wfn.org | Italian Program Goes Live On AWR Satellite

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Network

November 19, 2000
Adventist Press Service (APD)
Christian B. Schaeffler, Editor-in-chief
CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland
Fax +41-61-261 61 18
APD@stanet.ch
http://www.stanet.ch/APD

Italian Language Program Goes Live On AWR Europe 
Satellite Network

Rome/Italy.        	On October 9, at 10:30 a.m., 
the first live program was broadcast on Adventist World 
Radio's new Voice of Hope Network for Europe, according 
to Bert Smit, AWR's Europe Region Director.  "This was 
the first live broadcast AWR has transmitted via 
satellite for rebroadcast to FM stations," said Smit.

^From KJOI, the Voce della Speranza (Voice of Hope) 
studios in the heart of Rome, a 30- minute live 
presentation in Italian was available to the nine 
Adventist radio stations in Italy. Mario Calagno and 
Luigi Carateli presented the program, introducing 
listeners to the 24-hour digital satellite network AWR 
operates on the Sirius 2 satellite. Smit and AWR's 
digital program distribution engineer, Daryl Gungadoo, 
were present at this historic event.

"The nine Italian Adventist stations reach about 
eight million listeners," says Lucio Altin, president 
of the Italian Union of the "Chiesa Cristiana Avventista". 
"We consider this a very important evangelistic tool 
for this protestant Church in Italy." AWR provided the 
digital link using a Sonifex interface. "The program was 
relayed via ISDN to AWR's satellite operations center 
in the United Kingdom and and directly channeled to the 
satellite,"said Smit. "The feed was immediately 
available for re-broadcasting by the local radio 
stations and on the Internet live stream."

A second test broadcast on Tuesday, October 10  
included a live call-in feature.

Italian network director Pastor Daniele Benini said 
that the new satellite network is expanding the 
possibilities for the Italian Voice of Hope programs. 
"Because of this new distribution facility," said 
Benini, "the Italian Union has decided to lease 
air time on two additional FM stations to increase 
the coverage, with more stations to follow."

In addition to pre-recorded Italian programs, the 12-
kilowatt FM station in Rome will also re-broadcast 
pre-recorded Romanian and Spanish programs from the 
satellite network, as well as English. The Voice of 
Hope satellite network will continue to feed a live 
Italian program twice weekly from Rome.

Smit reported: "Just before we left the studio we 
noticed a young woman taking an on-the-spot Bible 
study with Pastor Benini. She was a new listener and 
had come to talk about faith with Voice of Hope staff."

"We are tremendously pleased with the success of this 
Europe satellite network," says Don Jacobsen, AWR 
president, "and look forward to increased results from 
AWR's multi-lingual radio ministry in Europe."
AWR broadcasts via shortwave from stations in Guam, 
Germany, Italy, Madagascar, Slovakia and South Africa, 
and provides satellite network service to more than 
50 stations in the Americas and Europe.  Many Voice 
of Hope programs are also aired on the Internet on a 
live stream or as audio on demand. Total broadcast 
hours weekly is in excess of 1200.