Taipei (AsiaNews) - After years of efforts, fundraising and preparation of content, since January 1st, 2016 Catholic channel "MOD" began transmitting broadcasts on Taiwanese TV. It is the result of the determination and hard work of six Catholics from Taipei who were already working in the media.
"MOD" stands for "Multimedia On Demand", and the platform is offered by Chunghwa Telecom (中華 電信) as part of its Internet television services. MOD programs are available by selecting channel 959 on the digital decoder.
Mr. Paul Su (蘇誌郎 先生) explains the origins of the company: "In the past we tried alternative projects: some were too expensive, such as cable television or other collaborations with state television. We did not have the that kind of budget and was beyond our means".
Asked if this is then a fallback, he immediately responded: "No, not at all. This is a small step, and is proof that with perseverance you achieve tangible results. People want to see the Catholic productions in Chinese on their home screen, they want to hear the Pope's message with all the values that brings with it”.
In practice, he adds, "you want to know about the work of the Church for many underprivileged here in Taiwan and around the world. We are really pleased with this first result and will now create more content and look for new methods of communication".
The channel is a sign of collaboration: "In fact we are partners with other religious channels, especially those run by the Taoists and Buddhists, who help us with the costs, given our limited resources. This cooperation is a great experience for us: we did discover new friends and different religious perspectives ".
The passion and determination of these people is uplifting particularly given the fact that the main media are generally in the hands of large companies with resources of a different level. But the six Catholics are an example of how perseverance and determination can always give life to something unexpected.
Three institutions sponsor the new platform: Catholic Voice (天主教 之 聲), Radio Veritas (真理 電台) and Kuangchi Program Service (光啟 社). The content library is offered mainly by the large archive of Kuangchi Program Service, which dates back to 1958. Gradually, even the old productions are being uploaded onto the platform to and especially focus on the history of the Catholic presence on the island.
Taiwan already has a cable television channel linked to evangelical churches (called Good TV, channel number 15) and several channels run by Buddhist monks, above all the channel Daai (大 愛 電視, number "9" on every Cable television) that enrich the religious message and human values in the media on the island.
In this scene a Catholic voice was lacking. "MOD" has filled this void thanks to the perseverance and hard work of these six young lay people who believed in it strongly.