wfn.org | Adventist Television Channel For Europe Launched

["Christian B. Schäffler (APD Schweiz)" <APD@stanet.ch>]

January 4, 2004
Adventist Press Service (APD)
Christian B. Schaeffler, Editor-in-chief
Fax +41-61-261 61 18
APD@stanet.ch
http://www.stanet.ch/APD
CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland

Adventist Satellite Television Channel For Europe Launched

London, United Kingdom, 04.01.2004/APD	   In the first week of 
January 2004 the Seventh-day Adventist Church launched its new 
24/7 satellite channel for Europe. The "Hope Channel" began test 
transmissions from the powerful Hotbird 6 satellite on December 
18, 2003, and right from the start the signal was clear and stable. 
Up to thirty million homes across Europe now have the potential 
to receive the channel, with receiving dishes as small as 60 cm in 
diameter in the South-East of England.

At present the programmes being broadcast on the Hope Channel 
are mainly traditional Adventist programmes such as Amazing 
Facts, It Is Written, Breath of Life, and Faith Alive. These are 
familiar to thousands of Adventist members who have bought the 
videotapes in the past. However there are also programmes 
dealing with creationism such as Fingerprints of Creation, and the 
Young Age of the Earth, and programmes which have become 
familiar to Adventist Television Network viewers over the last 
couple of years, such as Bible/Sabbath School University.

Future programming is still being planned but it is hoped that it 
will include new titles such as 'Freedom in Focus' which will 
challenge viewers who are pondering the issues of Church and 
state. There will also be fast-moving mission documentaries to 
inspire the young and adventurous; personal stories of faith 
depicted in a realty TV series called 'Escape' aimed at secular 
people searching for meaning and purpose; travel programmes 
that will take viewers to ancient Bible lands; and professional 
health presentations which will open the minds and hearts of 
viewers to listen to the spiritual messages from the preaching 
ministries of the Adventist Church.

Although there are already a handful of religious channels being 
transmitted to the UK and Ireland by satellite, it is unusual for a 
channel to be operated by a single Christian denomination. 
However, the worldwide structure and organisation of the 
Seventh-day Adventist Church, coupled with a great deal of faith 
and work by a large number of people, has enabled this to 
become a reality for us. "This is a great day for us in that we have 
finally combined our efforts and our resources to bring Adventist 
programmes into the homes of the public," says BUC President 
Pastor Cecil Perry. 

"It was back in 1844 that our Church had its beginnings and it 
was also in 1844 that Samuel F B Morse invented the telegraph. 
The Church and communications have both come a long way 
since then and we must thank God for opening this door of 
opportunity for us."

A new page has been set up on the Church website 
www.adventist.org.uk to provide more information and to allow 
members to contact people who can install suitable satellite 
receiver equipment in their homes. The Hope Channel itself has a 
website at www.hopetv.org though at the moment this is just 
displaying a title page. 

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