Spectrum to stop airing Masses

WORCESTER – The Diocese of Worcester has been notified that as of Friday, October 23, Spectrum will cease carrying the Daily Mass, Sunday Mass, Family Rosary and other local programming produced by the diocesan TV Ministry.
These programs have been seen on Charter TV3, the local origination station on Spectrum cable channel 193 in Worcester County and contiguous communities. Spectrum also announced that it would cease carrying Charter TV3 in a legal notice published Thursday, Sept 17, in the Telegram & Gazette newspaper.
“I am grateful for the support the local Charter management provided to keep us on Charter TV3 for the past year,” said Raymond L. Delisle, diocesan director of communications. “I am, however, very disappointed for the thousands of local, homebound seniors who rely on cable to be at Mass, especially during the coronavirus pandemic, and do not use computers or online devices.”
The diocese began contracting with Greater Media, then Charter, then Spectrum to carry the Daily and Sunday Masses for more than 30 years. The Sunday Mass dates back to the 1970s when it began airing on Channel 27 when the studio was located at what was then State Mutual on Lincoln Street, before the studio moved to Shrewsbury. That station eventually became Univision.
Mr. Delisle confirmed that the Mass will continue to be produced for select local cable access stations and streamed live on the internet at worcesterdiocese.org, where it is available for replay at any time along with other weekly and special programming. The Daily Mass currently replays on weekday afternoons on Clinton and Shrewsbury cable access. Discussions are underway to determine if other communities can carry the Mass on their cable access stations, he said. Weekly programs and a replay of the Sunday Mass and Family Rosary will also continue, as available, on area cable access stations, including WCCA-13, Shrewsbury, Clinton, Fitchburg, Leominster, Athol-Orange, and Grafton.
According to Bishop McManus, “while it’s true that Catholics have access to other Masses on cable from Boston Catholic TV and EWTN, every Catholic has a unique connection to their local parish and their diocese. Our ability to offer Masses and other programs on Charter TV3 has helped to make those connections stronger over the years as area pastors as well as myself appeared regularly on the Mass and interview programs.”
The financial support for the Daily Mass, Sunday Mass and other programs on cable came from a variety of sources. Hundreds of viewers provided monthly or periodic donations to defray the annual $47,000 airtime costs. Local companies and diocesan agencies were regular sponsors. The diocese provided the personnel to produce and maintain the equipment with support from Partners in Charity.
“Although we did not have quantified data to know how many viewers tuned in each day, anecdotally we knew there were many people ‘attending’ Mass,” Mr. Delisle said. “Many priests who were celebrants in the morning would tell us how people would stop them and mention how they liked a particular sermon, or share some other comment. Even homecare workers would tell me that they could not visit some clients from 9 to 9:30 in the morning because the client was at Mass watching on TV3.”
Mr. Delisle added, “My hope and prayer is that family members and friends can help many of these seniors navigate how to join us for Mass on the internet in the future.”