EWTN

EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network) is a television and radio operation that broadcasts Catholic religious programming worldwide, via satellite television and radio, broadcast television and radio, shortwave and the internet from studios at 5817 Old Leeds Road in Irondale.

EWTN began in 1981 and transmits 24 hour programming to 118 million homes in 127 countries and 16 territories. EWTN offers a wide variety of Catholic themed programming, including daily Mass, talk shows such as EWTN Live and Sunday Evening Live, Daily Rosary, Benediction, teaching programs, entertainment/variety shows, children's programming, live coverage of world Catholic events such as Bishops' conferences and Papal travels, Music shows, Youth programming, and more.

In the beginning

Mother Angelica founded Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in Irondale and began developing short written religious teachings. As these short books became more popular, she began receiving requests for speaking engagements and her fellow nuns began looking at technology to enable worldwide distribution. The result was a video series of Mother Angelica's talks which were taped at WBMG-TV's studios. Her shows aired on the Christian Broadcasting Network(now ABC Family) as well as TBN. After visiting WCFC TV Channel 38 Chicago (now WCPX) and being a guest on their show called "Among Friends" she decided that "She has got to have one!!". Shortly after when the Mother Angelica discovered that WBMG was airing a show from CBS that she felt contradicted Christian teaching she abruptly ended production. Soon after that in 1980 she built a TV studio on monastery property in Irondale, which has grown into the worldwide broadcast center that EWTN is today.

Development of EWTN

After Mother was able to purchase satellite space, EWTN signed on in August of 1981 with 4 hours a day of programming, including talk shows, Mother Angelica Live (aired two nights a week), Sunday Mass once a week, and re-runs of older Catholic programs such as "Life Is Worth Living" with Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. The remainer of the time was filled with shows produced by Catholic dioceses across the country. Other programs occupying the schedule included the Christian drama shows produced by the Lutheran Church This is Life and Patterns for Living, some Protestant teaching programs that were in agreement with Catholic principles, and children's shows such as Joy Junction and The Sunshine Factory. About a third of the time consisted of secular content, like re-runs of The Bill Cosby Show, public domain movies, and cooking and western-themed shows.

From 1986 to 1988, secular content was gradually dropped, and 1987, satellite distribution was expanded to a more desirable channel, and the channel went 24 hours a day. At this point, the channel began running the Rosary daily and added a number of teaching shows. Program production gradually increased at the station.

The Mass which aired weekly became televised daily in 1991 and their production approached nearly half the day. Programs deemed to be "too progressive" were rejected, and most shows from non-Catholic sources were dropped. A more traditional image was gradually taken on, one that remains to this date.

Radio

In 1992, EWTN established the largest privately owned shortwave radio station in the Birmingham area. The station broadcasts Catholic programming 24 hours a day in English and Spanish. In 1996, EWTN launched a free satellite-delivered AM/FM radio network to stations worldwide, also in English and Spanish.

In 2004, EWTN announced an agreement with Sirius Satellite Radio to carry EWTN programming.

News

The EWTN News department produces a daily news service for the television and radio network, featuring news sources including Vatican Radio. They also produce a show combining conservative politics with Catholic teaching called "The World Over".

History of Programming

In its early history, EWTN ran a wide variety of Catholic produced programming from various Roman Catholic sources. This ranged from Charismatic Movement programming such as Father Michael Manning to shows focusing on social reform and justice, like Christopher Closeup, to teaching shows hosted by various priests and bishops some of which were on the progressive side. When they had to program 24/7 and lacked the resources to produce their own shows they took shows they would today not even consider. The Mass they ran was completely in English as well.

In the early 1990s, EWTN began producing more of their own shows. They also began running the Mass daily. Their attitude also began to change in response to liberal attitudes within the Church. They began preaching against relativism as well as those who do not follow Church teachings. They also began to demonstrate disdain for the way Mass was being celebrated in various parishes. They argued that many churches supposedly no longer celebrated the Mass in a reverent manner. As a result in 1992 they began mixing Latin into their own Masses. They still celebrated the Novus Ordo Mass but a few common prayers would be said in Latin. They also cut the hymns to just the opening and closing songs. They also stopped using contemporary praise and worship music in which they used guitars, drums and piano and replaced the music with organ and violin. Some hymns are still Protestant but approved by Rome. In between they used Gregorian chant.

On Christmas Eve of 1993 Mother Angelica and her order of nuns switched their clothing to the pre-Vatican II traditional habit.

EWTN has many programs discussing Protestant beliefs from their perspective, such as The Journey Home in which converts to Catholicism, mostly from other Christian denominations, state their reasons for converting. They go about discussing with the guest their background, their journey (indicating their former beliefs in order) and their reasons for changing their beliefs. The guest explains how he/she saw Catholicism as the source of Christian truth and religious belief, and also supply their views on their previous faith. Intellectual reasoning and discussions make up the substance of the program. Guests chosen usually are from an intellectual (PhD's)/scholarly background (often pastorial/faith related) and occasionally a typical lay-person.

Shows such as Sunday Night Live with Fr. Benedict Groeschel also host religious discussions and are usually appreciated by all faiths (i.e Catholicism and Christian denominations, and even other religions such as Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism as claimed several times on the show).

Programming

Some of the programs on EWTN:

• Mother Angelica Live
• Daily Mass
• Life on the Rock with Fr. Francis Mary, MFVA
• My Little Angels
• Adventures in Odyssey
• EWTN Live with Fr. Mitch Pacwa SJ
• The Journey Home with Marcus Grodi
• The World Over with Raymond Arroyo (News)
• Web Of Faith - Father John Trigilio & Father Robert Levis
• G.K.Chesterton: an Apostle of Common Sense - Dale Aquest
• Household Of Faith Now We're Catholic - Christie Franklin & Barbara Moss
• The Abundant Life - Catholic Answers
• The Holy Rosary with Mother Angelica & The Nuns
• Benediction - From Hanceville, Alabama
• Does The Church Still Teach This? - Father Shannon Collins FME
• Sunday Night Live - Father Benedict Groeschel
• Threshold Of Hope - Father Mitch Pacwa S.J.
• Defending Life - Father Frank Pavone and Janet Morana

The network also airs coverage of Church events worldwide, documentaries, music specials, the rosary, and other devotional segments.

References

• "Eternal Word Television Network." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 23 Jul 2006, 04:29 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 27 Jul 2006 [1].

External links

• Official Site