The Word Network, also known as The Word, is a

religious broadcasting Religious broadcasting, sometimes referred to as faith-based broadcasts, is the dissemination of television and/or radio content that intentionally has religious ideas, religious experience, or religious practice as its core focus. In some coun ...

network that claims to be the largest African-American religious network in the world. It was founded in February 2000 by Kevin Adell who also owns WFDF, a local AM radio station, and WADL, a television station serving the Detroit television market. The network is headquartered in

Southfield, Michigan Southfield is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An inner-ring suburb of Detroit, Southfield borders Detroit to the north, roughly northwest of downtown Downtown Detroit, Detroit. As of the 2020 Uni ...

. The network is also available as

streaming Streaming media refers to multimedia delivered through a network for playback using a media player. Media is transferred in a ''stream'' of packets from a server to a client and is rendered in real-time; this contrasts with file downl ...

content on Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, YouTube Red, and via

smartphone A smartphone is a mobile phone with advanced computing capabilities. It typically has a touchscreen interface, allowing users to access a wide range of applications and services, such as web browsing, email, and social media, as well as multi ...

apps. The network is also available on cable and satellite in several countries, and on over-the-air television.

History

Adell planned a national network for African-American religious ministries in the 1990s, and launched The Word Network on February 14, 2000 on

DirecTV DirecTV, LLC is an American Multichannel television in the United States, multichannel video programming distributor based in El Segundo, California. Originally launched on June 17, 1994, its primary service is a digital Satellite television, s ...

. Following its launch, broadcast was extended to all major television cable platforms in the United States. The network then moved to satellite broadcast. The network claims that it reaches viewers in 200 countries. In May 2012 the network completed a multimillion-dollar expansion that included new technology, production facilities with a

television studio A television studio, also called a television production studio, is an installation room in which video productions take place, either for the production of live television and its recording onto video tape or other media such as SSDs, or for ...

, editing suites,

green room In show business, the green room is the space in a theatre, or a similar venue, that functions as a waiting room and lounge for Performing arts, performers before, during, and after a performance or show when they are not engaged on Stage (thea ...

s, conference room, a

call center A call centre (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth spelling) or call center (American English, American spelling; American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er, see spelling differences) is a managed capability th ...

, and a fulfillment center. Facilities were also opened on the West Coast, in Orange, California. In January 2015 Adell purchased former

Radio Disney Radio Disney was an American radio network operated by the Disney Radio Networks unit of Disney Branded Television within Disney General Entertainment Content, headquartered in Burbank, California. The network broadcast music programming ...

affiliate WFDF/910 in Detroit for $3 million. Current over-the-air affiliates of the network are KVVV-LD Channel 15.1 in

Houston, Texas Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

, WADL Channel 38.8 in

Mount Clemens, Michigan Mount Clemens is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 15,697 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the county seat, seat of government of Macomb County, Michigan, Macomb County and part of the Metro Detroit, Det ...

near

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, WBQP-CD Chantilly 12.3 in

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, and WCTU-LD Channel 46.3 in Pensacola. In 2019, the network faced boycott calls from African-American clergy after the network's white owner, Kevin Adell, shared a racially charged meme, in which Adell was depicted as a pimp surrounded by black pastors. In 2025 the network was fined £150,000 in the UK for broadcasting programming by televangelist Peter Popoff selling " miracle spring water" claimed to cure serious illnesses and produce financial benefits. This was considered to be a serious breach of the UK Broadcasting Code by regulator

Ofcom The Office of Communications, commonly known as Ofcom, is the government-approved regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting, internet, telecommunications and mail, postal industries of the United Kingdom. Ofcom has wide-rang ...

, which "considered that these claims related to viewers' health and wealth and such claims had the potential to cause harm".

Programming

The Word Network provides religious programming shows and hosts that include: * Let the Healing Begin – Bishop Greg Davis * The Heather Lindsey Show – Heather Lindsey * The Shift – Dr. Taketa Williams * The Tim and Brelyn Show-Tim & Brelyn Bowman * The Empowerment Encounter-Dr. Jamal Bryant * The Gospel According to Dorinda-Dorinda Clark Cole * Man up-KD Bowe * Power to the People-Dr. Jamal Bryant * Rising Stars with Dorinda-Dorinda Clark Cole * The First Word and Rejoice in The Word-Bishop George Bloomer * Greg Davis Live-Bishop Greg Davis * Medina Pullings Live-Dr. Medina Pullings * The Breaking Room-Dr. Zina Pierre * Fresh Wind-Evangelist Sandra Riley * Prophetic Power-Prophetess Teresa Cox * The Threshing Floor-Dr. Juanita Bynum * Word Network Church- Lexi Allen * Dr. Mark Chironna-Dr. Mark Chironna * The Miraculous- Prophet Brian Carn * Spiritual Encounter-Vangelist Neechy * Just for You-Evangelist Sandra Riley * Straight To the Point with Rev. W.J. Rideout * You're Season of Change with David Alexander Bullock * Coming Home with Gerald & Tammi & Friends-Gerald & Tammi Haddon * Your Time for Miracles with Bishop Clarence McClendon * Kingdom Come TV with Rev. Timothy Flemming Sr. * The Breaking Room with Dr. Zina Pierre * Breath of Life-Pastor Debleaire Snell * The Millennial Meal-Que Morgan and Micah Davis In addition to its original programming, The Word Network also participates in religious conference and conventions that include the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc.-P.A.W., Full Gospel Conference, Church of God in Christ Holy Convocation, and “7 Last Words” hosted by Dr. Jamal Bryant. The network also broadcasts the Gospel Music Awards, produced by Sunwise Media.

References

Religious television stations in the United States Evangelical television networks Television channels and stations established in 2000 {{DEFAULTSORT:Word Network, The