Imagine a television station, airing Christian programming, broadcasting throughout the land of Israel, Palestinian territories and beyond.
As of Christmas Day 2012, Holy Land Broadcasting has been doing that live from Bethlehem with a network of television stations that reaches Israel and surrounding areas with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Holy Land Broadcasting is a project begun by Dr. Bob Rodgers, Pastor of Evangel World Prayer Center of Louisville, Ky., and founder of Word Broadcasting Network.
While there has been Christian programming on satellite and cable systems previously in Israel on networks such as TBN, Daystar and GodTV, there previously has never been a broadcast Christian television station in the country with local programming. For the first time, the gospel is being preached locally from the airwaves in Israel.
“This is a historic moment… after 100 days of prayer and fasting, God opened this door,” Rodgers said in December. “Just as the angels announced (from Bethlehem) the First Coming, the television signal becomes like the voice of an angel announcing His Second Coming.”
The network’s Dec. 25 launch occurred from its broadcast operations center in Bethlehem on a hill on the city’s highest point. The fields of Boaz where Ruth gleaned are visible from the hill. Five miles away is the city of Jerusalem.
The network also launched on a second frequency that covers Jerusalem and can be received as far away as Amman, Jordan.
Rodgers said the station shows 16 hours of Christian programming each day along with movies with Arabic and Hebrew subtitles, sports, sitcoms and a flagship program that local ministers host.
