BEVERLY HILLS, CA (ANS) -- Dr. Ted Baehr has been organizing the annual Movieguide® awards for eighteen years now.

Dan Wooding interviewing Dr. Ted Baehr (Photo: Peter Wooding)

Journalist Dan Wooding recalled the very first one, a press conference in Hollywood, during an interview with Baehr at the 18th Annual Faith & Values Awards Gala at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Beverly Hills, California, on Tuesday, February 23, 2010.

“That's true,” said Baehr. “It was at the Press Club and it was packed -- that's what I was amazed about.”

Baehr said that mutual friend Warren Duffy, a well-known Christian radio personality in Southern California, had suggested it, and Sir John Templeton, “who wanted us to give away an award at the event” also got involved.

“I said, ‘you know, nobody's going to come to this thing,’ and Duffy said ‘do these charts.’ So we did charts on newsprint, do you remember that? I actually flipped the charts and I showed people on newsprint -- there were the silliest charts, but the was packed.

Warren Duffy (Photo: Dan Wooding)

“I met some of my best friends from the industry there, like Barry Reardon [of Warner Brothers] and people who became close, close friends, and I remember one of them who became the head of New Line publicity and who did the Nativity Story and is now transitioning as everybody does in the business, said that he was so proud and he was looking in around the corner. I didn't know that everybody wanted to find out about the faith based market about Christians.”

How has Hollywood changed since Baehr first began?

“When we started doing the Movieguide® event, there was only one movie with positive Christian content. Last year it was forty-three percent of the movies -- which is quite incredible -- and this year it's over fifty-four percent of the movies. You know they keep making more money every year, all these figures are going to bottom out.

“I believe somewhere inside of me, and I've been taught the law of supply and demand, that somehow when you get enough Christian movies they're going to saturate the market. But they keep doing well, so when you put faith and values in Blind Side it keeps surprising everybody, everybody gets shocked by it. So I'm happy this year's our best figures yet -- it's the longest run of good movies doing better at the box office. It's more people coming than we've ever had before. There's nothing but positive remarks, and you're here -- we're blessed.”

What would Baehr like to say to people who've criticized Hollywood over the years -- what would be your word to them?

“There are two groups in the church and one you know it’s right to criticize the bad -- let's say that. Then there’s a group, like my son, who doesn't watch TV and my daughter because they made a bet, so I'm not against those people. You know if that's the position they take I think that's great if they have the self-discipline.

“But a lot of people are immersed in the media, a lot of people, more than they should be and a lot of people go in the opposite direction and just watch anything. So be careful. The Bible says all things in moderation and I think that moderation point should be that you choose the good and reject the bad. Time is short. We need time for people and our families -- to see your son [Peter] here is delightful. We need time to do more than be saturated by everything that comes out. So just moderation between one extreme and the other.

“Now if you're the type of person who never watches a television program, like my son and daughter, that’s OK; and if you're the type of person who watches everything I'd say you might want to get some help.”

How can people pray for Baehr?

“They can pray that we do well tonight, that we lift up God,” he said. “This is not about us. We've had our Emmy award for The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe back in seventy-nine; this is about everybody here. We're trying to lift them up, to encourage them, and help them know the truth of Jesus Christ that will set them free.”

For more information, go to: www.movieguide.org

Note: ANS would like to thank Robin Frost for transcribing this interview.

You can watch the interview by going to www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8YUtcFd-iA

** Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent of ANS, is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649,at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can donate online to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Chief Reporter