| Type | Religious Broadcasting Network |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Availability | National |
Key people | Jim Bakker—President Richard Dortch—Chairman |
Launch date | 1974 1990: as The New Inspirational Network (INSP) 2015: as PTL Television Network |
The PTL Television Network, often referred to as simply PTL,[1] is an American evangelical Christian television network originally located in Fort Mill, South Carolina, founded by Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker in 1974 and dedicated in April 1977. During PTL's fourteen-year history, the Bakkers, as hosts of the network's flagship talk show, The PTL Club, became two of the most recognizable and highly-rated televangelists in the U.S. However, PTL collapsed in 1987 after a former church secretary, Jessica Hahn, accused the evangelist of rape, while later financial scandals revealed that the couple had used the nonprofit PTL's donations to fund an opulent personal lifestyle. Bakker went to prison for embezzlement in 1989.
After PTL declared bankruptcy, the cable network was sold in 1989 to Morris Cerullo World Evangelism of San Diego, California, and was eventually named INSP, now headquartered at facilities that were constructed in Indian Land, South Carolina. Twenty years after his release from prison, Bakker, having gone back into television evangelism, purchased PTL's trademark and logo and relaunched the network.