Colombia. For three days, between June 1 and 3, a meeting of the different directors and producers of the network of Catholic broadcasters was held at the headquarters of the Episcopal Conference, with the intention of strengthening the language around peace, coexistence and reconciliation in the community.
To learn in depth about the environment of Catholic radio, the dissemination of its stations and its contents, TVyVideo spoke with Father Elver Rojas, Director of the Social Communication Area of the Episcopal Conference.
TVyVideo What is the objective of the Catholic radio meeting?
Father Elver Rojas: The objective is the empowerment by the Colombian episcopate of directors, radio producers and announcers in a language of forgiveness, reconciliation and peace because the country is very polarized as a result of violence in the community, the language becomes aggressive, so it is sought that Catholic communicators, see peace not with political overtones but the peace that the Catholic message brings and that is what each person receives in the heart, aiming to create environments of peace.
TVV How many Catholic radio stations currently exist in Colombia?
Father Elver Rojas: Currently in Colombia there are 200 stations of the Catholic Church, between community stations and commercial stations, as well as online stations, which is a trend today also within the church.
TVV What is the mostly way of transmitting, is it by traditional radio or internet?
Father Elver Rojas: The vast majority are through traditional radio, so far it is venturing into the digital world through online stations, but the strong thing is traditional stations.
TVV How is your form of financing or support?
Father Elver Rojas: They themselves try to organize, especially within the church there is a strong tendency and that is that the same community supports the stations, creating for example a club of friends, godparents and also through small advertising promotions but that added up because without a doubt it is favoring them.
They also use power, what they know how to give in the Church, prayer for families, prayer for the sick and through it families give their offering for the sustenance of the stations, is what helps them to sustain themselves and strengthen themselves.
TVV What kind of programming do you have?
Father Elver Rojas: The programming is varied both in the musical aspect, as in the educational, formative area, faith programs, with a pastoral tinge, as well as content for children and young people, and the family. These programs have the ability to reach all audiences with the programs that are even handled in commercial radio, from them has also been learned to large stations and programming content that have so much force at the national level, they watch copy and adapt to their circumstances and thus move.
TVV What is the relationship of the episcopate with these stations?
Father Elver Rojas: The episcopate has a department of social communication, which is responsible for all the media of the Catholic Church, broadcasters, newspapers, magazines, television, web pages and makes an accompaniment.
For the episcopate, the media are very important because they are instruments that allow evangelizing action to reach far beyond the space where they are located, such as temples, seminaries, and other structures where communication reaches much further, transmitting the message and that is what the church seeks.
TVV What is the estimated audience of these stations?
Father Elver Rojas: This audience focuses on the community as such, especially the community stations, but they target a Catholic audience, a believer without ruling out some person of good will in its large percentage of programming is focused on Catholics, on people of faith for those elements are offered, a language with content related to that Catholic audience.
Leave your comment