Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson, who has sharply criticized The Virginian-Pilot in the past, is considering making a bid to buy the newspaper, an associate said Thursday.
Landmark Communications Inc., a Norfolk-based media company, announced last week that it was evaluating whether to sell all of its assets, including The Weather Channel and The Pilot.
"Although the price for The Weather Channel is a little rich for my blood, I am considering a potential bid for the Pilot and have asked my attorneys to look into it," Robertson said in an e-mail forwarded by his personal assistant, G.G. Conklin. "It would be particularly helpful to provide internships for Regent University journalism students."
In a subsequent e-mail, Conklin confirmed his interest. Robertson, she said, "has no further comments to offer at this time."
Robertson is the first investor to announce that he might seek to acquire The Pilot.
A top Landmark official and some analysts suggest The Weather Channel and other weather-related properties might bring as much as $5 billion. No estimates have yet been floated on The Pilot, which most recently had an average seven-day audited circulation of 186,489. In addition to The Pilot, Landmark has a number of Web and print publications that do business under Pilot Media Cos.
Frank Batten Jr., the chairman and chief executive officer of Landmark, said Thursday he was not aware that Robertson was considering making an offer. Batten declined to discuss the possibility, saying, "I am not going to comment on the bidders."
Landmark officials have said the sales process could take six months or more to complete.
Robertson is the founder and chairman of The Christian Broadcasting Network and is host of "The 700 Club." He also is founder of Operation Blessing and the American Center for Law and Justice, which is intended to be a conservative response to the American Civil Liberties Union.
Robertson is president and founder of Regent University, a private Christian school in Virginia Beach. The university, which offers bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism, enrolled about 4,440 students last fall, according to state records.
In the past, Robertson has expressed interest in purchasing journalistic businesses but has not completed the deals.
He offered $6 million for the struggling United Press International news service in 1992 but dropped the bid a month later, saying it would cost too much to keep UPI in business.
In January 1995, a spokesman said that he was part of a business group interested in purchasing the Houston Post. In April of that year, the paper was bought by the Hearst Corp., owner of the Post's rival, the Houston Chronicle.
Hearst immediately closed the Post.
Randall Balmer, a professor of U.S. religious history at Columbia University who studies evangelicals, said an offer from Robertson "strikes me as a Rupert Murdoch kind of move, diversifying into different forms of media, obviously on a much smaller scale than Murdoch."
"It makes sense in a lot of ways," Balmer said. "It allows him to expand his journalism program at Regent University and to provide, in effect, guaranteed internships and a place of employment for his graduates."
John Green, a senior fellow with the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life and a professor at the University of Akron in Ohio, wrote in an e-mail: "I don't know enough about Robertson's business plans to comment. I'm not sure owning the newspaper would further any political goals he might have - unless he has local political goals."
Robertson ran unsuccessfully for president in 1988.
Robertson began his media career in 1960 with the purchase of an independent television station in Portsmouth.
He was founder and co-chairman of International Family Entertainment Inc., whose principal business was The Family Channel. The company was sold in 1997 for $1.9 billion to Fox Kids Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of Murdoch's News Corp. Disney bought the channel in 2001.
Robertson has objected to articles in The Pilot that he has said unfairly characterized his pursuits. Most recently, an article last month said Regent's counseling program has experienced an exodus of nearly half of its faculty members. Students, the article said, have been punished for voicing concerns.
Robertson wrote a letter to the editor saying the article "left out critical facts that were provided to the writer."
"I am committed to giving both students and faculty what they need to perform with excellence," he wrote.
News researcher Jakon Hays contributed to this report.
Philip Walzer, (757) 222-3864, phil.walzer@pilotonline.com
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I can see it now
I can see it now: The Virginian-God-Is-My-Co-Pilot.
Hell No!!!
Oh hell no!!!
No surprise
I have to admit, it took long enough. Seems religion is everywhere in this foresaken commenwealth. If Pat buys the Pilot, I will no longer read it. I don't appreciate people pushing their faith around. We all saw what happened when someone outside of his faith tried to create a place of worship in Pungo. Goes to show that money can buy you everything. Every religion has their own version of a bible to read. For those of us who are atheist, don't force us to read it.
Heavenly Father Please Save Us All
This is not good at all. This is disgusting. The first amendment under the control of con man Pat Robertson who claims to have special status with God Almighty and who says to his viewers that they should "touch their tv screens for a miracle."
Pat Robertson
We should all fall down on our knees and thank God that Pat Robertson never became an elected official. We should all go down on our knees now and pray that this take-over does not occur. COLLUSION is Pat Robertson's middle name. He is completely immoral and his son Gordon is just like him. They are cheats. They invoke God in their schemes and they smear anyone who wants them to be accountable for their wrongs. They use prayer and healing as a money-making tool and also in other very hurtful ways. As a Christian, it hurts to see what they do everyday on that tv show.
