The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) is an American Christian media production company that produces consistently anti-transgender content that is distributed around the world.
Founder Pat Robertson is listed on the GLAAD Accountability Project, and in 2026, CBN was listed by Amnesty International UK in reports on anti-rights movements in the United Kingdom.
Background
In 1960, Baptist minister and entrepreneur Pat Robertson (1930–2023) launched Christian Broadcasting Network after purchasing UHF television station WTOV-TV in Portsmouth, Virginia. Robertson renamed it WYAH-TV, using the first three letters of Yahweh, a name for God used in the Old Testament. WYAH-TV began broadcasting on October 1, 1961.
The 700 Club
When the station faced financial struggles in 1963, Robertson began holding telethons urging 700 people to donate $10 a month. This inspired the name of The 700 Club, their flagship production. The first permanent hosts of The 700 Club were Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, starting on April 1, 1966. In 1972, the Bakkers left CBN to help launch Trinity Broadcasting Network, then began their own broadcasting network after launching The PTL Club in 1974.
Pat Robertson took over as permanent host of The 700 Club after the Bakkers left. Hosts and co-hosts have included:
- Pat Robertson (1966–1987; 1988–2021)
- Ben Kinchlow (1975–1988, 1992–1996)
- Sheila Walsh (1987–1992)
- Danuta Rylko Soderman (1983–1988)
- Tim Robertson with Ben Kinchlow and Susan Howard (1987–1988) [during Pat Robertson’s presidential run]
- Terry Meeuwsen (1993–)
- Lisa Ryan (1996–2005)
- Kristi Watts (1999–2013)
- Wendy Griffith (2013–)
- Gordon Robertson (2021–)
- Ashley Key (2021–)
- Andrew Knox (2022–)
Other programming
- CBN NewsWatch (daily short-form news capsule)
- Christian World News (weekly international news)
- The Brody File hosted by David Brody
- Superbook (children’s programming featuring Bible stories)
- Flying House (children’s programming co-produced by Tatsunoko featuring Bible stories)
- One Cubed (youth lifestyle show)
CBN also produces news specials, documentaries, teaching programs, and podcasts.
Anti-trans activism
Pat Robertson frequently made anti-gay comments. Robertson surprised many in 2013 by saying that being transgender is not a sin, then added, “But somebody who just says ‘Well, I’m really a woman’ – I question the validity of that statement. They say they’re counted as female… You don’t count somebody as female as they really are or male as they really are.”
In 2014, Robertson advised a parent of an adult transgender child, “I think the first thing you do is make sure this guy knows what he’s talking about, that this isn’t some momentary fantasy that he’s engaged in. You should have some tests and things done just to help him. This is a pretty permanent deal. The cut off your male member and you can’t get it back. And they give your hormones and such. Now, if indeed this is a true situation of woman feelings and hormonal responses that’s trappen in a male body – and there are a few of those – I can’t see anything sinful about changing it. I know people say ‘Well, it’s the way God made them.’ Well, yeah sure, but God could have done a lot of things that we get corrective surgery for. So I don’t think if somebody is a true transgender we should condemn them. That’s just the way it is. Nevertheless, as a living parent you should counsel that person, say ‘You’ve got to make absolutely certain that you know what you’re doing.’ This isn’t just something you’re doing because you happen to find an attraction toward some man someplace and you think you’re a female. You better check that one out pretty carefully. But in terms of parents, the guy’s 30 years old. He’s an adult, a mature adult. What can you do except love him?”
In 2016, during debates about North Carolina’s anti-trans bathroom bill, Robertson said, “I think it’s perfectly reasonable to say ‘We don’t want men going into women’s bathrooms. We don’t want predators going up where little girls are. We don’t want voyeurs having free access to the women’s locker rooms during games when they’re changing clothes. We just don’t want that.’ And I think that’s perfectly reasonable. And why people are in such outrage over this whole thing. We haven’t heard much about this transgender stuff for about the last five years or so. I said on this program several years ago, if somebody honest to goodness feels she is a woman trapped in a man’s body, then she has a perfect right to take hormones and to have surgery and change to what she really feels, and think somewhere along the way there was a biological mistake. But people like that are relatively rare. So much of this other stuff is put-up, it’s put on and it’s just a fraud.”
In subsequent years, CBN became increasingly anti-transgender in their coverage, particularly on their blog.
CBN has produced a number of anti-LGBT programs and segments, including:
- Homosexuality: A Christian View (2016)
- A Change of Affection (2019) [featuring ex-gay activist Becket Cook]
- Former LGBTQ Members Say Their Changed Lives Prove Homosexuality Isn’t Permanent (2019)
- Lifestyle Change: LGBTQ No More! (2019)
- Former LGBTQers Testify: If You No Longer Want to Be Gay or Transgender, You Don’t Have to Be (2020)
- Transgender Athletes (2020)
- Transgender Rights (2021)
International distribution and offices
According to their website, CBN broadcasts in 45 languages and dialects to 168 countries and territories. They claim 765 million people viewed at least one episode of CBN International programs.
According to their 2025 annual report, CBN maintains offices in the following countries:
North America
- United States (CBN headquarters, Virginia Beach, Virginia)
- Canada
- Mexico
Central America
- Guatemala
- Costa Rica
Europe
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- Ukraine
Africa
- Senegal
- Nigeria
- South Africa
- Kenya
Middle East
- Israel
Asia
- India
- Myanmar
- Thailand
- Cambodia
- Indonesia
- China
- South Korea
- Hong Kong
- Philippines
References
Ring, Trudy (June 8, 2023). Pat Robertson’s History of Terrible, Vile Anti-LGBTQ+ Statements. The Advocate https://www.advocate.com/news/pat-robertson-homophobic-history
Tashman, Brian (April 19, 2016). Pat Robertson: Many Transgender People Are Frauds. Right Wing Watch http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/pat-robertson-many-transgender-people-are-frauds
Ring, Trudy (February 14, 2026). WATCH: Pat Robertson Goes Nuclear in New Transphobic Rant. The Advocate https://www.advocate.com/transgender/2016/2/24/watch-pat-robertson-goes-nuclear-new-transphobic-rant
Brydum, Sunnivie (July 29, 2013). WATCH: Pat Robertson Says Being Transgender Is Not a Sin. The Advocate https://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2013/07/29/watch-pat-robertson-says-being-transgender-not-sin
Media
CBN (December 23, 2025). Pastors React to Transgender Rights Becoming Election Issue. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2Tf5ToBsho
CBN with Laura Perry Smalts (2021). Transgender to Transformed. https://cbn.com/article/amazing-stories/transgender-transformed
Right Wing Watch (April 19, 2016). RWW News: Robertson: Many Trans People Are Frauds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQ8rEb1wNFE
CBN with Walt Heyer (June 4, 2015). Transgendered Regret: Sex Change ‘Fixed Nothing.’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9jC34sk_3I
CBN with Pat Robertson (February 13, 2014). Bring It On-Line: First Fruits. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm-J0v2S5C0
CBN with Pat Robertson (July 29, 2013). Bring It On-Line: Am I stealing from God? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWkMFDFMF2A&t=148s
Resources
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
GLAAD Accountability Project (glaad.org/gap)
- Pat Robertson
- glaad.org/gap/pat-robertson
Christian Broadcasting Network (cbn.com)
YouTube (youtube.com)
Facebook (facebook.com)
X/Twitter (x.com)
Instagram (instagram.com)
OneClick (oneclick.bio)