Monday, November 29, 2010

What's up with EWTN?

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Michael Warsaw, president and CEO of EWTN-TV (Eternal World Television Network), Mother Angelica's world-wide broadcasting network based in Birmingham, AL, was interviewed by the National Catholic Register. Here are two of his comments:

. . . What is the biggest change you’ve seen since you started working at EWTN?

When I first came to work at EWTN in 1991, the network consisted of the one U.S. TV channel only; radio had not yet begun, and, of course, there were no websites or digital media at that time. There were no more than 50 employees total, and most were local to Alabama.

Today, we have about 325 employees in the U.S. and 25 regional offices around the world in places like Rome, Madrid, London, Buenos Aires, Manila and in Cameroon.

EWTN now operates 10 separate television channels in multiple languages around the globe; we transmit multiple radio feeds that are heard in hundreds of millions of homes here in the U.S. and internationally, and we have a website that attracts tens of millions of visitors each year. You can find EWTN content on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and across the Internet.

So, I would say that one of the biggest changes really has been the scope of what EWTN does and the reach that we have around the world. And while the size, scope and reach of EWTN has changed dramatically, our mission remains unchanged from the first day. . . .

How is Mother Angelica doing today?

Mother Angelica is resting comfortably at her monastery in Hanceville, Ala., surrounded by her sisters. She is now 87 years old, and although her 2001 stroke left her with little ability to speak, she is alert and remains in great spirits.

I saw her several weeks ago, and she looks wonderful. She continues to offer her sufferings and her prayers for EWTN, its mission and for her EWTN family around the world. I think she is doing her most important work for EWTN now.

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