THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 14, 1995 TAG: 9510140310
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ESTHER DISKIN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network on Friday laid off 65 people, in an effort to streamline and deploy its staff of 1,200 toward a greater focus on international evangelism, company officials announced.
The staff cuts were spread throughout the nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation, which has evolved over 35 years into an umbrella organization for Robertson's ministries and related ventures.
The job losses did not extend to the 10 members of the company's senior executive team, but did include 20 people in the advertising division, which was eliminated, said CBN President Michael Little. He announced the layoffs Friday at a noon staff meeting, which included a time of prayer.
``We discovered a vast interest in the Gospel of Jesus Christ worldwide and we're gearing up CBN for the future,'' Little said. ``Not all of the jobs that we've had in the past are what we need in the future.''
In September, Robertson announced a worldwide evangelism effort dubbed ``WorldReach,'' which will use television, films, and religious literature in an attempt to convert 500 million people to Christianity.
This week, CBN started television broadcasts in India and it plans to gear up a broadcasting effort in Albania, Little said. He said other international ventures are being planned, but are not at a stage to be announced publicly.
Recently, CBN has moved to scale down its domestic operations. In August, the company completed a gradual closing of CBN Travel, a full-service, for-profit travel agency that featured tours to Israel, Little said. Northstar Entertainment, a for-profit producer of television shows, videos and films, has been inactive since June, according to Little and Gene Kapp, CBN's vice president for media relations.
Last year, the organization sold three media ventures, a television station in Dallas, a radio station in Oklahoma and Standard News, a Washington-based radio news and wire service designed to compete with the Associated Press.
While CBN's new focus on international markets is the main reason for the layoffs, there has also been a ``financial tightening,'' Kapp said. ``We're convinced that CBN's future is a strong one. Like all ministries that rely on supporters for financial means, we face challenges from time to time.''
He declined to provide details about CBN's ongoing fund-raising efforts, which include requests for donations through Robertson's weekday news and spiritual show, ``The 700 Club.''
Staff members laid off on Friday received a compensation package, a 25-page packet of information on steps to take in seeking a new employment and offers for job counseling. CBN officials declined to provide details about the severance packages, but said medical benefits were included.
Little said the layoffs are not extensive, but are painful for a company that feels like ``a big family.''
``The Christian way to do it is to say, `These are the realities,' and be honest and up front. We're repositioning for the future,'' he said. ``We're doing everything we can to help place them with employers in the area.'' by CNB