Here\u2019s today\u2019s dispatch from the crossroads of faith, media and culture.<\/p>\n
I’ve been busy since returning from the Variety Family and Faith-Friendly Summit in LA having meetings about an entertainment project of my own which I hope to tell you more about in due course. In the meantime, some headlines.<\/p>\n
1. A faith-based Netflix. <\/strong>I’ve long called for something like this<\/a> and, now, finally it’s here. From Variety<\/a>:\u00a0Cinedigm<\/a> is launching a direct-to-consumer subscription movie service on the Internet, in partnership with The Dove Foundation<\/a>, which provides ratings for family-friendly and faith-based content. The Dove Movie Channel streaming service will feature selections from Cinedigm\u2019s library of movies, as well as acquired content and original programming. All content released on the channel will meet the guidelines of the \u201cDove Seal\u201d in order to be programmed on the service. 2. INSP honors the late Ralph Waite.<\/strong> This Sunday (6\/22), INSP will celebrate the life and career of Ralph Waite what would have been his 86th birthday. The popular actor Best known, who died in February<\/a>, is best known for his iconic role of John Walton, the father on The Waltons<\/em> and, more recently, for playing Mark Harmon’s dad on NCIS. Fans of Days of Our Lives also know him for his portrayal of Father Matt from 2009 to 2013. The Waite tribute will air from 2:00 PM ET to 7:00 PM ET and will include four episodes of The Waltons <\/em>(as well as a series reunion special). During that time frame (at 5:00 PM ET), the network will also air the character-driven 2013 short film Old Henry. <\/em>Waite starred opposite Rachel Hendrix (October Baby<\/em>) in the poignant drama about aging in America. Interspersed throughout the tribute will be portions from the INSP interstitial program Moments<\/em>, in which the actor shares lessons he learned during his lifetime. <\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/em>Note:<\/strong> Dove Foundation CEO Dick Rolfe told me something like this was in the offing at the Variety Summit but asked me to hold back on reporting it until it was officially announced. Now that it has been, my intent is to find out more and tell you all about it. They say politics (which, whether we like it or not) affects us all) is downstream of culture. I honestly think this is great development that could help change the entire media landscape for the better.<\/p>\n