Media
EWTN Global Catholic Network
Eternal Word Television Network. A good deal of content is available on the Web for those without a satellite dish. Live video is available either for Real Player or Windows Media Player and many video and audio programmes are archived for viewing or listening at leisure.
Mediawatch UK
This is the new name for the organisation that used to be called "National Viewers and Listeners Association". The Chairman, John Milton-Whatmore has said that the organisation is hoping to reach a younger generation with its core values. Mediawatch UK aims to empower viewers by offering information on the laws and regulations by which broadcasters are supposed to be bound, by giving hints on monitoring broadcasting and by providing articles and news on current problems, particularly the content of television programmes. Mediawatch UK is also working hard to raise awareness of the problems of unsavoury content available on the Internet. As Director, John Beyer said "We have to ask ourselves whether being turned into voyeurs is right or desirable and whether television is going beyond what it ought to be - our servant not our master. One thing is certain, switching off and remaining silent are no longer realistic options."
Zenit News Agency
Catholics may also want to keep up with current world events from a Catholic perspective not usually available in the secular press. Zenit is a "not for profit" Catholic organisation, based in New York that issues daily news bulletins on matters of Catholic interest. Papal and other magisterial statements feature strongly as well as articles of current interest. As a news service providing background that is difficult to access in the UK, Zenit is hard to beat. The service is offered free and can be obtained either through the Web or, for a free subscription, direct by email to your desktop - available in several European languages. BBC Resistance
Jonathan Miller has for some time run a campaign against the BBC licence fee. Readers may be interested in the BBC Resistance website which has a wealth of information and advice on the subject and a petition to “sign”. One interesting link is to the site run by Valdimir Bukovsky, a former Soviet dissident who is prepared to withhold his licence fee and face prosecution rather than live with the BBC’s ‘Soviet’ style reporting.
www.tvlicensing.biz
www.bbcbias.org
Assyrian International News Agency
This link from the Assyrian International News Agency, tells the story of Sr Cecilia Moshi Hanna, a 70 year old Assyrian sister of the Order of the Sacred Heart, who was stabbed and beheaded in a murder regarded as a "signature" of Islamic extremist killing of infidels. She was one of 25 people throughout the world to have been killed during the past year propter odium fidei or in the course of their missionary work.
Independent Catholic News
In response to Tertio Millennio Adveniente's call to the laity, "the first daily Catholic on-line news service in the UK" was born. This site is run by Catholic journalists based in London. There are also more than a dozen regular contributors around the world. The aim is to provide speedy and accurate news coverage of all subjects of interest to Catholics and the wider Christian community. There is also a Saint of the Day, Sunday Reflection, Listings Section, Archives and a Links pages. The design is as simple as possible so that the site can be accessed by people using older computers - may readers in the developing world don's have the latest technology.
Catholic Internet Radio
There is quite a variety of Catholic Radio and music on the web. The Catholic Jukebox is a good place to start. Alternatively, go to Live365 for Black Catholic Gospel, Catholic Rap, Roman Catholic Prayers (playing Gregorian Chant), Sacred Heart Radio and others. (The general Christian section includes "Ablazin' Grace Radio"!)
www.apostlemusic.com/jukebox
www.live365.com
Decent Films Guide
"The DFG seeks to recommend and promote films that possess moral and spiritual value as well as artistic worth and entertainment value. It is also intended to provide information on other films, including those that are commended by popular and critical acclaim but are flawed or harmful morally or spiritually." The site gives sensible reviews and rates movies according to artistic and entertainment value, moral and spiritual value, appropriate audience and "overall recommendability". In case you're wondering, "Harry Potter" gets a high rating for entertainment, a 0.5 to -1 rating for moral and spiritual value (hovering around the "basically harmless" mark) and B (on a scale of A-F) for overall recommendability.
Plugged in
Part of the family.org website, "Plugged in" is a resource for parents to evaluate television programmes, music and movies. The reviews of "Ally McBeal" and "Buffy" offer a balanced critical evaluation from a Catholic perspective that is an antidote to the acceptance of what the reviewer usefully calls "normalisation" of immoral lifestyles. As the site is US-based, there is, sadly, a large gap for those seeking much-needed similar reviews of UK television.
