DUBLIN, Ireland—Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), the radio and television broadcaster established by Mother Angelica in Alabama, has launched a European wide radio service.

Unlike Vatican Radio which uses short wave and therefore suffers from poor signal quality, EWTN's new European service gives listeners FM quality sound, provided they are connected to a satellite dish. This is because EWTN is using the Astra Satellite for its broadcasts across Europe from Finland in the north to Italy in the south and from the Canary Islands in the west to Moscow in the east.

However, not every European household is connected to a satellite dish. At present, Astra's potential audience is only 73 million—less than the population of Germany alone.

Nevertheless the move is a major development for EWTN which so far has concentrated on North America and Latin America since it was founded in 1981 by Mother Angelica in the garage of her Dominican convent in Alabama.

The European radio service on 10993.75 MHz is in English and broadcasts 24 hours a day, featuring a daily celebration of Mass and a twice daily recitation of the rosary.

Announcing her network's expansion on the other side of the Atlantic, Mother Angelica said: “We have had an outpouring of requests for our service in Europe. In response, we are delighted to offer EWTN on the continent's most popular satellite system. We look forward to working together with those in Europe who desire to produce programming that promotes the teachings of the Church.” (Cian Molloy)