Muslims claim televangelist ouster victory

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Aug. 25 (UPI) -- A U.S. Muslims' advocacy group is claiming victory in getting a controversial televangelist's show taken off the air in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The Council on American Islamic Relations complained to CBS about a May 2 episode on its affiliate WTOG-TV of "Live Prayer with Bill Keller," in which Keller said Islam is a "1,400-year-old lie from the pits of hell" and called the Prophet Mohammed a "murdering pedophile," the St. Petersburg Times reported Saturday.

Keller, 49, was told by station officials his contract originally due to end in December would be canceled as of Sept. 11.

"Ultimately, it was pressure by CAIR that intimidated these people into taking me off the air," Keller told the newspaper. "It was not mutually agreeable. They told me they were taking me off the air, period."

That was disputed by WTOG Station Manager Laura Caruso, who said the decision was a programming one, made mutually.

Since launching his Live Prayer Internet ministry in 1999, Keller has also upset Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses and Scientologists by calling them false religions and cults, the Times said.