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DTV News DIRECTV Spreads the Good Word With New Sunday Mass From Notre Dame

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Continuing the effort to bring more original, faith-based programming to television, DIRECTV, the nation’s leading satellite television service provider, will launch the new program Sunday Mass from Notre Dame to its channel 103 line-up starting Sunday, December 17 at 10 a.m. EST. Each Sunday, masses will be aired live from the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, on the campus of The University of Notre Dame.

Sunday Mass from Notre Dame will join an already well-established Channel 103 line-up alongside Songs of Praise for Christmas, a 90-minute musical celebration hosted by Amy Grant and Darrell Waltrip; Amy Grant’s concert special Time Again; and other original family-friendly programming.

As part of the Sunday Mass from Notre Dame series, DIRECTV will also feature a special live 75 minute midnight mass from Notre Dame on Christmas Day, which will re-air through out the day.

“We are blessed to announce the addition of Sunday Mass from Notre Dame to our 103 line-up,” said David Hill, President of DIRECTV Entertainment. “Masses from the Basilica of the Sacred Heart are the most beautiful and inspirational ceremonies I have ever witnessed, and now DIRECTV customers and their families will get to enjoy this amazing experience every Sunday.”

“This new initiative is yet another opportunity for Notre Dame to bring quality Catholic liturgies to individuals and families across the country and around the world,” added Rev. Richard V. Warner, C.S.C., director of Campus Ministry.

Masses at Notre Dame are marked by the full participation of their assembly in the liturgy, and on Sundays the Basilica is regularly filled to capacity. Sunday Mass from Notre Dame will allow DIRECTV customers to experience the University's celebrated High Mass, complete with performances from the Liturgical Choir, under the direction of Gail Walton, during the academic year. During the summer months, the Basilica Collegium Choir, under the direction of Andrew McShane, will provide the summer liturgy music. A 5 p.m. Saturday Vigil Mass can also be seen every week on the Hallmark Channel, which is also carried on DIRECTV.

DIRECTV will employ architecturally sensitive camera placements inside the Basilica to capture the beauty of the church, while not disturbing the solemnity of Mass. Technical production of the Mass is accomplished locally through the services of Pentavision Communications Inc., which produces the show from a control room in the basement of the Basilica. WNDU-TV will send the broadcast via fiber optics to DIRECTV’s master control.

More information on the Basilica of the Sacred Heart is available at http://basilica.nd.edu/.

About DIRECTV, Inc.

DIRECTV, Inc., the nation’s leading satellite television service provider, presents the finest television experience available to more than 15.6 million customers through exclusive content, industry-leading customer service (which has surpassed cable for six years running) and superior technologies. Each day, DIRECTV subscribers enjoy over 250 channels of 100% digital picture and sound; exclusive programming and the most comprehensive collection of sports programming available anywhere including NFL SUNDAY TICKET™, and MLB EXTRA INNINGS™. DIRECTV (NYSE:DTV) also leads the digital television technology revolution with exclusives such as NFL SUNDAY TICKET SuperFan™, US Open Interactive and YES Network Interactive and will soon have the capacity to offer over 150 channels in HD. DIRECTV is approximately 39 percent owned by News Corporation. For the most up-to-date information on the Company, please visit directv.com.

About the University of Notre Dame:

Founded in 1842 by Edward Sorin of the Congregation of Holy Cross and rated today among the top 20 universities in the nation, the University of Notre Dame is renown for excellence in teaching, research, scholarship and service, all in concert with a commitment to Catholic values. It stands on 1,250 acres adjacent to the city of South Bend, Ind., the center of a metropolitan area with a population of more than a quarter-million. Ranked among the nation's leading undergraduate teaching institutions, it also is highly regarded for research in a wide array of disciplines, including topical disease transmission, peace studies, cancer, robotics, theology, philosophy, astrophysics, Latin America, and Catholic and American religious history.