In a statement, a Merit Street spokesperson told the outlet, “Trinity Broadcasting Network is being sued by Merit Street Media for failing to provide clearly agreed-upon national distribution and other significant foundational commitments critical to the network’s continuing success and viability. The suit is part of a restructuring proceeding also initiated by MSM.”
As you might imagine by McGraw’s support of President Donald Trump, Merit Street has functioned as something of a propaganda wing for the current administration. Programming has (ghoulishly) included behind-the-scenes views of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Chicago and Los Angeles. Now, Merit Street is accusing Trinity of “a conscious, intentional pattern of choices made with full awareness that the consequence of which was to sabotage and seal the fate of a new but already nationally acclaimed network,” per documents obtained by The Wrap.
Merit Street claims Trinity has saddled the network with debt and provided “shoddy production services.” The lawsuit also alleges that Trinity has prevented Merit’s programming from broadcasting nationwide by “withholding distribution payments despite repeatedly acknowledging those distribution payments were 100% TBN’s sole responsibility.” The suit states, “Simply put, as a result of TBN’s conduct, Merit Street has nowhere to send its broadcast signal and nowhere to air its programming.”
On the flip side, Merit Street has been locked in battle with the Professional Bull Riders, which is mentioned in the bankruptcy filing. Per THR, the network bought the rights to air PBR events, but PBR pulled its programming because it alleged Merit Street hasn’t yet made any rights payments; the two parties are now in arbitration. Sounds like Merit Street has basically been a big mess so far. Too bad, so sad!
