Global Catholic TV station to reach Irish homes

A WORLDWIDE 24/7 Catholic TV station will be available to an extra 200,000 Irish homes next year.

Chorus, the Limerick-based cable TV company, revealed yesterday they are working to include the global Catholic network channel Eternal World Television Network (EWTN) on its listings in 2006.

The company has taken the decision following calls by a Limerick-based Catholic lobby group headed by former army colonel, John Phelan.

Edwina Gore, spokesperson for Chorus, said yesterday: “We will have to expand our channel line up to include the new channel. This involves a lot of technical infrastructure changes with a re-configuration of channels. We hope to add the station (EWTN) next year.”

Mr Phelan heads a registered charity, St Brigid Media Ltd, which promotes Catholic broadcasting networks in this country.

He said yesterday: “Our objective is to advance religion and in particular to promote the Catholic faith in Ireland by production of and assistance in the dissemination Catholic radio and television programmes.”

St Brigid Media Ltd has failed in a bid to win a community radio licence in Limerick.

Mr Phelan has welcomed the move by Chorus to open up EWTN on it’s network, saying: “We regard EWTN as one of the most important initiatives to have been taken by any church in recent times. The quality of the service is already startlingly good and appears to be going from strength to strength. I have no doubt that given time, EWTN will make a contribution of marked significance to the life of the church in Ireland.”