Not truthful, just humble or serving others
"Reid_Greenmun on Fri, 01/11/2008 at 5:56 pm.
.......Christains are taught to be truthful, just, humble, and to serve others....." Robertson is not truthful, just, humble or serves others. He has lied, he has twisted the truth, he has not owned up to his mistakes but gave excuses for them and he only serves one person, himself. Know what it takes to be a student or work at CBN? They make you sign a pledge that you won't be a person, but a robot of their beliefs. Now imagine a newspaper employing those freaks reporting on what they are told the news should read. I'll guarantee that the Pilot will be shut down or sold at a loss within a year of Robertson buying it. But hey, we have hope, previous bids he has been involved in haven't gone through.
When Religious Fanatics..
..start controlling your media (which we have anyway to some extent) you will get the same results you have in Iran. If any of the Batten family seriously considers this?..which they are by the way, I hope you all rot in hell. You are not journalists! You and your share holders sold your soul to an idiot and a cheap, white collar thief! I am against this! This will not be good for Hampton Roads.
Sad
I was going to do a witty bit about the possibilities. I started looking up Pat's past - forget the wit- it is just too sad. Of course it is a great internship opportunity and the more interns he uses the easier to just kick them off the paper (and out of school) if they disagree with him.
Hopefully this deal won't happen- but if it DOES I hope there is an independent paper poised to provide news for the public. I also empathize with all the Pilot's employees. Leave on principle (so as not to be part of something biased) or stay on principle (and try to provide balance)? It is a choice worthy of Vonnegut. Of course, maybe Pat would stay out of it.... But I won't be reading- on principle.
Separation of Church and Press?
Like the two readers whose letters appeared in the V-P today (January 12, 2008), I would immediately cancel my subscription to the Pilot if it came under the control of Pat Robertson or any of his underlings. I would expect no more truth or objectivity from a Robertson-branded "news" operation than from one run by the late Ayatollah Khomeni. Call me intolerant if you will, but I have seen no evidence that Robertson respects our democratic traditions, including freedom of speech (for others) and freedom from religious oppression.
bigots, all
Glad to see Pat has drawn out the usual religious bigots from behind the curtain. Go now and pray to St. Hillary, for she'll certainly save you from evil, ol' Pat.
RELIGIOUS BIGOTRY???
richardm92069 said, “I'm glad to see that religious bigotry is alive and well in Hampton Roads”.
No one’s talking about religion. We’re talking about Pat.
I’ve heard of the race card, but I’ve never heard of a religion card for Christians. Where did you buy it? I could use one of those, myself!
richardm92069 also said, “he would likely gain plenty of Republican/conservative subscribers”.
Are you saying that all conservatives are wackos?
Pat Robertson buying the Pilot?
What a sorry day that would be. Hopefully the Battens will recognize this blighting scum for what he is - a common opportunist wearing the expedient cloak of a minister. How original -- No need to sell to him -there must be some humans buyers available. Thankfully, he and Jerry Falwell will be spending some quality time together soon someplace warm ... but not soon enough.
Come on -- it wouldn't be
Come on -- it wouldn't be that bad. Multi-level marketing scams for Vitamins, perhaps some Diamond distribution from third world nations that act so horribly to their people that our gov't won't do business with them. Oh, they can kick kids out of their school. They can make all of the employees of the paper sign a paper stating that they are the same religion, which generally would be illegal (They do this at for-profit businesses like Founders Inn I'm told). They can turn the paper into Non-profit, solicit donations, then hire their personal for-profit owned companies as contractors (Like Compass Technologies) to move the donation money into private pockets. But in the end, just be sure to put the religions stuff where it belongs -- on the comics page.
E.L.
Dear Lord,
Please do not allow this man anymore room to twist your words, and brainwash the zealots into mass hatred and hysteria.
Thanks,
E.L.
Religious bigotry and the Fox Propaganda maching.
I found the remarks of one of the posters very amusing when he talked about "religious bigotry" in regards to the people that have disdain for the narrow minded cult aka as "evangelical republicans". The most profound bigots in the world are Pat Robertson and the Evangelicals. The 700 club, and their kin, like Frank Magee etc. preach more hatred than any group of people I have ever heard next to radical Islamics. They constantly preach hatred for gays, and Muslims like Hitler did during his reign in Nazi Germany. The idea that this group of people would begin to control a local newspaper is mind boggling to say the least. Rupert Murdock, has proven that he can very well sway a country into a disaster with the Fox Network, the largest Propaganda machine in the history of the world. And a very effective machine that would make the Nazi's Joseph Goebbles green with Envy. One of the main founders of the Fox network made a very interesting comment about Fox. "We do not care about reporting the news, only the ILLUSION of News".
