Since 1999 PCG Halved Spending on Distributing Key of David Telecast

Recently PCG has released an article by Andrew Locher (he who banned Facebook) discussing their attempts to gain more converts via The Key of David telecast. Within this article Locher seems to reveal that PCG now spends a lot less on distributing their The Key of David telecast then they used to.

Locher boasts that PCG might produce more Key of David episodes this year then any other.

Only twice in the past eight years has Pastor General Gerald Flurry taped more “new” episodes of the Key of David than what he has this season. We are still going strong and have between mid-July and the end of September to record additional episodes. Depending on how many Mr. Flurry decides to record, this season might break the record set in 1994, when he taped 41 episodes. 

Locher then boasts that The Key of David has received more responses then and has continually gained more responses year by year. 

In fact, many repeat airings of The Key of David generate more response than the previous airings. For instance, the first time the program “Mystery of the Ages” aired, it received about 1,100 responses. We have repeated this same program 12 times over the past 10 years, and the average response is now more than 4,000 per broadcast—and “Mystery of the Ages is our most responsive program ever. ...

We are on pace this year to surpass last year’s total response by 4 to 6 percent. With the exception of 2000 and 2003, each year we have surpassed previous years in total response.

Considering how The Key of David seems to have such increased responses why is it that The Philadelphia Trumpet circulation has remained virtually static since 2000?

Back in 2000 Gerald Flurry, while busy proclaiming himself to be "That Prophet", made the following boast.

We are on about 70 television stations and our Trumpet magazine has a circulation of more then 300,000. (Gerald Flurry, July-August 2000 issue, Royal Vision, p. 12.)

That was in 2000, fourteen years ago. It is still slightly over 300,000, the current issue having a circulation of 317,130. Its circulation has been stagnant since 2000. No wonder Locher never boasts about the Trumpet's circulation in this article.

Back to Locher's article.

Locher also relates some fascinating glimpses into PCG history, as he indicates that 1999 was a particularly active year for PCG.

As I discussed during the ministerial conference, 1999 was a special year for the program. We paid more for airtime than any other year (just over $4 million). Over 50 percent of the total income was devoted to purchasing airtime for the program. We nearly doubled response from 1998. This proved to be a real turning point for Key of David response.

Having looked through the circulation figures for The Philadelphia Trumpet I am inclined to believe that PCG was indeed very active in 1999.

Do these words indicate that PCG's income in 1999 was about $8 million? Unfortunately Locher is ambiguous here. I do not know if Locher means 50 percent of total income or 50 percent of income devoted to recruitment efforts.

If PCG did spend 50 percent of their income to airing The Key of David it is quite reasonable to assume that was no longer the case, especially when they decided to build Armstrong Auditorium which cost more then PCG's yearly income.

Today, we spend about half of what we did in 1999 to purchase airtime, but our response has increased more than 200 percent! One of the ways we measure the effectiveness of stations is to evaluate the cost per response. Since 1999, our cost per response has decreased by 370 percent! In 2013, we had more than double the response we received in 1999. Our costs have decreased significantly, and response has increased massively.

So that would appear to suggest that PCG spends about $2 million on buying airtime for The Key of David. Their income in 2012 was about $19.5 million according to Flurry's booklet, Colossians: First Century Parallels. As noted above it would appear possible that PCG's income in 1999 was about $8 million. So that would suggest that PCG spends about a ninth of their yearly income in buying airtime for The Key of David. 

What a difference from spending half their income of buying airtime for The Key of David back in 1999 (assuming that Locher meant half of PCG's total income when describing the situation in 1999).

Maybe it's better to show this in chart form.

Please note that the figures are merely estimates derived from vague statements from PCG's leaders such as Gerald Flurry and Andrew Locher. 

(The 1999 figures assume that the $4 million figure cited above represents half of PCG's income in 1999. If PCG says these figures are inaccurate maybe they should be a little more transparent about such things, then no one would speculate about such things.) 

PCG Income in 1999                                       $8 million
PCG buying airtime for KOD in 1999        $4 million

PCG Income in 2012                                       $19.5 million
PCG buying airtime for KOD in 2014        $2 million

Assuming these estimates are correct it is clear that PCG has chosen not to spend so much money on buying airtime for The Key of David since 1999.

I do not present these figures as anything other then trying to fully understand what some of PCG's leaders have been saying and analyzing what they have been saying. I just look at what PCG's leaders say for themselves. Anyone else could have reached these same conclusions from publicly available information.

