http://www.saltandlighttv.org

Salt and Light Television

Background

Over the past 50 years, there has been an explosion in media and communications. Just look at the last 10 years with television, Internet and online communications. However, where are we as Catholics in the face of this revolution?

We have some Catholic radio, Catholic magazines and some regional initiatives across the country, but no Catholic television on a national basis. And, television reaches more Canadians than any other media.

With a population of 12.8 million Catholics in Canada (43.5 percent of all Canadians), representing approximately 5.2 million households, we should expect to receive our fair share of programming. When you compare the power of secular media vs that of Catholic media, you quickly realize the enormous gap between them. As Catholics in Canada, we can honestly say that we are extremely under-served.

We need a Canadian Catholic television network not only to connect to whenever we want to access quality Catholic programming but also to develop: * A new tool for sharing and improving our knowledge of our faith * A platform to connect the Church to its faithful * A place of retreat and faith connection for all Catholics * A new source of Catholic content to be shared with the world

Canadians will continue to watch hockey or their favourite sitcom, but they also need the opportunity to access Catholic programming that can bring them closer to their faith.

This evangelization must be done through a thoroughly competent and professional use of radio, television and the audiovisual media. And with evangelization are necessarily linked the advancement of the whole human race, the integral development of all men and women in the world. This is a noble and deeply Christian aim, and the Pope is with you in your conviction that it can be served worthily only by a professionalism which admits of nothing carelessly prepared. This is surely demanded by the reverence due to the word of God and by the respect to which audiences are entitled.

Pope John Paul II
Message to the International Catholic Association for Radio and Television
October 25, 1978

Building a Catholic television network

Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation is a not-for-profit, charitable organization whose goal is to use modern media in its many forms as a tool to connect Catholics to their faith. Our first initiative was to establish a new digital television channel, Canadas first national Catholic television Network, Salt + Light Television in July 2003.

Constructing a unifying, national, Catholic Television network is anything but easy. However, with the hand of Catholics from every generation and every background, we will continue to build a network that Canadian Catholics will be proud to call their own.