Claud Bowers, a veteran of Christian broadcasting and the pioneering founder of Super Channel Orlando, has spent more than four decades shaping the faith-based media landscape.
For today’s Christian communicators navigating a crowded and competitive media environment, Bowers’ journey offers a blueprint for building a lasting, impactful platform.
“My father was a Pentecostal preacher,” Bowers recalls, saying that he was always in church, at tent revivals, or helping his father with his radio program. Alongside his father’s spiritual influence, he credits his mother, a highly educated woman with a mind for investments, for setting him up for success.
His entry into the world of media began on the technical side. After high school, Bowers moved to Tallahassee to attend technical school and secured a first-class FCC broadcast license, an achievement he describes as being “like a PhD in science” at the time. This positioned him perfectly for the rising tide of microwave technology. He moved to Orlando to work for Florida Telephone, eventually managing a team of 25 people handling microwave systems that covered Central Florida.
The transition from telecommunications to Christian broadcasting required vision and persistence. About 40 years ago in Leesburg, Fla., Bowers noticed the local cable company had unused channels.
“I went to the cable company and said, ‘I’d like to connect a circuit to you, and I’m going to pay all the costs. Won’t cost you anything,’” he said.
Initially, they rejected his offer, not even understanding what he was proposing. However, after a season of fasting and praying, the company relented, putting him on the cable lineup. Lacking their own production studio, Bowers and his late wife and high school sweetheart, Freeda, traveled to a ministry in Brunswick, Ga., to record their first five programs on videotape. The broadcasts gained immediate traction, leading them to build their own studio and ultimately launch what would become a broadcasting powerhouse.
As their reach expanded, so did the resistance. When Central Florida’s largest cable company refused to carry the station despite its “must-carry” status, Bowers again turned to fasting and prayer. He also took strategic action by bringing a lawyer who had successfully argued two cases before the Supreme Court to a lunch meeting with the cable executives. The company quickly reversed its decision, and the executive who initially blocked them later became one of Bowers’ best friends.
Bowers’ vision was continually sharpened by other media titans. Bowers’ dear friend, Pat Robertson, offered a piece of advice that would change the trajectory of his ministry: “If I was you, Claud, I’d go out on those high hills in Central Florida and put up the tallest tower you could build,” Bowers remembers.
Taking this to heart, Bowers put up a 1,700 foot antenna, making it the second tallest tower in Florida and covering a population of nearly 4 million. He transformed WACX into “Super Channel Orlando,” giving the station a commanding brand presence.
For modern Christian media leaders facing the daunting competition of social media and global streaming, Bowers offers several crucial lessons:
- Operate debt-free: A cornerstone of Super Channel’s longevity is its financial model. This financial freedom has allowed them to turn down multimillion dollar buyout offers in favor of keeping the ministry on the air.
- Give audiences a reason to return: In an era of endless options, local relevance is key. By hosting a daily live show with local guests of influence, he creates a unique viewing experience that anchors the station.
- Embrace every platform: While relying on their massive broadcast tower, Super Channel is also embedded in major Disney hotels, carried by DirectTV and Dish Network, and broadcasts worldwide via their own custom app.
Ultimately, at the heart of everything Claud Bowers does is his simple, four-point theological message that he has preached across hundreds of programs: Get right with God by expressing faith in Jesus Christ, receive the Holy Spirit to be strong in your life, honor God with your first fruits, and have an expectation of Christ’s return, being ready to live and ready to die.
Today, Bowers continues to live a vibrant, full life. His legacy is a challenge to all Christian communicators: use the best technology available, stand firm against opposition, build a sustainable model, and above all, keep your eyes fixed on eternity.
“Do everything you can to expand the kingdom of God,” Bowers said. “And if you live, you win. If you die, you win. If Jesus comes, you win.”
SuperChannel WACX-TV has been an NRB member since 2024. Claud Bowers is currently an NRB President’s Council member.