“PTL Club” viewer uses and gratifications

Abstract

Recent research involving the audience for religious fare has isolated three distinctive types of religious television viewers—ritualized (e.g., habitual, religious), instrumental (e.g., information‐seeking, goal‐oriented), and reactionary (e.g., dissatisfied with secular fare). This investigation examined the particular patterns of viewing and viewing motivations for the “PTL Club,” in light of the recent PTL scandal. A canonical correlation analysis extracted the ritualized user and a modified version (curious consumer) of the instrumental user only. Implications pertaining to the future of religious television are discussed.

Key concepts:

• Uses and gratifications theory
• religious broadcasting
• viewing patterns and motivations
• ritualized
• instrumental and reactionary viewers
• canonical correlation
• structure coefficients