any responsibility for anything that comes out of Pat Robinson's mouth.


It seems that ABC has absolutely no control over what Rosie says. I realize it is called "The View" for a reason but lately it seems to her view and no one else's. I like Elisabeth Hasselbeck but she comes off as too meek sometimes and does not challenge Rosie on her "statistics and facts" that she pulls out of the air. I would love to see Michelle Malkin on the "The View" for a week. One day soon Rosie will say something that even her biggest supporters cannot explain away and will be fired


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

drew2k said:


> I guess no one clicked the first link I posted earlier, about the history of the ABC Family Channel? It's very short, I promise, and includes the following:


Thanks for the follow-up... I admit, I was lazy earlier and did not go to the link you provided. That does give some insight, and explain why it was something I had not remembered seeing in the past. I am not a regular ABCFamily viewer, so I obviously missed when the new message first started.

Maybe if the relationship is really souring ABC will find a loophole to let them out of the contractual obligations... or like I posted earlier, schedule some really anti-700 Club programming immediately before and after.


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## ethgil (May 23, 2004)

The 700 Club deserves to be labeled an informercial program. Its primary purpose is fund raising. And many gullible people, especially the elderly, send more money than they can afford. Pat Robertson is not poor!


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## djlong (Jul 8, 2002)

The difference is that, if any of those other programs "pulls an Imus", ABC could yank them off the air in response. Because they contractually CANNOT do that with "The 700 Club", they make sure that everyone knows the score.


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