The Old-Time Gospel Hour

The Old-Time Gospel Hour was a ministry radio and television program broadcast from Thomas Road Baptist Church hosted by minister Jerry Falwell featuring the church's Sunday service.^[1] Started in 1956^[2] by Jerry Falwell, The Old-Time Gospel Hour gained a national following on radio and television.^[3] The series was a major revenue source for Falwell, bringing in more than $90 million during the early 1980s.^[4] The show's popularity continued through the 1990s, during which time it was still broadcast on hundreds of stations across the country.^[5]

The Old-Time Gospel Hour
Presented by	Jerry Falwell
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Production location	Lynchburg, Virginia
Running time	59 minutes[1]
Production company	Thomas Road Baptist Church
Original release
Release	1956 (1956) – 2007 (2007)

The television show ended after Falwell died in 2007. His son, Jonathan Falwell, became the primary minister featured in the Sunday services^[6] and eventually folded the show into the church's online video library and livestream website called Thomas Road On Demand.^[7]

In popular culture

Bono of the band U2 mentions The Old-Time Gospel Hour in the 1988 live version of the song "Bullet the Blue Sky" on the album Rattle and Hum. Toward the end of the song, there is a spoken section where he says "...and I can't tell the difference between ABC News, Hill Street Blues, and a preacher on the Old-Time Gospel Hour stealing money from the sick and the old. Well, the God I believe in isn't short of cash, mister."^[8]

References

1. "POT 1335- Growth is still important". Archived from the original on 2024-10-01. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
2. "Old Time Gospel Hour (TV Series 1956– ) - IMDb". IMDb. Archived from the original on 2022-06-13. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
3. "Reverend Jerry Falwell at Liberty University – Encyclopedia Virginia". Archived from the original on 2024-10-01. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
4. Anderson, David (10 April 1993). "Jerry Falwell's Ministry Fined For Taking Role In Politics". Washington Post. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
5. Turner, Darrell (20 Oct 1990). "Nashville station sues "Old Time Gospel Hour'". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on 1 October 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
6. "Weekly TV Program". Archived from the original on 2022-05-28. Retrieved 2024-10-01.
7. "Thomas Road On Demand". watch.trbc.org.
8. "U2 Bullet The Blue Sky Lyrics". Archived from the original on 2010-01-03. Retrieved 2009-07-30.

External links

• Official website