A new West Coast studio currently under construction for the Eternal Word Television Network will be “of great benefit to EWTN’s programming efforts around the globe,” said Michael P. Warsaw, CEO of the broadcast organisation.
The studio is being built on the campus of Christ Cathedral of the Diocese of Orange, California. The almost all-glass cathedral in Garden Grove is the former Crystal Cathedral made famous by the Rev. Robert Schuller, a popular televangelist. The cathedral complex was purchased by the diocese in November 2011.
“The location of the facility gives EWTN a presence in an area of the country where the network will be able to execute programs that would be difficult to produce elsewhere, particularly for our Spanish-language channels,” Warsaw said in a July 24 news release announcing the new studio.
He said EWTN, which has its headquarters in Irondale, hopes to be broadcasting news, televised Masses and stories of faith from the studio by the end of the year.
The Orange Diocese took possession of the cathedral property in September 2013. It then began an extensive renovation of the 34-acre campus and its seven buildings, upgrading them to meet modern earthquake and energy efficiency standards and to accommodate the large cathedral parish. The diocesan pastoral center, a Catholic school and a worship site called the Arboretum are now located on the campus.
The diocese will consecrate Christ Cathedral sometime in mid-2015.
“As we transform the Christ Cathedral campus into a dynamic and inspirational center of Catholic worship and outreach, we are blessed to partner with EWTN to share our community’s energy and faithful witness with the world,” Bishop Kevin W. Vann of Orange said in a statement.
“EWTN’s partnership will profoundly benefit our church, enabling us to share the love of Christ with millions across the world in multiple languages from the cathedral campus, here in Orange County,” he added.
With its new studio, Warsaw noted that the cable television network will also be “well positioned to be able to report on the “the historic renovation of the Christ Cathedral itself” for its audience.
EWTN Global Catholic Network provides multimedia services to more than 140 countries and territories. The network transmits news and information via 11 separate television channels in several languages to more than 230 million homes around the world. It also operates multiple radio services including a network of hundreds of AM and FM stations, a SiriusXM satellite radio channel, an iHeart radio channel and a global shortwave radio service.
According to the network its main website, www.ewtn.com, is the most visited Catholic website in the U.S.
In mid-June, during the annual Catholic Media Conference in Charlotte, N.C., Warsaw announced that EWTN had expanded its news operation by acquiring the Denver-based Catholic News Agency, known as CNA, and its sister organization, ACI Prensa, the world’s largest Spanish-language Catholic news organization, which is based in Lima, Peru.
“Since its founding a decade ago, CNA has proven itself to be a valuable source for reporting on important issues of the day that are of interest to Catholics and non-Catholics alike,” Warsaw said.
ACI Prensa, he added, “has been the world’s leading outlet for Spanish-language Catholic news and reporting … (and) will be a perfect fit alongside EWTN’s other services including our Spanish-language television, radio and Web-based services.”
In 2013, the network launched EWTN News Nightly, a daily news program broadcast based in Washington that covers major news events from a Catholic perspective. In 2011, EWTN acquired the National Catholic Register, which has a website and is published in print form biweekly. – CNS