Cleaning Up Their Act

By Richard N. Ostling/Washington

For TV and radio evangelists, 1987 seemed like the Fall and the Flood combined. The PTL fiasco and other scandals produced unseemly bickering, a plague of embarrassing behavior, threats of government intervention and -- most grievous of all -- a disastrous drop in financial contributions. Clearly the preachers had to act to restore confidence or face perpetual chaos. Last week in Washington, the broadcasters did just that. Overcoming deep-seated traditions of independence and secrecy, they agreed to regulate themselves and monitor one another's business practices.

The occasion was the annual convention of National Religious Broadcasters, whose 1,350 members include most of the big organizations except those of Oral Roberts and Robert Schuller. Among the detailed new standards to be required of N.R.B. members: open and audited finances, records of pitches for money in case questions are raised, and governing boards controlled by outsiders rather than by family members and employees.

To exhort any slackers, N.R.B. leaders brought in Elder Statesman Billy Graham for some stem winding before the decision was made. "The foundations of religious broadcasting are being tested," declared the evangelist. "Our greatest need is moral integrity!" But the broadcasters required little prodding. "All of them recognize they cannot permit another bombshell to explode at their feet," observed Jeffrey Hadden, a University of Virginia sociologist. One index of public discontent: a poll by the Williamsburg Charter Foundation last week showed that 40% of Americans think it should be illegal for preachers to raise money on TV.

The financial wreckage from last year is still being added up. At PTL, 1987 viewer revenues plummeted to $41 million from the $96 million of Jim and Tammy Bakker's hyperhustling final year. In one seven-month period, Christian Broadcasting Network revenues fell 32.5%, compared with the same time in 1986 -- a drop that partly reflected the loss of its star, Pat Robertson, to presidential politics. Jerry Falwell's income for March through October was $6 million less than projections. Jimmy Swaggart and Oral Roberts refuse to disclose their 1987 results, but the latter's situation is obviously rocky. Broadcast ratings for all these top preachers have also dropped.

Still, the evangelists remain a force to be reckoned with, collectively taking in well over $1 billion a year and attracting millions of faithful radio and TV listeners. During the year of discontent there was even some growth. The new N.R.B. directory shows increases in TV stations (from 221 to 259), radio stations (1,370 to 1,393) and groups producing programs (1,010 to 1,068). Mindful of these signs of continued strength, President and Mrs. Reagan visited the N.R.B. meeting. Robertson and fellow Candidates George Bush, Robert Dole and Jack Kemp also cleared their campaign schedules to appear, though none of the Democratic hopefuls did.

For the future, a lot hangs on what happens to PTL, which is seen as a symbol. David Clark, 47, the unflappable trustee named by a bankruptcy judge, has until May 2 to raise $4 million, get his reorganization plan in place and fend off a lethal IRS threat to remove tax exemption. He is convinced that PTL's all-Gospel cable network can survive by emphasizing viewers' spiritual and practical interests instead of the manic schemes and personalities of the Bakkers. "Money follows ministry," Clark insists. "No religious TV ministry will survive if it is not meeting authentic needs."