Televisiones Católicas

Brussels/Beirut, 31 October 2006 (SIGNIS) - Last summer, the war in Lebanon killed many civilians and destroyed many buildings, but it also greatly affected Lebanese Catholic broadcasters. Most transmitters for Télé Lumière and Radio Voice of Charity were destroyed, rendering them silent in many parts of Lebanon. A SIGNIS delegation went there from 26 to 30 October to show their solidarity on behalf of Catholic broadcasting professionals worldwide and to evaluate the damage and urgent needs in view of rebuilding. It was clear that everyone’s help is urgently needed!

The delegation was made up of Mgr. Jean-Michel Di Falco, Bishop of Gap and President of the European Episcopal Council for Media accompanied by a seminarian from his diocese -, and by Marc Aellen, SIGNIS Secretary General.

The damage these two Catholic media organizations have suffered is enormous: 100-metre high transmitters literally crushed by missiles, technical buildings reduced to powder, equipment burnt... Today television as well as radio can only be broadcast by satellite. Terrestrial transmission is again possible only in some regions, where makeshift transmitters have been set up or thanks to those still standing. However, it is in the remote parts where there is no more terrestrial transmission that the poorest Christians live. These people feel isolated, cut off from the world.

Millions of Dollars worth of damage

For Télé Lumière the damage amounts to 4 million dollars. The delegation was able to see the extent of the damage on the spot (see the photographs ). It is clear that the regular supporters of this Catholic channel will never be able to meet these needs.

As for Radio Voice of Charity, in the past 18 months it has undergone two blows which could be fatal unless it has external assistance: on May 6, 2005, its buildings were blown up by a bomb. Temporary buildings were set up recently, but the rebuilding of the principal building hasn’t yet begun. The destruction of technical equipment alone amounted to 1.8 million dollars. As for the damage caused by this summer’s war (transmission masts and technical equipment), it comes to 340,000 dollars.

We are therefore launching an urgent appeal to all Catholic audiovisual professionals, as well as to TV and radio channels. This is an opportunity to make the vision of global solidarity real and effective. Thank you to all of you who are able to help our fellow members in need. The General Secretariat of SIGNIS will pass on your donations and guarantee that they will be used properly. We will give an update on progress in a few months.

You can easily make a donation through the SIGNIS web site . Please check the appropriate box (help for Lebanon - radio or TV).

You can also make a donation through the following bank account: SIGNIS - ING Bank, 1 rue du Trône, 1000 Brussels - IBAN: BE 19 3100 6444 9112 BIRO: BBRUBEBB

Finally, we welcome your messages of support for our Lebanese friends. Please send them to lebanon@signis.net.

Thank you for your solidarity!

Marc Aellen,
Secretary General
SIGNIS, World Catholic Association for Communication
sg@signis.net