Views from Rome
Set up by "Associazione Fiducia", views from Rome reports on current events in politics, culture and religion. The site offers information from a variety of sources on such matters as the European Union, Pius IX and the Liturgy as well as an archive covering topics of current interest.
Radio Maria
Radio Maria is a project for evangelisation originating in the Diocese of Milan and now offering a service on the Web. For information about the World Family of Radio Maria and internet radio in all languages
Catholic Communication Network
This service carries channels for Catholic news with Jeff Lemucchi ("click on Jeff to watch the news") as well as music, video and vocations
SpiritFM905.com
From the diocese of St Petersburg in Florida, this is a real online Catholic Christian music station with travel and traffic news back to back with Family Fast adverts.
Vatican Information Service
Straight from the horse's mouth: you can access the Vatican Information service including news briefs, radio and TV items directly.
Catholic World News
Another Service is Catholic World News, although to receive this by email, you pay $30 US per year. America Magazine Official Catholic Sites
Catholic Community
for a UK slant, try the Catholic Community which has a daily updated news service.
Mobile Office
Universalis, the online Divine Office site has now ported its content to WAP format so that you can access the Liturgy of the Hours on your mobile phone and leave the breviary at home.
National Viewers and Listeners Association
Another campaigning group, this time a long-established association that has worked "in season and out of season" to put pressure on Government and media bodies for the kind of control that reasonable people would wish to see over broadcasting. The site contains the full text of the newsletter, press releases and some helpful and well-researched publications such as Innocence versus Corruption, Empowering the Viewer, Monitoring - Helpful Hints, Television and the Family. Again quite a basic site in terms of design. This really shows that the Web can be used to disseminate useful information and support for those who wish to be better informed on these matters and to be able to "do something" about the undemocratic and destructive bias that is endemic in British broadcasting. It does not take a rocket scientist to do this and we would encourage all such groups to get their hard work to a wider audience.
Real Faith TV
For something completely different, try Real Faith TV. This has a collection of discussion programmes with teenagers discussing "real life ishoos". The difference is that the goal is to help teenagers become more committed disciples of Jesus Christ and to strengthen, deepen and inform their Catholic faith.
Catholic Links Directory
News commentaries and links
EWTN Global Catholic Network
Eternal Word Television Network. A good deal of content is available on the Web for those without a satellite dish. Live video is available either for Real Player or Windows Media Player and many video and audio programmes are archived for viewing or listening at leisure.
Mediawatch UK
This is the new name for the organisation that used to be called "National Viewers and Listeners Association". The Chairman, John Milton-Whatmore has said that the organisation is hoping to reach a younger generation with its core values. Mediawatch UK aims to empower viewers by offering information on the laws and regulations by which broadcasters are supposed to be bound, by giving hints on monitoring broadcasting and by providing articles and news on current problems, particularly the content of television programmes. Mediawatch UK is also working hard to raise awareness of the problems of unsavoury content available on the Internet. As Director, John Beyer said "We have to ask ourselves whether being turned into voyeurs is right or desirable and whether television is going beyond what it ought to be - our servant not our master. One thing is certain, switching off and remaining silent are no longer realistic options."
Zenit News Agency
Catholics may also want to keep up with current world events from a Catholic perspective not usually available in the secular press. Zenit is a "not for profit" Catholic organisation, based in New York that issues daily news bulletins on matters of Catholic interest. Papal and other magisterial statements feature strongly as well as articles of current interest. As a news service providing background that is difficult to access in the UK, Zenit is hard to beat. The service is offered free and can be obtained either through the Web or, for a free subscription, direct by email to your desktop - available in several European languages. BBC Resistance
Jonathan Miller has for some time run a campaign against the BBC licence fee. Readers may be interested in the BBC Resistance website which has a wealth of information and advice on the subject and a petition to “sign”. One interesting link is to the site run by Valdimir Bukovsky, a former Soviet dissident who is prepared to withhold his licence fee and face prosecution rather than live with the BBC’s ‘Soviet’ style reporting.
www.tvlicensing.biz
www.bbcbias.org
Assyrian International News Agency
This link from the Assyrian International News Agency, tells the story of Sr Cecilia Moshi Hanna, a 70 year old Assyrian sister of the Order of the Sacred Heart, who was stabbed and beheaded in a murder regarded as a "signature" of Islamic extremist killing of infidels. She was one of 25 people throughout the world to have been killed during the past year propter odium fidei or in the course of their missionary work.
