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'''LeSEA''' is an acronym that stands for "'''Le'''ster '''S'''umrall '''E'''vangelistic '''A'''ssociation."
'LeSEA Broadcasting', also known as 'World Harvest Television', is an American Christian television network with over 40 affiliate stations in a number of U.S. markets, on the Fixed Service Satellite Galaxy 16 C band transponder 15, and on satellite overseas.
LeSEA is based in South Bend, Indiana and broadcasts Christian programming. Two primary shows broadcast from the studios are their flagship program ''The Harvest Show'' and ''Live from Studio B''. Pastor Pete Sumrall, son of the network's founder the late Dr. Lester Sumrall, serves as its president and chief executive officer.
''The Harvest Show'', a one-hour talk show which has a format that is somewhat similar to the Christian Broadcasting Network's ''The 700 Club'' and is hosted by Kelly Morgan, Stefan Radelich, Debra Maffett, Chuck Freeby and Pastor Dave Sumrall (Lester's grandson). News items are also featured, normally hosted by Freeby, that are typically supportive of Israel and hawkish US policy and critical of stories or events that contradict a strict 'Bible-based' worldview. Occasionally the one foreign correspondent, Brian Bush, will report from the Middle East, typically Jerusalem or the environs. As a general source of news the program would be considered both weak and biased.
Some of the program hosts serve other functions within the organisation; Radelich is executive director of one of the LeSEA ministries, Feed The Hungry. Dave Sumrall, who serves as pastor of The Linc (a church in South Bend), delivers a message near the end of the telecast.
''Live from Studio B'' is a 30-minute in-studio concert show from studio B, which features performances from various contemporary and alternative Christian artists and bands. They have hosted such artists as Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, the late Rich Mullins, Newsboys and others.
Also, like TBN, FamilyNet and participating local stations, LeSEA airs ''The 700 Club'' every weekday. And overnights each weekend, they air ''The Best of Harvest'', a rebroadcast of a previously-aired program. In addition to its many LeSEA-owned stations, network television affiliates in different parts of the country began airing ''The Best of Harvest'' and ''Live from Studio B'' among different programs from LeSEA. At other times the output consists of old, long discontinued shows ('Green Acres', 'Hawaii Five-0' etc.), paid advertising (for example, for animated Christian childrens cartoon series available on various video formats, health supplements and products and so on.) LeSea Broadcasting seems to have close ties with the purveyors of the 'Making Healthy Choices' range of products (now rebranded as 'MHC Life'). They regularly run long advertising segments which are often repeated. Former presenters on Harvest have migrated to MHC programs, underscoring their connection.

Contents

History of LeSEA

See also

External links

History of LeSEA

1957	Lester Sumrall establishes the Lester Sumrall Evangelistic Association (LeSEA).
1968	LeSEA Broadcasting's flagship station, WHME Harvest 103.1 FM, begins broadcasting as the result of the vision Lester Sumrall had that a time would come when Christian broadcasting would much more difficult to air.
1970	Prayerline is established to provide twenty-four hour help for people seeking comfort and encouragement from fundamental Christian 'prayer counselors'.
1972	LeSEA acquired a defunct Indianapolis, Indiana religious station, WURD channel 40 (which was only on the air briefly in 1971), and re-called it "WHMB-TV". ([1])
1976	Lester and Louise Sumrall's third child Peter Andrew marries Susan Unruh.
1976	LeSEA acquires Miami based religious station WFCB channel 45, re-naming the station "WHFT".
1977	WHME-TV 46 goes on the air in South Bend, Indiana.
1980	WHFT was sold to the Trinity Broadcasting Network.
1985	Short-wave radio is added to LeSEA Broadcasting when World Harvest Radio (WHRI), Angel 1 signs on the air, covering Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.
1985	KWHB-TV 47 goes on the air in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
1985	KWHE-TV 14 goes on the air in Honolulu, Hawaii.
1987	WHRI (Angel 2) goes on the air covering Europe, Central and South America. First year of LeSEAs outdoor Christian music festival, World Harvest, hosted by WHME-FM for free for all their listeners. Fire destroys LeSEA Broadcastings headquarters in South Bend, Indiana. Two years later, the new building is completed and dedicated.WHKE in Kenosha, Wisconsin goes on the air.
1990	KWHD-TV 53 goes on the air in Denver, Colorado and KWHS-LP51 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
1993	KWHR (Angel 3) goes on the air covering China and Eastern Asia.LeSEA's full-service tour agency is established, LeSEA Tours.
1994	WHNO-TV 20 goes on the air in New Orleans, Louisiana.
1995	LeSEA Internet Services is opened from South Bend, Indiana.WHKE was sold to Paxson Communications, who would re-call the station as "WPXE".
1996	Dr. Lester Sumrall passes away at age 83 (April 28).
1997	KWHR (Angel 4) goes on the air covering the South Pacific.
1998	WHRA (Angel 5) goes on the air covering Africa and the Middle East.
2000	First phase of Spread the Word campaign is launched to distribute 100,000 Bibles. LeSEA's Annual Christian music festival draws record numbers of 50,000+ for the first time.
2001	LeSEA acquires Middle East Television (METV), a Cyprus-based family channel, from the Christian Broadcasting Network.
2002	Second phase of Spread the Word campaign is launched to distribute 50,000 Bibles. LeSEA's stations begin converting into a digital format regulated by the FCC.
2005	WHNO-TV 20 knocked off the air due to Hurricane Katrina. The station has since returned to the air.

See also

★ List of World Harvest Television Affiliates

★ List of Sky Angel Channels

External links

★ Official site

★ Harvest Show official website

★ "The Linc": Pastor Dave Sumrall's church website

★ LeSEA Global Feed The Hungry Canada