Cerullo Finds Satellite to Carry His Broadcasts

In the face of a federal bankruptcy court decision this week that might have affected his attempt to purchase the PTL empire, San Diego evangelist Morris Cerullo said he has found a satellite to broadcast his “New Inspirational Network.”

The decision Tuesday in Columbia, S.C., had freed Home Box Office of any obligation to extend a 1985 contract with PTL--which runs out in February--for satellite space for the network.

Dennis Shedd, the court-appointed trustee overseeing the sale of PTL, had warned that the court decision could be a death knell to the deal.

Judge Thurmond Bishop ruled against the preferential right that Cerullo claimed to negotiate an extension of PTL’s contract for satellite time from HBO.

HBO officials said they can strike a better deal for their satellite time from someone else.

Despite Shedd’s statements, sources familiar with the case say it presented Cerullo with only a minor hurdle.

The sources said the main added expense would come because each of the 800 cable systems which can receive the network’s programming via HBO’s satellite would have to obtain a new dish to receive from whatever satellite Cerullo contracted with. But they estimated that would only mean a cost to Cerullo of about $1.2 million, or about $1,500 per dish for the 800 systems.

An agreement was signed Wednesday between Morris Cerullo World Evangelism and Hughes Communications Inc. to use a satellite to be launched in 1992. Cerullo spokesman Alan Elias did not say what Cerullo would do until the new satellite is available.