Radio Vatican is the radio of the papacy. Its seat is with Rome.

History

It was inaugurated by Pie XI on February 12th, 1931 in the presence of its person in charge, Guglielmo Marconi. Its project went back to the Accords of the Lateran of 1929, bearing creation of the State of the Vatican City. The historical transmitter, of a power of 10 kw, is located in the gardens of the palate of the Vatican, in a medieval tower restored by Leon XIII at the end of the 19th century. It emits then over two short wavelengths. In 1936, the International union of the radio authorizes “on a purely special basis” the diffusion without geographical limitation, which makes it possible the radio to develop. Thus, in 1937, two additional transmitters of 25 kw are installed.

During the Second world war, the radio diffuses its emissions in four languages on medium waves. They are especially messages of the families to the soldiers or calls for the search for missings. Joseph Goebbels orders the jamming of the emissions in Germany. The war accelerates the development of the radio which diffuses into 1948 of the emissions in 19 languages. July 24th, 1952, the radio moves in Sante Maria di Galleria, located at 18 km of Rome. The ground, vast 440 ha, enjoys the extraterritoriality. In 1957, Pie XII inaugurates there a new transmitting center, placed under the protection of the archangel Gabriel, owner of the radiophonic connections. In 1970, the seat moves in its turn: it settles with the palazzo Pio, with the entry of via della Conciliazone, in the district of Borgo. In March 2006 the pope visited the buildings of the station at the time of the 75 years of this one

Radio Vatican today

Statute

Since 1986, the radio is an autonomous service, classified by the apostolic Constitution Pastor no-claims bonus like a “institution attached to the Holy See”, following the example Osservatore Romano . It is placed under the responsibility of the Secrétairerie of State which controls in particular the adequacy of its programs to the catholic doctrines. It is directed by a coordination committee, whose members all are Jésuite S:

  • a managing director, named by the pope on a proposal from the general employee of the Society of Jesus (since November 2005, Federico Lombardi);

  • a director of the programs, named by Chancery on a proposal from the general Jesuit;
  • a director of the engineering services;
  • an administrative director.

The personnel of the radio includes/understands approximately 400 people, almost all laymen: in 1992, the laic ones are 355 out of 400. On a legal level, one distinguishes:

  • the personnel Jesuit, detached by his order;

  • titular personnel ( di ruolo ): journalists, technicians and administrative officers governed by the rules applicable to the civils servant of the Vatican;
  • contractual personnel of private law;
  • people receiving benefits.

Radio Vatican is financed by equipment of the Holy See and the gifts of the listeners, often in the shape of new transmitters. It perceives few radiophonic rights: the productions of the radio are freely rediffusables. She does not resort either to the Publicité. So the radio knows a chronic deficit, which rises in 1988 to 7 billion liras. According to the director of the radio, Federico Lombardi, the budget of Radio Vatican would range between 20 and 25 million Euro

Emissions

Radio Vatican diffuses today more than 50 hours of daily programs in 40 languages (in 2000). In 1996 its audience was located in a fork going from 20 to 30 million people, including 3 million in Poland. They are mainly emissions on the life of the Church, the activity of the Pope and the programs of topicality: general audiences, blessings and pontifical Angelus, daily Mass, emissions sponsored by the pontifical Academy of sciences, doctrinal emissions for the countries of mission, etc It also ensures the cover of the great events of the the Holy See, like the Conclave S. It diffuses cultural and musical emissions. The Roman network ( Rete romana ) emits 20 hours per day. Finally the morning section is made up of three newspapers of international information in Italian, French and English.

It uses as code the acclamations capétiennes (“ Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat ”).

Retransmissions

1040 radios in 70 countries of the world retransmettent its programs by collecting the signal starting from 2 satellites Intelsat positioned on the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean, of the European satellite Eutelsat or Internet. Most are the catholic radios, beside commercial radios or even of national public radios (in Argentine, with the Paraguay, the Peru, in Poland, Slovakia and with the Venezuela).

See too

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