TV: Catholics have to get it right, faster

"May our planning and our eventual congress help Catholic television to be a type of nervous system for the Church," the president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications concluded, "a system which helps to inform, to energize ... the Church to an ever more perfect unity and to the continuing work of evangelization."

"...we thought it might be a good idea to respond to requests from around the world to be a forum for planning and, indeed, helping to implement such coordination and cooperation. ... In no field more than broadcasting and telecasting is there more need for networking: networking so that common programming can be offered throughout the world, networking so that training facilities can be offered on an international basis, networking so that ideas and programs can be shared."

In his speech to the committee Archbishop John P. Foley recalled that, although there are many "Catholic television initiatives, there are often insufficient resources in programming, finance or trained personnel to keep them all in operation. One of the factors that seem to be missing is coordination and, indeed, cooperation."

We need help.