TV & VIDEO - Oct. 6, 1987

The Rev. Jerry Falwell is pulling his “Old-Time Gospel Hour” program off nearly 50 TV stations because “an understandably negative feeling” about television evangelists has dried up donations, a spokesman said Monday in Lynchburg, Va., the base of Falwell’s religious empire. The program has received $5.3 million less in donations from television viewers over the last six months, apparently because of publicity over the PTL scandal, according to spokesman Mark DeMoss. Three hundred and forty stations still air the “Old-Time Gospel Hour” nationwide, but more could be dropped in coming days. DeMoss said the $5.3-million decline was offset by funding increases from other Falwell businesses, including tuition increases at the 8,000-student Liberty University.