Catholic television seeks support to expand across Canada

Toronto, Canada, Jul 15, 2004 / 22:00 pm

Canada’s Catholic television network is asking the country’s 12.8 million Catholics to take action and to help make Catholic programming available across the country by calling a national digital cable provider.

Salt + Light Television, a digital television network, broadcasts 100 percent Catholic programming, commercial-free. It began after World Youth Day 2002, which was held in Toronto, where the network is based. Fr. Thomas Rosica, former director of the international youth event, is the network’s CEO.

Currently, it is available to select communities in Ontario through ROGERS and in Quebec, through Vidéotron, Illico. While this growth is positive, the network points out that there are still millions of Canadian Catholics, who cannot receive Salt + Light programming.

However, Bell ExpressVu, a national digital cable provider, is in the process of deciding whether to make Salt + Light available to their customers. A decision is expected before the end of July.

“This is why it is important for Canadian Catholics to take action now,” said Jasmin Lemieux-Lefevre, marketing co-ordinator.

“We are certain that a large volume of calls and e-mails from Catholics, who are Bell ExpressVu subscribers, will convince Bell ExpressVu that they should add our Catholic network to their list of channels,” he said.

The network also encourages all Catholics, who subscribe to digital cable, to call their television service providers and to express their interest in having Salt + Light.

For more information, go to www.saltandlighttv.org