ITEMS OF INTEREST October 17, 2005 Issue

ITEMS OF INTEREST

with contributions from Erika Niedowski, Katherine Corcoran, Dean Kirby, Mary A. Jacobs

"[ARCH-PRIEST DIMITRY SMIRNOV] is lending his name—and his prayers—to one of the newest offerings on the dial: a broadcast channel for Orthodox believers.

"The channel, called Spas (Russian for savior), joins other newborn outlets that are a response to what television [in Russia] has largely become—namely, dubbed reruns of Sex and the City and The Simpsons....

"Now just as unabashedly as other stations televise sex and violence, the new Orthodox channel Spas will broadcast prayer and feature priests—including Smirnoy—as hosts. About 40 percent of the station's content will be devoted to religious issues. The rest will deal with secular themes, albeit through the lens of Orthodox life.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

A RELIABLE COMMITMENT BAROMETER