However Locher sidesteps this quite drastic reduction in PCG's spending on The Key of David by claiming that The Key of David gets more responses for less money. At present it is impossible to verify this assertion one way or the other. But if this is the case then they are not subscribing to The Philadelphia Trumpet in any great numbers. If they are subscribing then The Philadelphia Trumpet is losing as many readers as they gain so it is stagnant. It's circulation has been stagnant since 2000.

In mid-July, we received approval to begin airing in Britain. The Key of David will debut on CBS Reality a few weeks before the Feast of Trumpets. This station is available for free over the air to more than 90 percent of the British population. It also broadcasts into other nations in the United Kingdom and Europe through cable and satellite. We have the 8 a.m. slot on Sunday mornings, a time that has proven to be our most effective. We anticipate that this will be the best station ever available to the PCG in Britain. Our first broadcast will be September 7.

Who gave PCG approval air their telecast in Britain? That was a terrible decision.

(You can write to CBS Reality and tell them the truth about PCG here.)

PCG have so many opportunities to gain converts elsewhere yet they choose to build up their presence in Britain in order to impress PCG members indoctrinated into believing the nonsensical doctrines of British Israelism.

The government in the UK has strong restrictions on programming content. Mr. Flurry and the television department have been able to meet these guidelines and still get across a powerful message to the viewer. Pray that this will continue. Now with the increased potential audience in Britain and Europe, we can build Trumpet circulation and watch the Work gain momentum in this most prophetically active region.

PCG would love to build up their Philadelphia Trumpet circulation. Circulation has been stagnant since 2000 despite the vast amount of money poured into PCG. Back in November 2003 their circulation was 313,400. Eleven years later the current issue's circulation is 317,130. No doubt building Armstrong Auditorium has not helped this matter. No wonder Locher wants to build up The Philadelphia Trumpet's circulation.

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Here are some comments about this article left by PCG members. Needless to say the issues raised here are not mentioned in those comments.

Truly this is a massive door God has given to us in the last hour of the work. God has given us this commission to prophesy again in season and out of season to catch the right season and events show it is now. God is showing great support to Mr Flurry, Headquarters and His little remnant- His precious jewels today and we are obligated to show the same. May God continue to inspire the teamwork and effort.

That is like WCG members saying, "Are you watching this? This is it! ... This is what we’ve been waiting for", when discussing the fall of the Berlin Wall. It is now twenty-five years later. Did those WCG members expect to still be waiting twenty-five years later? Did it really prove that the Great Tribulation was just moments away? Did they remember that HWA had said the Soviet Union would survive until after the return of Christ? Consequently WCG members did not foresee the Soviet Union would dissolve. This also conveniently forgets that HWA said Christ would return in 1975. 

Gerald Flurry in his earlier writings liked to refer to his followers (PCG members) as "jewels", precious in the sight of (PCG's) God. While the rest of the world to only gain the opportunity to gain the ability to convert to Flurry's group after Christ's return.

Thank you for the update on the work and I’m most glad to hear that the world is beginning to wake up as God pours out more revelation. My prayers are with you and will continue to be with you. God bless and thank you for your hard work and dedication.

The world is not converting to PCG in great numbers. They are not even increasing the Trumpet's circulation.

And these "new revelations" that Flurry boasts about are mainly reiterations of what he wrote in Malachi's Message. PCG is not flooded with new revelation, it just repeats itself, or add little additions, to what was written in Malachi's Message. That is the strong impression I get after reading many of Flurry's booklets.

How exciting and encouraging to read about the broadcasts going so strong. I greatly appreciate the dedication of Mr Flurry and the editorial department. Thank you for this report Mr. Locher

PCG spends half of what it did in 1999 buying airtime for The Key of David. The Philadelphia Trumpet circulation has been stagnant since 2000. How is that a good sign?

Thank you for the report and the numbers. Keeps me/us inspired.
THIS is the only REAL work on Earth.

What can one say about such madness. All of humanity is devalued as blind and dumb compared to this little sect based in America composed of about 5000 members or so. This is the sad result of being told over and over again that PCG is the most important work and the most important thing in the entire world and actually believing such gibberish.

Again you can write to CBS Reality and tell them the truth about PCG here. It is very likely they do not fully understand what they are getting themselves involved with. I have already sent them a letter.