Perhaps Roberston will rename the Virginian Pilot "DER ANGRIFF"
Bigotry and Jealousy Run Rampant in Hampton Roads
I'm glad to see that religious bigotry is alive and well in Hampton Roads--of course, I might also add that jealousy seems to be reaching epidemic proportions as well.
I don't agree with Robertson on plenty of things, but it's undeniable that he's a sharp businessman. As far as I'm concerned, Robertson could hardly do any worse than the Pilot has been doing for years. The Pilot is far from fair and balanced--just look at the list of candidates that they endorse EVERY YEAR.
As for all these people who are going to cancel their subscriptions, it should be noted that the conservatives have already abandoned the paper. While Robertson would lose the Nader-Dean-Kucinich liberals, he would likely gain plenty of Republican/conservative subscribers.
Bigotry and Jealousy Run Rampant in Hampton roads
I'm glad to see that religious bigotry is alive and well in Hampton Roads--of course, I might also add that jealousy seems to be reaching epidemic proportions as well.
I don't agree with Robertson on plenty of things, but it's undeniable that he's a sharp businessman. As far as I'm concerned, Robertson could hardly do any worse than the Pilot has been doing for years. The Pilot is far from fair and balanced--just look at the list of candidates that they endorse EVERY YEAR.
As for all these people who are going to cancel their subscriptions, it should be noted that the conservatives have already abandoned the paper. While Robertson would lose the Nader-Dean-Kucinich liberals, he would likely gain plenty of Republican/conservative subscribers.
Praise the Lord and Thank the FCC!
Deregulation! Profit! Holy Warriors, Tax Breaks and class warfare, right here in our own back yard!
Likely bad for the Pilot, oh well. It was fun while it lasted. I pray that the Daily Press steps up and takes whats rightly theirs! Hampton Roads!
All kidding aside - this would be a curse and an injustice to our community!
I second
Mrs. R's comment, ABC now owns The Family Channel, didn't he have a piece of WGNT? I know that is where The 700 Club started.
The pilot is already dead!
The pilot is now dead! Pat Robertson, or Rupert Murdock, or Bill Kristol, who cares? This paper sold out months ago. Hey! Pilot, do you need to wait to approve this? Who does the approval you or Fox? Give me a break.
Please don't sell to that wacko!
The Pilot is not entirely unbiased (obviously, with columnists like Kerry), but Pat's psychotic slant is definitely NOT what my favorite paper needs...
Pat Robertson - Only Local Newspaper
If he purchases the Pilot we will cancel our subscription immediately.
Oh please God!
If You are listening, stop this man!!!!!
Holy Cow!!!!
This had better be a joke. I can't imagine a Robertson owned newspaper much less the Pilot. Then it would be a total waste of a tree and readership would drop like crazy. It's bad enough he's on TV every day making a fool of himself, ripping off people and their money, we sure as heck don't need him owning the Pilot.
????
I will cancel my subscription the day Pat Robertson takes over. That man will not get one dime of my money...
My, such hostility!
I am not surprised to read so much anger and hostility directed towards Pat Roberts - and, in some cases, Christian in general. Well, I would be very pleased to have CNB own the Pilot. Christains are taught to be truthful, just, humble, and to serve others. These are good qualities that could result is a wonderful regional newspaper. Perhaps the Lord will be answering the prayers of many of his faithful if he were to direct his servant Pat to offer our region a more equitible, fair, and wholly truthful media voice. Please Lord, guide Pat to do your will.
Good idea.
When Mr. Robertson ran The Family Channel (not sure if he still does) he did an excellent job. I have no reason to think he wouldn't run a paper in the same way. It may become more conservative but that would be good. We need more conservative papers to balance the playing field. I am sure he would operate the business to make a profit and that would ensure the paper was run responsibly.
Just Maybe
My Theory is that if Pat, P.T.(There's a Sucker Born-Again every minute) Robertson buys the Pilot, his Weird Right Wing opinions will cancel out the Pilot's Weird Left Wing opinions and we'll end up with a reasonably Moderate newspaper.
making a bid to buy the newspaper
That will cancel my subscribtion to the Pilot!
Well....
It is a free market, if he buys it then it will just help someone else to start up a competitive newspaper to the Pilot. Honestly, I've always been interested in the small time papers. I advertised my Hampton Roads music site in the small papers in Richmond, because I couldn't afford to advertise it here. I did find a few small ones -- The Downtowner, and perhaps a short lived indy paper called The Southerner. The Downtowner is the only one with regular printing and availability. Competition keeps people on their toes.