Trinity Broadcasting Network, a former trading partner of the now bankrupt by Dr. Phil, Merit Street Media, has made a reconvention request against the personality of television – alleging that he was engaged in a “fleece” plan of the Christian radiodiffusion society and “enrich himself” himself and “his associates and affiliates”.
Merit Street Media, trained in joint venture between TBN and Peteski Productions of TBN and Phil McGraw, filed a request for the protection against the bankruptcy of chapter 11 on July 2, 2025. At the same time, Merit Street continued TBN, alleging a breach of contract and affirming that “abused his position as a control shareholder”.
TBN, in its-clinical plans filed Tuesday August 19 with the American bankruptcy court of the North District of Texas, names the defendants MCGRAW and Peteski, the production company of MCGRAW which is the lender of merit proposed in possession. Trinity Broadcasting accuses McGraw and Peteski of fraudulent incentive and breaking of contract. A copy of the complaint is on this link.
“The response to TBN legitimately and legally defending attacks in bad faith from Peteski and McGraw is to cry in the event of a fault because they do not like the real facts that they themselves have questioned with regret before this court, revealing a” gangster of McGraw and an illicit conduct of McGraw which he describes himself as a “gangster” and as an “11th hour poker” Trinity.
See also: Dr. Phil returns to the legal enemies of his bankruptcy company, accusing TBN and PBR of “inflammatory and harmful” attacks aimed at a depressing value of Merit Street
TBN said Peteski and McGraw engaged in a “fraudulent scheme of several years that they have developed and executed in Fleece TBN, a non -profit company, to enrich McGraw, its associates and affiliates.
An MCGRAW representative did not immediately respond to a request for comments on the TBN trial.
According to TBN, in 2022, McGraw sought to conclude an agreement with Trinity as a potential network to replace CBS as a production and distribution partner “Dr Phil Show”.
“McGraw specifically told TBN that he wanted to change the networks because of what he perceived as censorship by CBS of the content broadcast on the” Dr. Phil Show “, said the complaint of TBN. “As McGraw said,” I don’t want snot-nose lawyers to tell me what I can and that I can’t say on television. “”
However, according to TBN, Peteski distorted Trinity that “CBS sold the advertising inventories for the” Dr. Phil Show “and that the new programming that McGraw would create for TBN would be 90 -minute programs, rather than 60 -minute advertising programs at the time. In addition, Peteski told TBN that the annual production costs of 68 million dollars then for the “Dr Phil Show” would be reduced by at least 40% by moving all the related production activities of California in Texas and by bringing any current staff associated with the show in Texas, as well as to “eliminate unionized and social employees and the Global Comptoir” Among other costs of cost reduction.
On January 10, 2023, TBN concluded a binding letter of intent with Peteski to create Merit Street Media and paid the MCGRAW company $ 20 million on January 12. Under the agreement, Merit Street was 70% owned by TBN and 30% by Peteski.
According to the contract, TBN would provide production and distribution services to Merit Street and Peteski was forced to provide a “new content”, including “160 (90 minutes), new news episodes of the program” Dr Phil “(the ‘show’ ‘) delivered over 24-27 weeks of production, according to the TBN complaint. “For this, McGraw (through Peteski) would receive $ 50 million a year for ten years – a total of $ 500 million, if (and only if) Peteski and McGraw played.”
In June 2024, however, Peteski and McGraw “had not produced a single 90 -minute episode, not to mention the 160 episodes required by the [contract]And depending on his production calendars, he apparently had no intention to produce the “new content” required under the [contract] During the remaining weeks on the production calendar, “said TBN trial.” In an effort to blame their failures to TBN, Peteski and McGraw accused TBN of raping its obligations under BLI and not to provide Peteski and McGraw the resources they needed to produce content for Merit Street. »»
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On August 1, 2024, TBN informed MCGRAW that it would be likely to increase the share of ownership of Peteski in rue Merit from 30% to 70% (thus reducing TBN’s ownership by 70% to 30%) submitted to the parties which address “a multitude of exceptional recourse points to finalize”, according to TBN. But “McGraw never intended to carry out steps beyond the initial stock exchange”, according to the complaint. “Indeed – without the knowledge of TBN – MCGRAW described its plan on August 3, 2024, as” gangster movement “to reduce TBN to anything more than” the role of passive minority investor “in the street Merit” “, according to the TBN costume.
The bankruptcy deposit of chapter 11 of Merit Street last month “surprised TBN because he still controlled two of the three administrators of the Board of Directors of Merit Street” and had not approved the bankruptcy request, said the diffuser in the complaint.
Peteski and McGraw trained a new company, Envé Media Co., which was formed in Delaware one day before Merit Street was checking with bankruptcy, according to the pursuit of TBN. [D]Uring at the same time as they have negotiated with TBN to restructure Merit Street, McGraw and Peteski planned to create a new business, sent, to replace Merit Street, “said the Trinity trial. Subject to justice.
In its complaint, TBN requests unpertified monetary damage, as well as termination of its agreement with Peteski de McGraw and the amendment in stock. In addition, the company requests declarations that Matthew Crouch and Samuel Smadja were “properly appointed to deserve the board of directors of the street” and that “McGraw and / or Peteski had the power to withdraw them” and that, as such, the publication of the court of a permanent injunction ordering Crouch and Smadja to put their positions on the board of directors of Merit Street.
