Coordination of Worldwide TV Telecasts

Christmas 2003     

1) Wednesday, December 24, 2003, Christmas Eve, 22:55 – 00:45 hours UTC (GMT): Midnight Mass celebrated by His Holiness Pope John Paul II in St. Peter’s Basilica.

2) Thursday, December 25, 2003, Christmas Day, 10:55 – 11:40 hours UTC (GMT): Christmas Message and Blessing “Urbi et Orbi” ("To the City of Rome and to the World")of Pope John Paul II from St. Peter’s Square.  

Television coverage of these ceremonies - for worldwide distribution - will be provided by Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI), in cooperation with the Vatican Television Center (CTV), and will be coordinated by this Pontifical Council for Social Communications.   

These telecasts will be available: 

           -- in Europe, through the EBU (European Broadcasting Union - Eurovision); 
           -- in the rest of the world through INTELSAT; 
           -- in parts of Latin America, also through PanAmSat.   

Television networks and stations which wish to take part in these worldwide TV telecasts are asked to contact: 

           -- in Europe: RAI, Eurovision Office, Sig.ra Laura Maggiore,
Tel. +39 06 3317 0053/2814; Fax +39 06 3317 1151; E-mail:  eurovision@rai.it 
           -- elsewhere:Telespazio, Sig. Sergio Bernardi, Tel.+ 39 06 4079 3487;
Fax +39 06 407 1790; E-mail:  customer_support@telespazio.it 
           -- in Latin America, OTI (Organización de la Televisión Iberoamericana),
Mr. Darío de la Peña, Fax +52 55 5281 1564/280 7847;E-mail:  otiprogramas@oti.tv  
or, if necessary, Telespazio as noted above. 

          This Pontifical Council for Social Communications will make available, for those who request it, commentary for the celebrations in any one of the following languages: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Ukrainian; RAI will make available commentary in Italian. In addition to the television images, the INTELSAT and PanAmSat satellites will carry international sound and commentary in the languages noted above.   

           Television networks and stations which, for technical reasons, cannot make use of satellite audio signals can use telephone circuits with the Vatican by contacting: Telecom Italia, Sig. Joseph Soureal, Tel. +39 06 3689 4067/4657. Fax +39 06 3689 4506/4413.   

           For fully equipped positions for television commentators in the Braccio di Carlo Magno, next to St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, interested networks and stations are asked to contact Sig.ra Laura Maggiore at RAI (cf. above).   

           The Pontifical Council for Social Communications will cover the technical expenses for satellite uplink. For developing countries which find themselves in particular difficulty, on recommendation of the respective Papal Representative, the Council will cover downlink expenses, but not the expenses for local/national transmission of the programs.     

Digital details for all transmissions:    

Each signal will have 4 audio channels as indicated below.   

24 Dec. 2003  (2255 - 0045 GMT) - 9 Mhz  “Christmas Midnight Mass” 

25 Dec. 2003  (1055 - 1140 GMT) - 9 Mhz   “Christmas Message and Urbi et Orbi ” 

For exact frequencies, please contact:     

Sergio Bernardi, Telespazio Customer Care 
E-mail: customer_support@telespazio.it 
Phone: + 39 06 4079 3487 / 3478 
Fax:     + 39 06 4071790   

Please indicate exact satellite, channel, standard line, audio commentary and Intelsat ID number in your requests.