Emmanuel TV
Emmanuel TV is a Christian television network with headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria. It was founded by the late T.B. Joshua, former senior pastor of the Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN), in Lagos, Nigeria. It is also the most subscribed Christian ministry channel on YouTube worldwide with well over 1,000,000 subscribers, as of January 2019. History. In the late 1990s, SCOAN began gaining international attention due to the distribution of video cassettes, showing clips of Joshua's early ministry and alleged miracles. Additionally, Joshua began airing regular programs purporting to show 'miracles' on local Nigerian television. However, when  Nigeria's National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), under the instruction of then President Olusegun Obasanjo controversially banned the showing of 'miracles', in 2004, most of his programs were taken off air. This eventually paved the way for the emergence of Emmanuel TV on 8 March 2006 by T.B. Joshua. Since its inception, Emmanuel TV has broadcast Christian programmes, stating that its mission is 'to preach the Good News to all mankind.' From humble beginnings, it has rapidly grown to become one of Africa's most well known brands and popular television stations. In its profile on Joshua, the BBC described him  as "Nigeria's best known televangelist". Programming. Emmanuel TV broadcasts a range of programmes from Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN). It has gained a reputation for being a Christian station that does not run any on-air campaigns for financial assistance and among the only Christian stations that does not syndicate programs of other pastors. Emmanuel TV DStv Channel. Emmanuel TV is also found on DStv Channel 390 where biblical readings, testimonies, teaching and Christian kids programmes like cartoons which are mainly about the Bible and Jesus Christ are found. Reach. Emmanuel TV is broadcast worldwide on various satellites . Its programmes air weekly on a number of local television stations across Africa, debuting on DStv and GOtv in November 2015, as well as Startimes in February 2016. Its playout centre is located in Johannesburg, South Africa. Emmanuel TV's motto is 'Changing Lives, Changing Nations, Changing the World.' The station is also known for its catch-phrase, 'Distance Is Not A Barrier', encouraging viewers to 'pray along' with T.B. Joshua by 'touching the screen'. There are several claims of people receiving miraculous 'healing' through these prayers, including popular Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh who said Joshua's prayers ended her  14-year smoking addiction. T.B. Joshua has donated televisions to prisons and hospitals so that they will be able to watch the Emmanuel TV broadcasts. YouTube channel. Emmanuel TV's YouTube channel is the most subscribed Christian ministry YouTube channel worldwide and the third most subscribed in Nigeria. Google ranked one of Emmanuel TV's YouTube videos as the fourth most viewed clip ever within Nigeria. YouTube has shut down the channel, which claimed over 1.8 million subscribers and 600 million viewers, on April 13, 2021. YouTube says that it "prohibits content which alleges that someone is mentally ill, diseased , or inferior because of their membership in a protected group including sexual orientation." Joshua is appealing the decision and has called on his flock – which is found across Africa and Latin America, but includes congregations in the United States and elsewhere – to "pray for YouTube."