For the second time in three years, the CatholicTV Network has won the Gabriel Award for "Religious Television Station of the Year". It was announced this week that the Gabriel will be awarded to two nationally-recognized Catholic television networks by the Catholic Academy for Communications Arts Professionals (CACAP). CatholicTV will receive the honor this year alongside the Eternal Word Television Network. The CatholicTV Network was honored as the "Religious Television Station of the Year" in 2010 as well.
The Gabriel Awards are designed to honor works of excellence in film, network and cable television and radio programs. These include, feature films and documentaries, entertainment and news programming, public service announcements, and stations which serve audiences through the positive, creative treatment of concerns to humankind. Categories for TV and radio include both English and Spanish language programs.
President of the CatholicTV Network, Father Robert Reed said of the award, "It is a tremendous thrill for us to be given this prestigious Gabriel Award, not for a specific program, but rather for our entire network. I hold in deep esteem our team members and on-air personalities as well as the entire CatholicTV family of viewers who have sustained the network for some 57 years. This Gabriel Award is a true honor for Cardinal Seán O’Malley and the Archdiocese of Boston as it indicates that the Academy looks upon both nationally broadcast networks as providing complimentary service to the Church in the United States."
When asked about the award, General Manager Jay Fadden said, "This impressive award not only reflects the professional and hard work of our entire staff and the leadership of Cardinal Seán, but is recognition of the faith of the many loyal viewers who have supported CatholicTV for so many years."
CACAP is an organization of professionals in the fields of Catholic print and audiovisual communications, as well as Catholic communications/public relations directors. The CACAP has sponsored the Gabriel Awards for over 40 years.
CatholicTV also won a Gabriel Award for Mass Confusion in the entertainment category. The pilot episode of the first-ever Catholic sitcom premiered on the network on Thanksgiving. Greg and Jennifer Willits, co-hosts of The Catholics Next Door, a daily three-hour talk show on SiriusXM’s The Catholic Channel 129 and Mac and Katherine Barron from Catholics in a Small Town blog wrote the pilot of Mass Confusion and star in it with their families. They hope to bring back the family sitcom — this time with a Catholic twist.
CatholicTV is a nationally-broadcasted television network streaming a live feed 24 hours a day at CatholicTV.com. Heeding Pope Benedict XVI's call to greater utilize the power of television and new media, the CatholicTV Network features its cable TV station, Catholic web site, mobile apps and widget. Celebrate Mass online; pray The Rosary; enjoy programs on prayer, the saints, the Scriptures and the Catholic Church on America's Catholic Television Network.
CONTACT: Shannon Muldoon, Public Relations Coordinator, CatholicTV, 617.923.0220