Strategic partnerships, latest technology for papal canonizations

(Vatican Radio) The Vatican Television Centre (CTV) has partnered with Sky and Sony to broadcast the April 27 canonization of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II in HD and in 3D in about 20 countries. The announcement was made at a press conference at the Vatican on Monday in the Paul VI Hall.

CTV will produce the event in 3D and it will be screened in 500 movie theatres worldwide, in addition to 120 theatres in Italy alone. Admission to the screenings, made possible through the collaboration of Nexco Digital, is to be free.

Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, said the communications technology being used offers a “great opportunity for relationship, knowledge, participation, an opportunity to live history”.

DBW Communication will archive the visual files using the latest 4K technology, said CTV Director Msgr Dario Viganò.

Vatican Radio will provide the sound for the event, broadcast worldwide in partnership with Sky, Sony and CTV. The global broadcast will make use of nine satellites – more than any World Cup or Olympic Games to date. Globecast will transmit the signals and Eutelsat will offer the technical support for the satellites.

Calling it an historic first, Renato Farina of Eutelsat Italia said nine of the company’s 36 satellites will be used for five hours of the live global broadcast of the canonization.

Vatican Radio’s Massimiliano Menichetti spoke with David Bush, marketing director of Sony Europe, about the partnership.

“I think it’s a natural evolution of a longstanding partnership with CTV. We’ve trialed many different types of innovation, new technologies that we hope can … be used to contribute something to the communication of (the) Vatican to followers around the world,” he said.

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