USCCB - (Office of Media Relations) - Information for Broadcasters on Worldwide Telecasts of Pope's 2003 Christmas Ceremonies

Information for Broadcasters on Worldwide Telecasts of Pope's 2003 Christmas Ceremonies

WASHINGTON (November 26, 2003) -- The Holy See's Pontifical Council for Social Communications has released information for broadcasters regarding the coordination of worldwide telecasts of the Christmas ceremonies of the Holy Father:

1) Wednesday, December 24, 2003, Christmas Eve, 22:55-00.45 hours UTC (GMT): Midnight Mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Basilica.

2) Thursday, December 25, 2003, Christmas Day, 10:55-11:40 hours UTC (GMT) Christmas Message and Blessing "Urbi et Orbi" of the Holy Father, in St. Peter's Square.

Television coverage of these ceremonies, for worldwide distribution, will be provided by Radiotelevisone Italiana (RAI), in cooperation with the Vatican Television Center (CTV), and coordinated by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.

These telecasts will be available:

--in Europe, through the EBU (European Broadcasting Union-Eurovision);

--in the rest of the world through INTELSAT;

--in parts of Latin America, also through PanAmSat.

Television networks and stations which wish to take part in these worldwide telecasts are asked to contact:

--in Europe: RAI, Eurovision Office, Sig.ra Laura Maggiore, Tel. + 39 06 3317 0053/2814; Fax + 39 06 3317 1151; E-mail: eurovision@rai.it

--elsewhere: Telespazio, Sig. Sergio Bernardi, Tel. + 39 06 4079 3487; Fax +39 06 407 1790; E-mail: customer_support@telespazio.it

--in Latin America, OTI (Organizacion de la Television Iberoamericana), Mr. Dario de la Pena, FAX + 52 55 5281 1564/280 7847; E-mail: otiprogramas@oti.tv or, if necessary, Telespazio, as noted above.

Television networks and stations which, for technical reasons, cannot make use of satellite audio signals can use telephone circuits with the Vatican by contacting: Telecom Italia, Sig. Joseph Soureal, Tel. +39 06 3689 4067/4657. Fax +39 06 3689 4506/4413

For fully equipped positions for television commentators in the Braccio di Carlo Magno, next to St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, interested networks and stations are asked to contact Sig.ra Laura Maggiore at RAI (cf. above).

The Pontifical Council for Social Communications will cover the technical expenses for satellite uplink. For developing countries which find themselves in particular difficulty, on recommendation of the respective Papal Representative, the Council will cover downlink expenses, but not the expenses for local/national transmission of the programs.

Archbishop John Foley is President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.