.- The Vatican Television Center will begin broadcasting from the Holy See in high definition starting in October 2010. The new mobile recording and transmission equipment is being purchased from Sony.
Vatican Radio reported that Fr. Federico Lombardi, the Holy See Press Office and Vatican Television Center (CTV) director, said the step to high definition "represents, for us, a necessary development in our service of diffusion of the image of the Pope and Vatican events" and this will "keep CTV on the forefront and a point of reference in the sector of international broadcasting."
Fr. Lombardi said that Sony was chosen not only for their technical expertise, but because of company's demonstration of "a level of competence and capacity of project management of great affability."
The report noted that the equipment was purchased with resources internal to CTV and with contributions from foundations, including the Knights of Columbus, which had donated the existing mobile unit.
CTV was founded in 1983 provide television coverage of the pastoral ministry of the Pope and other activities of the Holy See. It currently televises 200 events a year, plus trips made by the Holy Father.
