Despite TV evangelist Jimmy Swaggart's admission of "moral failure" and the uncertainty surrounding the future of his television program, most local stations that carry "The Jimmy Swaggart Telecast" plan to continue airing it for at least the next two weeks.
KTLA Channel 5, KTTV Channel 11, KCOP Channel 13, Spanish-language station KMEX Channel 34 and KEYT Channel 3 in Santa Barbara have two weeks of prerecorded new shows ready for air, and station spokesmen said they will continue to broadcast Swaggart's sermons until his World Ministries in Baton Rouge, La., stops supplying them. KSCI Channel 18 in West Los Angeles and KTBN Channel 40 in Santa Ana, which also carry Swaggart's program, could not be reached by press time.
Swaggart's telecast airs Sunday through Friday at various times on the individual stations.
"As long as they pay their bills, we'll continue airing it," said one station spokesman Tuesday who requested anonymity.
Swaggart, who heads the $140-million television ministry, was ordered to undergo a period of rehabilitation and was prohibitted from preaching for at least three months by officials of the Assemblies of God Church after he admitted unspecified sins on Sunday. A spokesman for Swaggart's World Ministries refused any comment on the future of the program, which is carried by more than 280 stations nationwide. A.C. Nielsen places Swaggart's audience at 860,000 households weekly. Swaggart's show is also distributed in more than 100 foreign countries.
