Gracing the airwaves

A new religious-themed channel will be aired on ITI's digital TV platform, Neovision, starting this autumn. Its programming will feature talk shows, interactive programs, church services and documentaries. The as-yet unnamed project has been prepared by two renowned journalists and experts on religion, Szymon Hołownia and Father Kazimierz Sowa.

In a country like Poland, where 90 percent of people are self-declared Roman Catholics, the station may find many viewers. Still, its makers want to offer something unique.

Father Sowa declares that the channel will be a platform for understanding and communication. "We believe we ... can create a language of faith," he explains. "We want to show that the world of religion can be fascinating too, if shown in an appropriate way," he adds, claiming that the new channel will not compete with any existing religious media. As Maciej Sojka, the CEO of Neovision ITI points out, the channel will not be engaged in politics. "We do not want to create it in opposition to anybody," he stresses.

Father Sowa is not worried about money. "We want to generate the highest spiritual profits in our viewers, without a material loss for our investors," he states. The channel will be maintained primarily by ITI's own funds, as no decision on advertising has been taken. Rafał Oracz from CR Media consulting company explains that in religious media, the prevailing opinion is that the mission is of foremost importance, while profit is secondary.

Maciej Sojka agrees. "ITI will use the channel to build our prestige," he says. He also hopes the channel will help to popularize ITI's digital platform.