The Christian broadcaster made his announcement this morning as the show's parent channel marks a major anniversary.
What a momentous day for Pat Robertson. Not only does his TV outlet, The Christian Broadcasting Network, celebrate 60 years on the air today, but he also is stepping down from his daily duties on The 700 Club, a show that he has been hosting since launching it in 1966.
The 91-year old Virginia native broke the news to viewers on this morning's anniversary broadcast, saying, "Today's show will be my last as host of The 700 Club." The one-time Republican presidential candidate had quite a run on the program, interviewing five U.S. presidents, including Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump, and numerous foreign leaders over the years. He also played host to many Christian luminaries, like Corrie Ten Boom, Chuck Colson, Tony Evans, Franklin Graham, Anne Graham Lotz and Max Lucado.
Robertson plans to now devote his time to teaching at Regent University, a Christian school that he founded in 1977. He will also make a monthly appearance on an interactive version of The 700 Club, which took its unusual name from a 1962 telethon in which 700 viewers pledged $10 per month to help with the channel's budget. The daily version of the show will stay in the family, as it were, because Robertson's son, Gordon - also CEO of The Christian Broadcasting Network - will take over his on-air duties, joining the other existing hosts of the news and magazine program.
As for CBN, as the Virginia Beach, VA-based channel is commonly known, it became America's first Christian TV network when Robertson founded it after taking over a bankrupt local channel. As it celebrates six decades of operations, it has grown into a broadcasting powerhouse, covering 97 percent of America's TV markets, reaching some 200 countries around the globe and broadcasting programs in 70 languages. The network has put together a documentary in honor of its 60th anniversary and you can watch it via this link to get the full story.