Télé Lumière
Télé Lumière is the first Christian television station in Lebanon and the Arab world and was founded in 1991. Since 2003, it also broadcasts satellite programming worldwide under the name Noursat.
History
Télé Lumière meaning the "Television of Light" was founded in 1991 by a group of committed lay people: Late Charles Helou, a former President of Lebanon, Brother Nour, Jack Kallassi, Late George Frem (ex. MP and minister), George Moawad, Rola and Sana Nassar, Dr. Antoine Saad and Christiane Debbaneh.
Télé Lumière is a non-profit organization, its mission is ecumenical, it is not associated to any political party or movement, do not broadcast any political views and do not accept or promote any commercial endorsements. As a non profit broadcasting station, it has no lucrative purposes and survives only from various donations given by its supporters and friends. The Church cooperated with this television station since the beginning when she found it one of the best means to promote the principles of justice, love, freedom and human rights; values called for by Christianity everywhere. Télé Lumière is supervised by the Assembly of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon and directed by a committee involving religious leaders from various denominations and a group of laity eager to support this distinguished project. The relationship between the Church and Télé Lumière is organized through a "cooperation protocol". As for the Government, it considers Télé Lumière, through the Assembly of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon, a Christian station, financially independent and having freedom of management and programming controlled only by the authority of the Church.
Noursat
In June 2003, on Pentecost, Télé Lumière celebrated its 12th anniversary as well as the launching of its satellite station Noursat covering European Union, the Southwest Asia and North Africa. One year later, in the 8th of September 2004, Noursat began its official broadcast in North and South America, United States, Canada and Australia.
Policy and goals
While many TV channels have become event-oriented, either focusing on terrorism, political turmoil and fanaticism, or are limited to amusement and scandals, the openness strategy of Télé Lumière and Noursat, promoting multi-cultural understanding and religious dialogue, have encouraged a large amount of Muslim viewers to watch and participate in the campaigns and programs strengthening peace, targeting coexistence and opposing immorality, violence and terrorism. After all these years of broadcast, Télé Lumière and Noursat have become a daily bread and hope for the Christian minority in the Arab world and the diaspora as well as a source of peace for many viewers from different denominations.
Since its beginning, Télé Lumière has set clear goals that could be summarized as follows:
- A commitment to the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Church, respecting other religious beliefs and getting to know and love them in order to work together for the dignity and worth of the human person.
- Reaffirm the faith in Peace and Human Rights in harmony with the values mentioned in the Charter of the United Nations.
- Allowing for the possibility of different races and creeds to gather through a free dialogue to exchange views and experiences and to confront daily problems in all their complexities.
- Spreading true knowledge as a means of human progress, through rejection of racism and openness to others in ways of thinking, acting and ways of life and by encouraging creativity in the various fields of science and arts.
- A respect for all spiritual and worldly authorities as persons and symbols.
- A respect of all laws and regulations.
- A refusal of presenting or marketing political news.
Board of directors
Board of Directors Télé Lumière/Noursat board of directors:
- Archbishop Roland Abou Jaoudé (President)
- Jack Kallassi (General Manager)
- Brother Nour (General Supervisor)
- Rola Nassar (Financial Manager)
- Dr. Antoine Saad (General Secretary)
- Bishop George Riachi (member)
- Father Khalil Alwan (member)
- Neemat Frem (member)
- George Moawad (member)
- Sana Nassar (member)
- Raymond Nader (Noursat Executive Director)
See also
External links
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