Sirius to launch Catholic radio channel

The channel, which will launch in the fall, will carry live daily Mass from St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York as well as talk and music programming. Financial terms of the arrangement were not disclosed.

Photo: Sirius to launch Catholic radio channel

Sirius already carries other religious-themed programming, including Catholic-themed syndicated talk shows, news and teachings from the EWTN Global Catholic Radio Network as well as programs from FamilyNet, the broadcast arm of the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. Those shows are also available on terrestrial radio.

Programming on the new channel would be created especially for Sirius, company spokesman Patrick Reilly said.

Sirius' competitor in the emerging satellite radio business, XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc., also airs religious-themed syndicated programming that includes conservative James Dobson's "Focus on the Family" show.

Sirius carries more than 100 channels of talk, news and commercial-free music and began airing programming at the beginning of the year from the shock jock Howard Stern.