Bringing Wisdom into your home

The Montfort Missionaries, a religious Congregation, working under the auspices of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi, seeks to complement in Jesus efforts of proclaiming the Good News about the Kingdom of God. In the footsteps of Saint Louis of Montfort, as inspired by the Wisdom Spirituality (1 Corinthians 1:23- 24) these efforts are realized through a Catholic television station that is called Luntha TV.

Vision A Christian television station committed to bringing Good News to all people for their practical life and holistic development. Mission To broadcast about the Kingdom of God; professionally inform; educate and entertain; while providing inspirational contents Motto Bringing Wisdom into your home

Justification: Malawi was under a dictatorial government from 1964 to 1992: the Catholic bishops 1992 pastoral letter Living our Faith became a catalyst for democracy With the 1995 Constitutional Reform, the liberalization of the broadcasting industry started so much that by 2005, there were already 26 private radio broadcasters but one public television station (TV Malawi), which operated as the propaganda tool for the government. According to National Statistics (NSO, 2008), viewership of television contents in the democratic environment is rapidly growing - from 5-17% in 2005 to 15-35% in There are now 20 licensed TV broadcasters, and the TV broadcast landscape is steadily expanding from the current 56% to approximately 85% by There is also the paid for digital satellite TV (Multichoice) who are too expensive for most of the people LTV Identity: A Christian television station that broadcasts contents that are social, educational, religious, for the holistic development of people. Licensed, in 2005, Luntha TV started beaming on 7 May, 2007 LTV landscape: Using the terrestrial analogue system, LTV now reaches out to 2/3 of the country of a population of 14,000,000. The expansion has stalled because we are waiting for the rolling up of the Governments Digital Migration project which will result in the government investing more in the expansion of terrestrial broadcasting but digital.

We have an inclusive and holistic approach to human needs We target Catholics and Christian TV viewers, who are approximately 60% of the country-s population Broadcasting 24 hours, 7 per week, our programming has inspirational content that include: Information: news, features, documentaries etc Education: languages, sciences, social issues such as rights, environment and health Entertainment; Relaxation: soaps, music, films compatible with Catholic values Religious: Liturgies, weddings, testimonies, religious functions and events of various associations

Board of Trustees: 5 members Board Directors: 7 professions plus two e-officio members (from ECM Catholic Secretariat and Mangochi Diocese secretary for Communications). Staff: Permanent: 20 Volunteers: 2 Interns; Sub-contracted; marketing agents

From Episcopal Conference and dioceses: Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace Catholic Development Commission Catholic Health Commission Catholic Secretariat - Communications Department Other religious congregations: Carmelite Fathers (OCD) Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary (SBVM) Catholic media houses in AMECEA region: Ukweli - Nairobi BEAMS - Nairobi Paulines - Nairobi New People - Nairobi Loyola Productions - Lusaka Catholic TV stations outside Africa EWTN - US Salt and Light - Canada Secular TV broadcasters/ production houses: VOA DW TV IRIN

NGOs: Concern Universal esp. on environment World Vision esp. on various social issues Village Reach: esp. on HIV/AIDS WALA on various social issues Pakachere: on TB & HIV/AIDS. Sue Ryder Foundation: on disabilities Governments: MoH & MoLG: National Aids Commission: Ulalo Project, on HIV/AIDS MoEA: GIZ on democracy and rights issues (ASPTSU) OPC & MoIA: Malawi Electoral Commission US embassy: On democracy, rights and social development through USAID Ecumenical partnership : Adventists Relief Agency: on HIV&AIDS Bible Society

Capacity: Delivery of 60% local content and 40% foreign : Equipment and skills given the short history of TV industry in Malawi Changing the church operational mindset: HR, Finance, M&E, marketing etc Technical: How to get technicians How to achieve a hybrid solution - digital and satellite - so as to address the problems of terrestrial broadcasting Replacing the analogue equipment with digital/ digital compatible equip. Finance: How to be self reliant Collaboration of local Church especially diocesan priests Many bishops and diocesan priests assume that, unlike the diocesan radio stations/ print houses, the Missionaries have money and so do not need the local support of Christians in the parishes Marketing: Most advertisers find it difficult to do commercial business with Church media institutions due to its prophetic stance especially when it comes to giving and receiving kickbacks. Most people in rural areas are still radio based due to electricity challenges

We are the only Catholic TV station in the country. Although there are 20 licensed TV broadcasters, there are only 3 other Christian TV stations (AFJ, ABC & Calvary) but operating only in the two major cities, and also in typical Pentecostal and televangelism setup: Luntha TV is the only Christian TV station that is reaching out to most of the country, with diverse content other than the others who are regional and devotional.

People in rural areas are fast migrating from radio to TV: cfr National Statistics Office on people owning TV sets and using them – 5% (in 1998) to 17% (in 2008) - thanks to the proliferation of use of solar energy. We are the only private, operational TV station that gives a platform to political parties, hence giving the population alternative views to the ruling party which solely uses the public broadcaster, Malawi Broadcasting Corporation TV.

PATHWAY & FUTURE PERSPECTIVES