PTL Satellite Network

== History ==
In 1960, [[Jim Bakker]] met [[Tammy Faye Messner|Tammy Faye LaValley]] while both were students at [[North Central University]] in [[Minneapolis]], [[Minnesota]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Welch|first=William M.| title=Ex-wife of evangelist Jim Bakker dies|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|date=July 21, 2007|url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-07-21-tammy-faye_N.htm | access-date=2007-11-29 }}</ref> Tammy Faye worked in a boutique, while Jim found work in a restaurant inside a Minneapolis department store. They were married on April 1, 1961, and left bible college to become [[itinerant minister|itinerant]] evangelists.

In 1966, the Bakkers began working at [[Pat Robertson]]'s [[Christian Broadcasting Network]] (CBN) in [[Virginia Beach, Virginia|Virginia Beach]], [[Virginia]], which at the time barely reached an audience of thousands. The Bakkers would make contributions to CBN as a nationally recognized television ministry.<ref name=Jay>Jay Bakker, ''Son of a Preacher Man''. New York: Harper Collins, 2001 ({{ISBN|0-06-251698-1}}).</ref>{{rp|6}} The couple hosted ''Come On Over'', a variety program hosted by the Bakkers and several [[puppet]] characters. The program was aimed at young children, whom they entertained with comic routines with the puppets, as well as airings of ''[[Davey and Goliath]]'', a claymation [[Bible]]-story series. Due to the success of ''Come On Over'', Robertson made Bakker the host of a new prime-time talk show called ''[[The 700 Club]]'', which would gradually become CBN's flagship program, and become syndicated on numerous cable channels and network affiliates.

In the early 1970s, the Bakkers left CBN and traveled, holding [[telethon]]s at Christian TV stations. In [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]], [[North Carolina]], the Bakkers set up [[Trinity Broadcasting Network]] (TBN) with TV executives Sandy and Martha Wheeler, who began airing a program called ''Praise the Lord'' on Charlotte station [[WCNC-TV|WRET]]. The Bakkers moved to [[California]], teaming with their former youth pastors [[Paul Crouch|Paul]] and [[Jan Crouch]], to create the ''[[Praise the Lord (TV program)|Praise the Lord]]'' show for the Crouches' Trinity Broadcasting Systems in [[California]]. However, the relationship only lasted about eight months due to a falling-out between Jim Bakker and Paul Crouch, causing the Bakkers to leave this ministry as well. The California entity was rebranded as TBN, which would grow to become the world's largest faith-based network in later years. Before leaving and moving east, the Bakkers managed to retain the rights to use the initials "PTL". 

What began as a local TV broadcast in Charlotte changed when several members of the Bakker's staff in California moved to Charlotte in February 1974 and with the local ex-TBN staff, into what became known as the PTL Television Network. The parent company changed its name to Heritage Village Church & Missionary Fellowship in 1976–77. The purchase of the [[Heritage USA]] properties in [[Fort Mill, South Carolina|Fort Mill]], [[South Carolina]], began at that time. PTL uplinked from Heritage Village on Park Road in Charlotte until December 1986. The Heritage Village Property was sold and satellite and video tape editing operations moved to Heritage USA.