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On the Air

Archdiocese, Sirius Satellite Radio launch the Catholic Channel

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The Archdiocese of New York made history Dec. 4 when it launched its first round-the-clock programming on radio. The Catholic Channel began broadcasting nationally on Sirius Satellite Radio, which collaborated with the archdiocese in creating the new channel, Sirius 159.

The programming lineup includes a lively morning show; a program focused on marriage and family life and another especially for young adults; newscasts on the hour; and a late-night show with Father Paul Keenan, veteran broadcaster and director of the archdiocese's radio ministry, as host.

Cardinal Egan will discuss issues on a weekly interview program. The Catholic Channel also will carry live broadcasts of the Mass offered by Cardinal Egan at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Sundays, as well as daily Mass at the cathedral on weekdays. Its first program was a live broadcast Dec. 3 of the Mass for the First Sunday of Advent at the cathedral, with Msgr. Robert T. Ritchie, rector of the cathedral, as celebrant and the cardinal as homilist.

"The Catholic Channel will engage listeners with exceptional Catholic programming delivered in a contemporary format," the cardinal said in a statement. "This is a unique and unprecedented opportunity for the Catholic Church to combine its message and its teaching with the most modern communications medium available, in order to reach out to people wherever they are in life, and address what is on their minds and in their hearts."

Joseph Zwilling, archdiocesan spokesman, said in an interview, "We'll be able to combine the very best the Church has to offer with an up-to-date, contemporary radio format." Anyone who listens, he added, will hear a familiar format with news, information, commentary and calls from listeners throughout the country. "But the content will be what sets us apart," Zwilling said.

He spoke with CNY at Sirius headquarters in Manhattan.

"What we want to talk about," he said, "are the kinds of things that are on people's minds: what's happening in the world from a Catholic perspective; what's happening in the Church; the beauty of Catholicism, the richness of our history and tradition." All of it, he said, will be presented in a way that will attract even those listeners "who might not yet realize that they want to listen to Catholic radio, or that they're interested in what the Church has to say."

"I would hope that people of all faiths would find the programming interesting and compelling," Zwilling said. He's convinced that "once people hear us on Sirius, even if they come by just out of curiosity, they'll be hooked."

The Catholic Channel will give the archdiocese new ways to share information and to evangelize.

"Now we have the opportunity to reach people we might not have been able to reach before," Zwilling noted, "to speak with them directly and discuss what's happening right now, to offer the Church's perspective and invite them to be more active in their faith."

Running the day-to-day operations is Rob Astorino, program director. Talking with CNY about the Catholic Channel, he said, "I think it's a great opportunity not just for the archdiocese but for the Catholic Church as a whole to reach out to people across the country with a message, and have a two-way conversation."

Astorino, a graduate of Fordham University, launched ESPN Radio in Manhattan in 2001 and was its executive producer. He and his wife, Sheila, and their two children live in Hawthorne, where he is a lector and Eucharistic minister at the family's parish, Holy Rosary.

The archdiocese announced in the spring that it was creating the channel in collaboration with Sirius (CNY, May 11). The weekday lineup includes:

"Seize the Day," 6-10 a.m., with Gus Lloyd, formerly the host on Spirit FM radio in Tampa, Fla. His program will present news, current events, interviews and Scripture reflection.

"Speak Now," 10 a.m.-noon, with Dave and Susan Konig. Konig is an award-winning actor and a comedian; Mrs. Konig is a former newspaper columnist. Their show will focus on married life, parenting and family issues. They are parishioners of St. Augustine's in Ossining.

"Across the Nation," 1-4 p.m., with Bob Dunning, a lawyer and veteran broadcaster in Sacramento, Calif. The program will be topical and issues-oriented.

"The Catholic Guy," 4-7 p.m., with Lino Rulli. Popular with young Catholics, he is the Emmy Award-winning host and executive producer of the popular TV show "Generation Cross" and a former reporter for the CBS-TV affiliate in Minneapolis.

"The Busted Halo," 7-9 p.m., with Paulist Father Dave Dwyer, also a veteran of radio and television who is popular with young adults; his background before priesthood includes work as a producer and director with MTV and Comedy Central.

"As You Think," 9 p.m.-1 a.m., with Father Paul Keenan, a priest of the archdiocese who was the co-host of "Religion on the Line" on WABC-AM from August 1993 until last Sept. 24. He also was host of "As You Think" on WOR-AM.

All of the daily programs will follow a phone-in format; the number is 888-3-CATHOLIC. Some prerecorded material will air overnight and on weekends.

Also offered are five weekly, one-hour shows airing at noon. On Mondays the topic is sacred music, with Dr. Jennifer Pascual, director of music at St. Patrick's Cathedral. On Tuesdays, Sister Marie Pappas, C.R., associate secretary for education in the archdiocese, discusses Catholic education. Msgr. Kevin Sullivan, executive director of archdiocesan Catholic Charities, is the host on Wednesdays when the topic is the Church's social ministry.

On Thursdays, Cardinal Egan discusses a variety of issues in a dialogue with Astorino. Sacred Scripture is the topic on Fridays; the program's coordinator is Father Peter John Cameron, O.P., editor in chief of Magnificat and director of Blackfriars Repertory Theatre. The hosts will be Dominican friars.

Programming includes world news roundups from Vatican Radio.

Father Keenan, speaking with CNY, sounded as though he were counting the minutes until he could get back to the microphone. And he's not fazed by the time slot that extends past midnight. He's been crazy about radio at all hours ever since he was a kid in Kansas City with a transistor under his pillow.

"I'd turn the light off and turn the transistor radio on," he said. "I heard Wolfman Jack before he was in Los Angeles."

He'll be using a call-in format.

"The topics will depend on what people want to talk about," he said. "This is for people who are worried about their lives, their jobs, their kids, money. Or they're having a crisis of faith—any of those things. It's open season."

The author of several books on spirituality, Father Keenan said he loves being able to offer encouragement to listeners and let them know how Catholic teaching can enrich them.

"I've always wanted this program, a national radio show...always wanted to be there to help people," he said.

The Catholic Channel also will air football and basketball broadcasts from the University of Notre Dame. Sirius is the official satellite radio partner of the university.

Sirius radio programming, which is commercial-free, is available only by subscription; rates begin at $12.95 monthly. Subscribers must buy a Sirius radio; prices range from about $30 up.