While churches face pressure to adapt to the digital age, media executive Phil Cooke tells pastors not to quit on broadcast television but to consider new strategies to tap into its evangelistic opportunity.
Los Angeles, CA (March 20, 2024) – While many churches are turning to the internet and mobile apps as evangelistic tools, media executive Phil Cooke advises pastors of the continued value of traditional broadcast television. Although a strong proponent of adapting to the digital age, Cooke dedicates an entire chapter in his book, “Maximize Your Influence – How to Make Digital Media Work for Your Church, Your Ministry, and You” to television; its viability in the digital age was also explored at a standing-room-only session at the National Religious Broadcasters Christian Convention (NRB 2024) titled “How Christian TV Can Still Win in a Digital Age” featuring Cooke with a panel of other leading media experts.
Co-founder and CEO of Cooke Media Group in Los Angeles, Cooke has created many of the most influential inspirational TV programs in history. “Despite the explosive growth of digital platforms, any serious media producer understands that while television is evolving, it’s not going anywhere,” he shared. “In fact, in many cases, it’s more important than ever.”
Television’s importance also bears out in the secular realm of TV programming. The LA Times recently reported that “original series created to drive new subscribers to streaming platforms are showing up more frequently on linear broadcast and cable TV networks” as media companies take steps to expose their programs to broader audiences (Battaglia, 2024, March 14. Why Your Favorite Streaming Shows are Showing Up on Traditional TV).
In response to the renewed interest in broadcast TV, Cooke’s blog, Pastor: Why Shouldn’t You Be on Television? outlines seven reasons broadcast TV still matters in sharing the gospel. As a potent tool for pastors seeking to amplify their evangelism strategy, he encourages pastors to take a deeper look at television before diverting their budget elsewhere. “Despite what you might be hearing out there, TV isn’t even close to dead.”
To interview Phil Cooke on the value of broadcast television and other effective strategies for sharing the gospel in the digital age, contact Laura Woodworth at laura@cookemediagroup.com.
Read Phil’s blog “Pastor: Why Shouldn’t You Be on Television?” here: https://www.philcooke.com/pastor-why-shouldnt-you-be-on-television/
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About Phil Cooke – Media Producer / Writer / Speaker / Coach
Helping creative leaders influence the world.
Phil Cooke, Ph.D., is co-founder and CEO of Cooke Media Group in Los Angeles and the nonprofit The Influence Lab. He works at the intersection of faith, media, and culture, and he’s pretty rare – a working producer in Hollywood with a Ph.D. in Theology. His client list includes studios and networks like Walt Disney, Dreamworks, and USA Network, major Christian organizations including Voice of the Martyrs, the Museum of the Bible, the Salvation Army, and YouVersion, and many of the most respected churches in the country. Find out more at philcooke.com.