Pat Robertson steps down from 'The 700 Club' to focus on teaching at Regent University
One of America's longest-standing television hosts, televangelist Pat Robertson is stepping down as the host of the Christian Broadcasting Network's "The 700 Club."
In an announcement Friday, the 60th anniversary of the first live CBN broadcast, the 91-year-old founder of the network said he will focus his efforts teaching students at Regent University, the evangelical university he founded in 1977.
Robertson is widely known as a political commentator, former Republican presidential candidate and former Southern Baptist minister.
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Robertson announced that his son, Gordon Robertson, who has served as co-host of "The 700 Club"for the past 24 years, will become the full-time host of the news-based program that has been around since 1966.
"Today's show will be my final, as host," Robertson declared. "My replacement will be my very capable son."
"'Good and faithful' doesn't even begin to describe my father's service to C.B.N. for 60 years," Gordon Robertson, who has two decades of experience as executive producer for "The 700 Club," said in a statement.
Despite no longer being the host, the elder Robertson will not put "The 700 Club" entirely behind him.
He plans to make occasional appearances starting in October 2021. Every month, Robertson will be featured in interactive episodes to answer viewer emails. Additionally, he will occasionally serve as a senior consultant on international news affairs for the program.
CBN has studios in Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Jerusalem and broadcasts reach 174 countries and territories in 70 languages and dialects.
"The 700 Club" has premiered various interviews with numerous world leaders, cultural influencers, religious leaders and celebrities. Over the years, Robertson has interviewed U.S. Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, George W. Bush and Donald Trump.
To commemorate its 60th anniversary, CBN released a nearly two-hour documentary narrated by Kevin Sorbo showing the network's transformation and global impact through the years.
Robertson said he will now focus on "serving, training and equipping" the 11,000-plus students at Regent University.
"His legacy and the example of his prayer life will continue to lead The 700 Club in the years to come," his son said. "And the best part is, he is just going across the street to Regent University and will be on The 700 Club regularly in the future."
According to Regent University's website, the 70-acre campus in Virginia offers associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees from a Christian perspective in more than 150 areas of study.
Regent University placed as one of the top colleges in Virginia on different occasions. The school is also ranked among top national universities by the U.S. News & World Report for two consecutive years: 2019 and 2020.
