Editing Christian Broadcasting Network (section)

=== The 1990s ===
On January 8, 1990, the national TV network was sold to related entity [[ABC Family Worldwide|International Family Entertainment]] (IFE). IFE was majority owned by the Robertson family, with a minority interest held by [[John C. Malone]].<ref>{{cite news |author=Joseph Pryweller |date=January 10, 1990 |title=Sold Family Channel Keeps Lineup |newspaper=[[Daily Press (Virginia)|Daily Press]] |publisher=[[Tribune Publishing]] |url=https://www.dailypress.com/1990/01/10/sold-family-channel-keeps-lineup/ |url-status=live |access-date=October 9, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151124152130/http://articles.dailypress.com/1990-01-10/news/9001100076_1_family-channel-timothy-robertson-international-family-entertainment |archive-date=November 24, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=October 15, 2003 |title=Interview with Pat Robertson |url=http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/pat-robertson# |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924012927/http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/pat-robertson |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |access-date=February 14, 2014 |website=Archive of American Television}}</ref> The sale was said{{by whom|date=June 2022}} to have been done because the channel had become too profitable for CBN to maintain its non-profit status. On September 15 that year, the newly sold channel rebranded as '''[[History of Freeform (TV channel)|The Family Channel]]'''. It remained the most watched outlet for CBN programs. IFE went on to launch other TV channels in the US and UK, and planned to extend itself further.

1990 also saw CBN University become known as ''Regent University''.<ref name="regent.edu" /> CBN built luxury hotel ''The Founders Inn and Spa'' at the university campus, and this was completed in 1990. The name of the hotel refers to the US [[Founding Fathers]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Hotels in Virginia Beach VA &#124; The Founders Inn and Spa – The Hotel &#124; Hotels near Virginia Beach Sportsplex |url=http://www.foundersinn.com/hotel-overview/virginia-beach-hotels |access-date=2015-11-13 |publisher=Foundersinn.com}}</ref>

The year 1990 was also when CBN programs began to be broadcast in the Soviet Union, and then in its successor states after they declared independence. It started with primetime specials, and later The 700 Club and Superbook. These broadcasts were followed by 190 rallies throughout the region that resulted in the establishment of 190 churches.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2020-06-17 |title=History of CBN - days of small beginnings |url=https://www.cbneurope.com/updates/australia/history_cbn/ |access-date=2022-06-01 |website=CBN Europe |language=en-GB}}</ref> Similar special projects were implemented in the Philippines and Romania in 1994.<ref name=":1" />

'''[[CBN Asia]]''' was established in the [[Philippines]] & [[Hong Kong]] on October 1, 1994.

CBN launched its first website in March 1995.<ref name=":3" /> Also that year, Tagalog-language ''The 700 Club Asia'' began.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.cbnasia.org/about-us/ |access-date=2022-06-01 |website=CBN Asia {{!}} Proclaiming Christ and Transforming Lives through Media, Prayer Counseling, Humanitarian, and Missionary Training |language=en-US}}</ref>

'''CBN Africa'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=https://cbnafrica.org/ |access-date=2022-06-01 |website=CBN Africa |language=en-ZA}}</ref> was established. In 1997, ''Turning Point International'' (TPi), an English-language magazine program for people of African descent around the world, began.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ABOUT TPi |url=https://tpizone.com/turning-point-international/ |access-date=2022-06-01 |language=en-US}}</ref>

On June 5, 1997, METV launched its 24-hour programming broadcast on the [[Israel Aerospace Industries|Israeli satellite]] [[Amos-2|Amos 2]]. This allowed it to reach a potential audience of 200 million people in 15 nations including Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and Cyprus.<ref name=":1" />

IFE was sold to [[News Corporation (1980–2013)|News Corporation]] later in June 1997.<ref name=":6">{{Cite news |last=Fabrikant |first=Geraldine |date=1997-06-12 |title=Murdoch Set To Buy Family Cable Concern |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/12/business/murdoch-set-to-buy-family-cable-concern.html |access-date=2022-06-03 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> At this time, The Family Channel was the US's ninth largest cable network, reaching 67 million homes.<ref name=":6" /> The terms of the sale stipulated that the channel continue carrying ''The 700 Club'' in perpetuity.<ref>{{cite news |date=January 6, 1991 |title=Family Channel Strays from Religion, Embraces Clean Fun |newspaper=[[Albany Times Union]] |publisher=[[Hearst Corporation]] |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-156256899.html |url-status=dead |access-date=February 27, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105164105/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-156256899.html |archive-date=November 5, 2012 |via=[[HighBeam Research]]}}</ref> Pat Robertson said that "We expect to continue to benefit from The Family Channel's... growing family entertainment franchise."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mills |first=Mike |date=1997-06-12 |title=MURDOCH TO BUY HALF OF FAMILY CHANNEL |language=en-US |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1997/06/12/murdoch-to-buy-half-of-family-channel/5eede35b-5463-4065-87fe-72181010c3ff/ |access-date=2022-06-03 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> (The Family Channel was renamed ''Fox Family Channel'' in August 1998. The channel was then sold to [[The Walt Disney Company]] in 2001, which renamed it as ''ABC Family'', later renaming it again to [[Freeform (TV channel)|Freeform]].)

On March 24, 1999, the inaugural live broadcast of ''The 700 Club Asia'' aired.<ref name=":2" />