EPA Clarifies Membership Status of KDMV's Christian Times
May 17, 2004
For more information contact:
Doug Trouten, Executive Director
Evangelical Press Association
763-535-4793 / director@epassoc.org
This statement from the Evangelical Press Association is issued in response to questions about the Nevada-based Christian Times newspaper chain owned by Kingdom Ventures. Despite prior claims to the contrary on the Kingdom Ventures Web site and in Kingdom Ventures press releases, the newspapers currently published under the Christian Times Today name are not and never have been members of EPA.
The confusion arises in part because the California-based Christian Examiner newspaper, owned by the Keener Communications Group, is a member of EPA. The Christian Examiner was formerly named the Christian Times, but the Keener Communications Group sold the rights to that trademarked name to Kingdom Ventures. Kingdom Ventures is presently publishing a number of regional editions of a newspaper incorporating the Christian Times name.
In response to requests from EPA, Kingdom Ventures recently removed specific references to EPA from its site. Kingdom Ventures continues to claim that the Christian Times “has won numerous awards.” To clarify this claim, EPA notes that newspapers published by the Keener Communications Group have won multiple awards from EPA. However, newspapers published by Kingdom Ventures have never participated in EPA’s contest, nor have they won EPA awards.
“EPA membership and EPA awards are marks of excellence in the Christian periodical publishing industry,” said EPA Executive Director Doug Trouten. “Responding to misleading claims is necessary to protect EPA’s reputation in this area.”
Theresa Keener, vice president of operations for the Christian Examiner newspaper group, is a member of the EPA board of directors, but recused herself from EPA decisions involving the Christian Times.
EPA is the professional organization for the evangelical periodical publishing industry. Its members produce over 270 titles with a combined circulation of over 21 million.
