Unlike VisionTV, which is multi-faith, digital channel, Salt + Light Television provides a Catholic-specific take on entertainment, news and information. Its challenge, following a recent staff expansion and move to a larger facility in downtown Toronto, is to establish itself as more than a purveyor of fire and brimstone. Launched last December, the station’s demographic has skewed older, but it is going after younger eyeballs. In fact, 80% of its staff is aged 20 to 35.

CEO Father Thomas Rosica heads S+LT, which is funded through the national not-for-profit Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation, of which communications company St. Joseph Corporation is the biggest benefactor. The station was born out of the momentum from World Youth Day 2002 and the Papal Visit to Canada, of which Rosica was CEO and national director. Rosica figures on air in much of the programming, such as on Witness, where he discusses family and societal values with church officials and community figures.

Salt +Light Catholic News offers daily updates on world events with a Catholic slant. For example, it would report on the Pope’s statements about the War on Iraq, and it showed the breakdown of how Catholics voted in the recent U.S. presidential election. There is also a French-language news show twice weekly, while some other programming is in Italian.

The youth-aimed music programs Over the Edge (music videos), Hungry for the Spirit (live performances) and Openings: Music Meets Faith show the intersection of culture and religion. The station is currently putting together a concert special featuring Catholic rapper Father Stan (Everybody Got 2 Suffer) Fortuna.

The doc mini Bright Lights: Catholicism in Pop Culture, another S+LT original production, examines what its title says, for example, analyzing Catholic values in The WB’s family drama 7th Heaven. Meanwhile, Sunday night’s movie presentation is introduced alternately by The Globe and Mail’s film critic Liam Lacey and Rosica, who sticks around to discuss values in films such as Moonstruck and Saving Grace.

Toronto chef Roberto Martella hosts Cooking with Saints, in which he brings in a guest chef, a theologian and a couple of regular folks, and together they chitchat and cook a meal relating to a saint’s feast day.

‘We’re looking forward to being able to further develop Catholic programming, both as broadcaster and producer, and responding to Pope John Paul’s call to be agents of the ‘New Evangelization’,’ says Rosica.

The digi is available on Rogers Digital Cable throughout southern Ontario and on Videotron Digital TV in Quebec. Bell ExpressVu is offering a free preview of the channel until Jan. 21, 2005, and it launches on Cogeco Dec. 15.

-www.saltandlighttv.org