Independent Catholic News
In response to Tertio Millennio Adveniente's call to the laity, "the first daily Catholic on-line news service in the UK" was born. This site is run by Catholic journalists based in London. There are also more than a dozen regular contributors around the world. The aim is to provide speedy and accurate news coverage of all subjects of interest to Catholics and the wider Christian community. There is also a Saint of the Day, Sunday Reflection, Listings Section, Archives and a Links pages. The design is as simple as possible so that the site can be accessed by people using older computers - may readers in the developing world don's have the latest technology.
Catholic Internet Radio
There is quite a variety of Catholic Radio and music on the web. The Catholic Jukebox is a good place to start. Alternatively, go to Live365 for Black Catholic Gospel, Catholic Rap, Roman Catholic Prayers (playing Gregorian Chant), Sacred Heart Radio and others. (The general Christian section includes "Ablazin' Grace Radio"!)
www.apostlemusic.com/jukebox
www.live365.com
Decent Films Guide
"The DFG seeks to recommend and promote films that possess moral and spiritual value as well as artistic worth and entertainment value. It is also intended to provide information on other films, including those that are commended by popular and critical acclaim but are flawed or harmful morally or spiritually." The site gives sensible reviews and rates movies according to artistic and entertainment value, moral and spiritual value, appropriate audience and "overall recommendability". In case you're wondering, "Harry Potter" gets a high rating for entertainment, a 0.5 to -1 rating for moral and spiritual value (hovering around the "basically harmless" mark) and B (on a scale of A-F) for overall recommendability.
Plugged in
Part of the family.org website, "Plugged in" is a resource for parents to evaluate television programmes, music and movies. The reviews of "Ally McBeal" and "Buffy" offer a balanced critical evaluation from a Catholic perspective that is an antidote to the acceptance of what the reviewer usefully calls "normalisation" of immoral lifestyles. As the site is US-based, there is, sadly, a large gap for those seeking much-needed similar reviews of UK television.
Views from Rome
Set up by "Associazione Fiducia", views from Rome reports on current events in politics, culture and religion. The site offers information from a variety of sources on such matters as the European Union, Pius IX and the Liturgy as well as an archive covering topics of current interest.
Radio Maria
Radio Maria is a project for evangelisation originating in the Diocese of Milan and now offering a service on the Web. For information about the World Family of Radio Maria and internet radio in all languages
Catholic Communication Network
This service carries channels for Catholic news with Jeff Lemucchi ("click on Jeff to watch the news") as well as music, video and vocations
SpiritFM905.com
From the diocese of St Petersburg in Florida, this is a real online Catholic Christian music station with travel and traffic news back to back with Family Fast adverts.
Vatican Information Service
Straight from the horse's mouth: you can access the Vatican Information service including news briefs, radio and TV items directly.
Catholic World News
Another Service is Catholic World News, although to receive this by email, you pay $30 US per year. America Magazine Official Catholic Sites
Catholic Community
for a UK slant, try the Catholic Community which has a daily updated news service.
Mobile Office
Universalis, the online Divine Office site has now ported its content to WAP format so that you can access the Liturgy of the Hours on your mobile phone and leave the breviary at home.
National Viewers and Listeners Association
Another campaigning group, this time a long-established association that has worked "in season and out of season" to put pressure on Government and media bodies for the kind of control that reasonable people would wish to see over broadcasting. The site contains the full text of the newsletter, press releases and some helpful and well-researched publications such as Innocence versus Corruption, Empowering the Viewer, Monitoring - Helpful Hints, Television and the Family. Again quite a basic site in terms of design. This really shows that the Web can be used to disseminate useful information and support for those who wish to be better informed on these matters and to be able to "do something" about the undemocratic and destructive bias that is endemic in British broadcasting. It does not take a rocket scientist to do this and we would encourage all such groups to get their hard work to a wider audience.
Real Faith TV
For something completely different, try Real Faith TV. This has a collection of discussion programmes with teenagers discussing "real life ishoos". The difference is that the goal is to help teenagers become more committed disciples of Jesus Christ and to strengthen, deepen and inform their Catholic faith.
Catholic Links Directory
News commentaries and links